customs charged duty on Christmas gifts-help

Dizzie_3

Not sure if this is the right place for this but couldn't see where to put it.

Well, mother in law has sent a parcel like she does every Christmas with everyones pressies in one box but this year we've had a letter saying customs have added duty and vat which parcel force have paid and they now want the money including fees or we dont get the parcel. The total charges is £68.

We contacted customs helpline and our options are
1. to pay the charges and apply for a refund afterwards
2. ask them to reassess the parcel, which means them sending it back to their office in Coventry which can take 6 weeks.
3. Refuse the parcel and it will be sent back to my inlaws.

MIL had filled in the customs label same as she allways does, listing the goods and values, nowhere on the customs label does it ask anything like who the items are for but apparently this is where MIL has come unstuck. There is a £36 threshold for gifts but this is per person and our parcel is gifts for 5 people, all individualy wrapped and labelled but not stated on the customs declaration and because of this I've been told that the charge may apply but they wont tell me for sure.

I have tried phoning Custums in coventry but the number is picked up be an answering machine which simply advises the quickest way to receive the parcel is to pay and then explains how to claim a refund. We tried emailing but received a reply saying the email service had been temporarily closed!

Seems they are deliberately avoiding having to speak to anyone about specific cases and I worry about our chances of getting a refund if we pay but the alternative is the kids dont get their Christmas presents or my daughters birthday presents from Gran and Grandad

Any advice please?

floss2

Dizzie wrote: »

.....I have tried phoning Custums in coventry but the number is picked up be an answering machine which simply advises the quickest way to receive the parcel is to pay and then explains how to claim a refund.

TBH, to avoid disappointment, I would do what the Cutoms Office advise, keep every scrap of packaging & label and try to claim a refund.

It is a hard lesson to learn, but to send 5 items individually & pay postage on each would probably have been less than the £68 customs charge that you will have to pay for your children to receive their gifts.

sassyblue

Hi dizzie, don't hold your breathe on getting a refund either, we've had similair (albeit something purchased through ebay) they just say that to fob you off l think, when you try to get the refund there'll say that the charge applies because it was packed as ONE parcel not 5 individual ones. (Still worth a try though)

Is it worth clubbing together and each of you present receivers paying £13.60 each do you think?

Dizzie_3

sassyblue wrote: »

Hi dizzie, don't hold your breathe on getting a refund either, we've had similair (albeit something purchased through ebay) they just say that to fob you off l think, when you try to get the refund there'll say that the charge applies because it was packed as ONE parcel not 5 individual ones. (Still worth a try though)

Is it worth clubbing together and each of you present receivers paying £13.60 each do you think?

Thats what worries me Sassy, they seem pretty keen for us to just pay up without going into any details before hand, all we've been able to get is general advice from their helpline, there is no way to speak to anyone at the customs office.

The presents are for me, my oh and our 3 kids, so it would all have to go on hubbys credit card

sassyblue

Hi Dizzie, yes IMO they just want to pass the buck onto someone else, apologies l didn't read your post correctly (l read too fast lol) it's a shame it is ALL your families presents, ouch.

Kazipoo

Is it too far to collect them in the new year?? Are we talking halfway around the world here? I would weigh up the pro's and con's. If you might be going to visit in the next few months, I might be tempted to get them sent back to her and pick them up when you next go.... but then I'm a tightwad according to my kids lol.

If thats out of the question, do you know if the presents are actually worth that much?? I know they are from family, and its the thought etc, but I would be sorely tempted to have them sent back.

Doc_N

From the HMRC website:


Goods sent as a gift that are over £36 in value are liable to import VAT. Customs duty also becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £120 but is waived if the amount of duty calculated is less than £7.
To qualify as a gift:

• the customs declaration must be completed correctly
• the gift must be sent from a private person outside the EU to a private person(s) in this country
• there is no commercial or trade element and the gift has not been paid for either directly or indirectly
• the gift is of an occasional nature only, for example, for a birthday or anniversary.

Are you sure they intend you to have exemptions totalling 5 x £36 in one parcel? Sounds a bit too open to abuse to me - all you'd have to do to get, say, a £360 exemption limit is bring 10 family members into the equation. They could even be real ones!

EllieWellie

If I were in your shoes and I had the funds then I'd pay and apply for a refund afterwards. It's a different situation to buying goods through a seller - it's a parcel of gifts sent by a family member after all. I'd just think that if my mum had sent a parcel then she'd be upset if we didn't get them - actually, I think if she knew the situation then she'd pay the charges herself, but I wouldn't tell her if I could avoid it - just advise her later to make sure things are done differently next time.

Dizzie_3

Doc_N wrote: »

From the HMRC website:


Goods sent as a gift that are over £36 in value are liable to import VAT. Customs duty also becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £120 but is waived if the amount of duty calculated is less than £7.
To qualify as a gift:

• the customs declaration must be completed correctly
• the gift must be sent from a private person outside the EU to a private person(s) in this country
• there is no commercial or trade element and the gift has not been paid for either directly or indirectly
• the gift is of an occasional nature only, for example, for a birthday or anniversary.

Are you sure they intend you to have exemptions totalling 5 x £36 in one parcel? Sounds a bit too open to abuse to me - all you'd have to do to get, say, a £360 exemption limit is bring 10 family members into the equation. They could even be real ones!

If the items had been fully listed and my mil stated the gifts where for 5 people they wouldn't have added charges, thats what I've been told by customs anyway. It is open to abuse and the annoying thing is they'd know what they where doing and get round the charges, it's the unsuspecting, genuine, people who get stung!

3_cheeky_princesses

It might be worth posting this in the EBay, Car Boot Board as there are some experts on posting / couriers etc in there.

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

Dizzie_3

EllieWellie wrote: »

If I were in your shoes and I had the funds then I'd pay and apply for a refund afterwards. It's a different situation to buying goods through a seller - it's a parcel of gifts sent by a family member after all. I'd just think that if my mum had sent a parcel then she'd be upset if we didn't get them - actually, I think if she knew the situation then she'd pay the charges herself, but I wouldn't tell her if I could avoid it - just advise her later to make sure things are done differently next time.

Oh had to tell his mum to get the info about the parcel from her because customs and parcel force wouldn't tell us anything about why we'd been charged. She probably is upset, I would be if I went to the trouble of sending family gifts and this happened and now she's having to give us a list of everything and what it cost, really horrible when it's presents.