Customs nightmare

mah_jong

I posted this in a thread earlier this week(tweeked it a bit today) when someone was asking about customs charges. However I am a thread killer and no one else replied. So I am starting a new one in the hope that someone has been in a similar position and can empathise/ advise .....

I bought something ($70) paid nearly same again in postage and knew that even with parcelforce clearance fees etc not a bargain but I was happy with the price.

That was until a bill of nearly 100 pound arrived!!!

I am in limbo at present my parcel is over 100 miles away and is now being recalled to somewhere in in England to be reassessed. I THINK the problem is that the sellers customs label its being read at a completely different value to the actual content value.

I have been told it can take weeks for my parcel to get to the assessment centre and then no doubt it will be checked along with the my paperwork (sent yesterday) . All this for a used item!!

I have since been told they will reassess in due course.

I have not heard from the seller since they said it was being mailed so am not sure if I should say anything.
What if I get told the customs charge stands and I refuse the parcel...this will mean he gets it back but at his cost. As I said a bit of a nightmare...

Smiley_Mum

Here is a link regarding duty etc to be paid on mail from abroad etc. Sorry I can't help further, never used Ebay. Hope you get the matter sorted out.

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014&propertyType=document

martindow

Hard to see wht it's so much. 140 dollars is less than 100 pounds so VAT would be about 15 pounds, clearance fee with PF is usually 8 pounds and maybe a few pounds duty so I would have thought it should be under 30 pounds in total. I can only imagine the value has wrongly been declared on the customs label. You need to ask for a breakdown of the charges. Here's their address - can't find a phone number - maybe someone else can help?

Parcelforce Worldwide National Hub,
Middlemarch Business Park,
Siskin Parkway West,
Coventry,
CV3 4PF

Good luck

culpepper

The parcel I got from the states was about £80 in value and I was charged £26 including handling charge.

mah_jong

martindow wrote:

Hard to see wht it's so much. 140 dollars is less than 100 pounds so VAT would be about 15 pounds, clearance fee with PF is usually 8 pounds and maybe a few pounds duty so I would have thought it should be under 30 pounds in total. I can only imagine the value has wrongly been declared on the customs label. You need to ask for a breakdown of the charges. Here's their address - can't find a phone number - maybe someone else can help?

Parcelforce Worldwide National Hub,
Middlemarch Business Park,
Siskin Parkway West,
Coventry,
CV3 4PF

Good luck

Thats where I am dealing with , they say the customs charges are based on goods to the value of $670 as customs label... I found that out after querying it.
Seller says item was $165 new on ebay page, so hence my thinking it was mis read/mis written BUT as I have not got it I cant tell!! So going on that declaration 66 quid for VAT, plus the other fees bring up to over 90 quid. They said it could be 6 weeks .....

I did have the option of paying up front, get the parcel and then send in paperwork ...but I have not got the best part of 100 quid lying around spare! Also the parcel was not on my doorstep anyway!

So should I say anything to the seller ....like what EXACTLY did you write on the customs form!!!!:eek:

martindow

In that case I suspect that the sender has got to inform USPS or whatever carrier he used what the true value is. The UK customs will go by what is declared. He could have done a rough dollar sign that has ended up looking like a 6 - it's best to us USD, GBP etc to avoid that sort of thing.

hezb

If you send your paypal receipt to customs (give them a call first!!) with the true price paid and they will reimburse you. This has happened to me quite a lot!!!!!!!!! If they can't read the amount they will open the parcel and put what they think is the true value of the item!!!! so lots of reasons why you have had a big bill.

hope this may of helped a bit.

syanide

you have to pay vat at 17.5% on the item and a customs import charge of 3%

but only if its worth over 38 pounds

aris

Also remember, you pay VAT on the value of the item and also the postage. You pay duty on the item (depending on what it is), then the 8 pound clearing fee.

Stuart_P

is every packet checked coming into the uk, or are most just spot checked? is it feasible to order for example 8 dvds totaling £80 & for them to get thru without the fee?

kevinyork

Actually the limit for imports by post being VAT free is £18 see HERE

The charges by Customs are worked out based on the declared value (or the value estimated by Customs in the absence of a declaration or if they do not believe the declaration) plus the postage paid. Duty is then calculated and added at the relevant duty rate for that item then VAT is calculated on the total price (i.e. you pay VAT on the postage and duty too).