Customs Help

Drunkstar

If this is in the wrong place then I apologise mods.


Hey all, hopefully someone can give me a bit of advice as this doesnt seem right to me.

I bought, over the internet, a PC game for £10.76 in P&P from America. I just got a card through my letterbox saying that its being held until I pay a customs charge of £12.98! It was sent via UPS, if that makes a difference.

As far as I can tell through google if I buy something for less than £18 then I shouldnt pay anything. But even if I should £13 is more than the game was bloody worth!

So, is this ammount right?

wealdroam

I think UPS charge a fee (is it £10?) for handling the customs transaction.

But I agree, you probably should not be paying anything.

Always tricky buying from abroad, isn't it?

Drunkstar

Cheers. I have no issues with paying a customs charge, just seems an excessive ammount. Oh well.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

http://www.ups.com/content/gb/en/shipping/cost/additional.html

Drunkstar

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

http://www.ups.com/content/gb/en/shipping/cost/additional.html

Sorry mate, but I dont know which bit I should be looking at. Its a blur of numbers and letters to be (I have a touch of the old dyslexia and it makes some things hellish to read).

Equaliser123

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

http://www.ups.com/content/gb/en/shipping/cost/additional.html

The actual charge is irrelevant if UPS shouldn't actually have 'handled' customs.

cloverfield_2

when i have bought anything through ebay (usually from Hong Kong) it is marked as a low item gift which should avoid any vat charges as far as im aware.

Equaliser123

cloverfield wrote: »

when i have bought anything through ebay (usually from Hong Kong) it is marked as a low item gift which should avoid any vat charges as far as im aware.

Yeah, but that isn't exactly legal...

unholyangel

I had something similar when i ordered something from US. I paid half price, which put it under the £18 limit but the company had put the full cost of the item on the parcel (perhaps for any claim they might need to make if it went missing?).

Anyway, i called customs and they advised that all i needed to do was to send a copy of the receipt and scan the sticker on the package (with a reference code and amount to be paid etc) and i would get a refund.

Great i thought so i paid and then asked for a refund. I got refunded the custom charges but not the £8 royal mail handling fee. This basically doubled the price of the item. If i had known that i simply wouldnt have collected it/ordered it in the first place.

OP you'll likely find the same. If you can provide a receipt and packaging of the game, they'll likely refund the customs charges but not the handling fee.

Equaliser123

unholyangel wrote: »

OP you'll likely find the same. If you can provide a receipt and packaging of the game, they'll likely refund the customs charges but not the handling fee.

True but if the item was properly labelled and no customs charges were due, UPS were wrong to charge in the first place.

Hintza

Courier companies dothis all the time and that is why I try and find sellers that will you US Postal Service priority mail.

What does the invoice say Price + P+P?