Import duties/VAT on clothing from America?

joeyboy

Firstly apologies as this likely isn't the right sub-forum, I just dropped it here as I couldn't work out which sub-forum would be best for a question like this.

So I bought some clothing from America, came to $165 roughly with postage.

Now I've purchased goods from Japan before and in that instance I'm sure I got a letter from parcelforce telling me my parcel was being held at a depot and I owed £X in VAT, charges etc. I'm sure I had to pay this first before my item was released to continue to my door.

However this time I got the parcel dropped off by parcelforce about 10 days ago now.

When do I find out what taxes/fees I owe? Is it one of those things where you can get a letter about it in 31 days or something?#

cheers for any advice folks.

mountainofdebt

Last time I bought something from America fedex (who delivered the parcel) sent me a letter a few weeks later requesting payment for the vat

arcon5

The reason they do it is so they don't hold your parcel up, unlike royalmail who I believe don't release your parcel until it is paid.

vuvuzela

You might be lucky and it might have gone through uncharged. Happens every now and then

visidigi

I buy regularily from the US, anything under $250 in value seems to get through PF without any feeds or anything - anything over that and you get stung bad.

If you've got the parcel there wont be anything further to pay with PF as PF wont deliver any packages till all fees are paid, unlike FedEx, DHL and UPS where most low duties amounts are delivered and collected later (they hold them if the duties are alot though...)