Royal Mail Customs Charge

MiscUser

Hello

I purchased a few items from Ebay not long ago from the United States and paid the P&P the seller was offering. It took quite some time for the items to reach the UK, but now Royal Mail have sent me a notice saying I have to pay £13.48 which is a high amount. The total of the items is £43.78, which doesn't include the postage I paid to the seller to get it here. I don't wish to pay this fee, any suggestions?

Thank You

shaun_from_Africa

I don't wish to pay this fee

Why not?
As the importer, you are responsible for paying any import duties and handling/collection fees that are due, and VAT is normally liable on any goods over £15 in value.

What you paid to the seller is nothing whatsoever to do with what you are now being asked to pay.

tanith

You won't get the goods unless you pay up I'm afraid. Why do you think you shouldn't pay whats due on the goods?

System

I think if you don't pay the goods will be returned to sender? They then may refund you if you're lucky.

However if you do want the goods then you have 2 options

1) - Pay the £13.48
2) - You launch a covert operation against Mount Pleasant to recover your item for free. There is a poster on here called "Custardy" who has links to Royal Mail, PM him and see if he is prepared to be the inside man in this operation. If he is then we can get a team together and soon secure the release of this parcel.
I will start knitting our Balaclava's.

MiscUser

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Why not?
As the importer, you are responsible for paying any import duties and handling/collection fees that are due, and VAT is normally liable on any goods over £15 in value.

What you paid to the seller is nothing whatsoever to do with what you are now being asked to pay.

I was unaware hospitality was so different on this forum, that I'm not allowed to ask a simple question without having some person with a silver soon shoved up their !!! to howl in my ear. But in my haste to ask for assistance I may have left out a small detail. I'm quite young and I'm slightly new to the world of online shopping. This is the second time I have bought something outside the EU, and the first this charge has been applied upon the goods.

System

MiscUser wrote: »

I was unaware hospitality was so different on this forum, that I'm not allowed to ask a simple question without having some person with a silver soon shoved up their !!! to howl in my ear. But in my haste to ask for assistance I may have left out a small detail. I'm quite young and I'm slightly new to the world of online shopping. This is the second time I have bought something outside the EU, and the first this charge has been applied upon the goods.

Yes sometimes you get lucky and don't pay. I use a company called threadless and only 50% of the time i have to pay the customs charge.

Unfortunately if your parcel is unlucky enough to be inspected and its in violation of the limit then you have to pay

MiscUser

tanith wrote: »

You won't get the goods unless you pay up I'm afraid. Why do you think you shouldn't pay whats due on the goods?

Ah, a person with some courtesy, I appreciate it. To answer your question I have to be quite frank, I was unaware of these charges, or that they even existed. Perhaps if they were included on the payment section of Ebay, I might have been more cautious? I guess Royal Mail operate their own charges outside the order.

custardy

MiscUser wrote: »

Ah, a person with some courtesy, I appreciate it. To answer your question I have to be quite frank, I was unaware of these charges, or that they even existed. Perhaps if they were included on the payment section of Ebay, I might have been more cautious? I guess Royal Mail operate their own charges outside the order.

RM have a flat rate system. So the fee is £8,£8 or £8
you ordered from abroad and as such are liable for taxes and fees
unless you do your own clearance
were you totally unaware of the tax implications of buying from abroad?
did you not wonder why everybody didnt do that and save money on UK prices?
Your choices are pay whats due or allow it to be returned to sender and wrangle with them for a refund

soolin

MiscUser wrote: »

Ah, a person with some courtesy, I appreciate it. To answer your question I have to be quite frank, I was unaware of these charges, or that they even existed. Perhaps if they were included on the payment section of Ebay, I might have been more cautious? I guess Royal Mail operate their own charges outside the order.

I am not sure that ebay need to cover every single rule, law (non EU or otherwise) on very listing- the site would be quite unworkable.

Unfortunately whilst the help pages and the buying tutorial on ebay both mention possible charges when buying overseas, it is generally accepted that people are already aware of buying from countries outside the EU.

Sellers also have a degree of protection against foreign buyers who refuse to pay charges and have the goods sent back, so refusing the goods 'might' see you out of pocket as well as not getting the goods.

Not all items are caught, I buy a lot from outside the EU and do not always get charged , but it is best to assume you will and end up with a pleasant susrprise if you are not charged .

Anyone that has travelled overseas should also be aware that HMRC 'customs' would also expect people to declare goods they bring in in person that they have purchased overseas.

MiscUser

custardy wrote: »

RM have a flat rate system. So the fee is £8,£8 or £8
you ordered from abroad and as such are liable for taxes and fees
unless you do your own clearance
were you totally unaware of the tax implications of buying from abroad?
did you not wonder why everybody didnt do that and save money on UK prices?
Your choices are pay whats due or allow it to be returned to sender and wrangle with them for a refund

I've understood what you've said until the sentence "unless you do your own clearance." I was slightly unaware, since this is the second time I purchased from outside the EU, but the first time I had no problems, although the item is slightly larger this time.

I didn't wonder because I don't keep up with current trends, but then again the item was from Ebay, and the seller (US) sold it quite cheap for such a rare product. I think I would have gone for the UK option, but it wasn't exactly available in this instance. I guess I'll pay, it is the first time after all.

MiscUser

soolin wrote: »

I am not sure that ebay need to cover every single rule, law (non EU or otherwise) on very listing- the site would be quite unworkable.

Unfortunately whilst the help pages and the buying tutorial on ebay both mention possible charges when buying overseas, it is generally accepted that people are already aware of buying from countries outside the EU.

Sellers also have a degree of protection against foreign buyers who refuse to pay charges and have the goods sent back, so refusing the goods 'might' see you out of pocket as well as not getting the goods.

Not all items are caught, I buy a lot from outside the EU and do not always get charged , but it is best to assume you will and end up with a pleasant susrprise if you are not charged .

Anyone that has travelled overseas should also be aware that HMRC 'customs' would also expect people to declare goods they bring in in person that they have purchased overseas.

I see, thank you.