Import VAT and Amazon/Kickstarter fees

bzd

Custardy: Shipment cost of $15 was itemised in the (displayed) invoice, but not included in the declaration.

Visidigi: I believe two items to have been charged against a tariff that is not applicable!

Ben

visidigi

bzd wrote: »

Custardy: Shipment cost of $15 was itemised in the (displayed) invoice, but not included in the declaration.

Visidigi: I believe two items to have been charged against a tariff that is not applicable!

Ben

What tariff did they charge you under? Did you get a breakdown? (RM have never given me one)

Remember, we're talking £5.

bzd

visidigi wrote: »

What tariff did they charge you under? Did you get a breakdown? (RM have never given me one)

Remember, we're talking £5.

What I mean is the two fees were charged at 20% VAT. I think they should have been exempt!

visidigi

bzd wrote: »

What I mean is the two fees were charged at 20% VAT. I think they should have been exempt!

What you think. And what was declared Are two very VERY different things. And HMRC do not have to align themselves with your thoughts versus the shippers declaration.

Its not a nice place, agreed, but at the same time I fear you are truly on a hiding to nothing.

bzd

Heh, I should have given up long ago!

But the invoice is a document to me about the payments I made for an order -- and the UKBA can use it to calculate the customs value. The two fees were /not/ in the declaration of goods so they have been added incorrectly.

Anyway, it's all in motion now and UKBA have said they're considering the points I've raised, we'll see what happens. <sigh/>

Ben

I'll post again when I know more

custardy

bzd wrote: »

Custardy: Shipment cost of $15 was itemised in the (displayed) invoice, but not included in the declaration.

Visidigi: I believe two items to have been charged against a tariff that is not applicable!

Ben

yes but the postage(as in stamps) would be on the box?

bzd

custardy wrote: »

yes but the postage(as in stamps) would be on the box?

hi, sorry about the delay.

It looks like a pre-printed postage label. It's from Singapore and the only thing I can see that might denote an amount is "PP61104" but I'm not convinced that means anything. The postal cost wouldn't cover the packaging and manual labour costs (plus, I think the original items were made in China and then shipped en masse to Singapore where there was a better mechanism to post out to the world) and I would expect those costs to be part of the invoiced shipping cost of $15 too.

Current update is that UKBA are "considering" my points and have been for a few days. Probably more like condithering but we'll see...

bzd

Hi,

I meant to update this sooner (for historical reasons as I'm betting everyone else has lost interest ).

Anyway, to give UKBA credit they did consider my arguments (which went in to some detail of their own rules) and even referred them to their lawyers, but due to various technical meanings of words that I wasn't aware of (not being a lawyer) [specifically a buying agent has to be a third party, it can't be the buyer] I had to concede the fiver to them!

Shame as I really wanted to test out the £8 Royal Mail fee refund too which you all seem so doubtful about!!

Mildy amusingly, since then the item in question became faulty (within warranty period) so a replacement was sent out. The packaging was identical except for the certified value (given as USD 10) and the invoice being USD 10 (no postage). This got through customs and straight to me without any fee -- phew!

Cheers everyone,

Ben