Unexpected customs charge on item sent back home while on holiday

heatherw_01

Customs in the UK has nothing to do with having already paid Florida sales tax.
There is a limit to how much you're allowed to send too the UK before having to pay customs charges

mattyprice4004

malkie76 wrote: »

Sounds a lot like fraud which is frowned upon on these forum.

Please educate yourself on the matter of discussion because posting such nonsense

custardy

Westin wrote: »

It would be duty that you have been charged for although some amount within the £67 will be a handling charge (normally shown on a sticker added by HMRC/Post Office and attached to the package). US Sales Tax does not come into this.

Did you declare the correct value of the item on the shipping documents? Not sure how much you paid for the light sabre but if duty has been calculated at £67 HMRC Customs must think it was fairly expensive.

Not Post Office.

The Post office neither deliver items nor collect customs duty.
If you mean Royal Mail then it waswn't them either as RM don't collect at the door.

Voyager2002 wrote: »

No, not at all. It simply means that you pay what is due, rather than the Post Office making the payment for you and then adding on a 12 pound service charge for doing so.

stoneman

malkie76 wrote: »

Sounds a lot like fraud which is frowned upon on these forum.

Hahahaha! You are joking right.

I call this site loophole .com

The whole point of some of the articles on here is to commit fraud.

Registering for offers using different email addys and naming the family dog as a family member.

This site is the reason a lot of offers no longer appear, so many people committing fraud and ruining it for the honest among us.

custardy

stoneman wrote: »

Hahahaha! You are joking right.

I call this site loophole .com

The whole point of some of the articles on here is to commit fraud.

Registering for offers using different email addys and naming the family dog as a family member.

This site is the reason a lot of offers no longer appear, so many people committing fraud and ruining it for the honest among us.

Except the post in question relates to doing your own customs clearance.
no fraud,dubious practice or loophole.

maman

stoneman wrote: »

Hahahaha! You are joking right.

I call this site loophole .com

The whole point of some of the articles on here is to commit fraud.

Registering for offers using different email addys and naming the family dog as a family member.

This site is the reason a lot of offers no longer appear, so many people committing fraud and ruining it for the honest among us.

You're right.

Many of the mse generated 'money dilemma' threads are no more than 'should I be dishonest or not?'. At best they're morally questionable.

Then we get the frequent examples on this particular forum with people wanting compensation for 'ruined' holidays. I'm sure many of them would try to make fraudulent insurance claims …..if they'd bought any!:rotfl:

Voyager2002

custardy wrote: »

Not Post Office.

The Post office neither deliver items nor collect customs duty.
If you mean Royal Mail then it waswn't them either as RM don't collect at the door.

Standard procedure if you order an item from eg the USA and VAT or duty are payable: you receive a card in your letterbox inviting you to visit your local post office and make a payment. The amount you pay is the amount paid for you to HMRC, plus a service charge.

Now, I understand that the organisation formerly known as Royal Mail changed its name to Consignia and maybe has gone through several rebranding exercises since then. I am afraid I have neither the time nor the patience to keep up with their current brand name. I think that all users of this site will understand the generic term "Post Office" and should not confuse it with the business called "Post Office counters".

custardy

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Standard procedure if you order an item from eg the USA and VAT or duty are payable: you receive a card in your letterbox inviting you to visit your local post office and make a payment. The amount you pay is the amount paid for you to HMRC, plus a service charge.

Now, I understand that the organisation formerly known as Royal Mail changed its name to Consignia and maybe has gone through several rebranding exercises since then. I am afraid I have neither the time nor the patience to keep up with their current brand name. I think that all users of this site will understand the generic term "Post Office" and should not confuse it with the business called "Post Office counters".

Sigh. Lets try again.

The OP was asked for COD. So it was a courier. Nothing to do with Royal Mail or Post Office.

you wont get a card telling you to visit a local Post Office even if its delivered by Royal Mail.

By current branding you mean nearly the last 20 years?
The generic term of Post Office doesnt really work given there is a business called Post Office.
This is why every day you get plums rocking up to Royal Mail offices trying to get Post Office services,Or going to Post Offices trying to print labels via RMs label print service.

To fully drive home the point. Post Office is a state run organisation.
RM is a private company.

Its pretty simple really.

Edit: to get you fully up to speed. Royal mail have charged an £8 fee for over a decade. Never £12

Archergirl

I think DHL now charge cash upfront before letting you have the parcel, we used to be able to pay after delivery online but not any more.....their charge on top was £11

stoneman

Sorry for the hijack here.

Funny reading this and then yesterday I had a card put through my door saying I had duty to pay on a package from the U.S.

I went to the local sorting office to discover I owed £15.05 on a parcel that had a declared value of $12 (it was a light bulb for my car)!!

The breakdown was customs duty nil, excise duty nil, VAT £7.05
RM handling fee £8.00

I'm struggling to see how I owe VAT if the item had a declared value of $12?

Reading the leaflet that I was handed it shouldn't have been liable for VAT.

I can't be bothered chasing it, I would have to fill out the form for customs, get a receipt for the bulb, send it all off with the attached labels from the envelope. just to reclaim the VAT.

Then if I do get the fee dropped I have to fill out a separate form to re cope the handling charge from Royal Mail.