VAT & import Duty - DHL threatening letter

Sandtree

stinky_docker said:

Ok fair enough seems I'm liable in this instance then, thanks for the advice all

If you think they agreed to pay your taxes for you then speak to them, you've ultimately nothing to lose, and there are companies that do (they all have to for anything under £135 total package cost) but normally they make a bigger song and dance about it (and some give you the option of pre-paying the taxes to them or paying to the courier later). 

If your invoice has a separate tax row it should be €0 as French VAT is the same as the UK and become applicable at 0% for exports. Certainly if you change the shipping country from the EU to say the US then click the calculate shipping the price drops around €83 because the French VAT drops to 0%

TELLIT01

stinky_docker said:

user1977 said:

stinky_docker said:

Further to this I've just found this part on the website:

"What is the price of the shipping costs for a delivery abroad or in the DOM-TOM?

We make deliveries all over the world. For deliveries abroad and in the DOM-TOM, the shipping costs will be calculated at the time of purchase of your Depancel."

I appreciate duties are applied but the terms of sale seem to read that they should've been applied at the point of sale..

Duties aren't a "shipping cost". The shipping cost is the cost of transporting the item to you.

Ok, would the rate therefore seem appropriate, an item costing barely £500 has seen DHl demand £112 in duty costs

DHL aren't the ones demanding duty costs, that is HMRC and DHL are in effect acting as their agent (they have no choice in the matter).  There will be an admin charge added by DHL.

visidigi

Note - when duties are levied the shipping cost are added to the product cost. So any calculation is on the total landed costs. As above, nothing to lose politely pointing out the web site didn't make this clear and you feel somewhat upset about the further charges.

You might get nothing more than an apology, but I guess its better than not mentioning it at all.

stinky_docker

visidigi said:

Note - when duties are levied the shipping cost are added to the product cost. So any calculation is on the total landed costs. As above, nothing to lose politely pointing out the web site didn't make this clear and you feel somewhat upset about the further charges.

You might get nothing more than an apology, but I guess its better than not mentioning it at all.

I've paid DHL though they did say I could try speaking to the company about it first. I think I might send a politely worded disgruntled email as nothing was apparent and the additional costs were unexpected, thanks again for all the advice

Thrugelmir

Did you think that you were getting a bargain by buying direct from the manufacters website. Was the item more expensive if bought from a UK retailer? 

Sandtree

stinky_docker said:

visidigi said:

Note - when duties are levied the shipping cost are added to the product cost. So any calculation is on the total landed costs. As above, nothing to lose politely pointing out the web site didn't make this clear and you feel somewhat upset about the further charges.

You might get nothing more than an apology, but I guess its better than not mentioning it at all.

I've paid DHL though they did say I could try speaking to the company about it first. I think I might send a politely worded disgruntled email as nothing was apparent and the additional costs were unexpected, thanks again for all the advice

Other than the fact that when you change the delivery address to outside the EU that you can see the 20% French VAT becomes 0%... if you think they are paying UK VAT and Duty (if applicable) that it'd be more expensive than buying for delivery in France/EU