Customs

Blackbriar_040

Doesn't sound right!

I used to get a custom charge every time I ordered from a U.S based record company.
The HMRC email had a secure link to let you pay the fee, then the item would be released by customs and delivered by courier!

Last few times, it was Yodel!
They would send a email when the item was dispatched, along with a tracking number for the Yodel app!

For having been asked to shell out £290, I would have been tempted to book a cheap flight and collect it myself!






 

DUBVENDOR

Return of personal items left behind while travelling abroad

Personal belongings that you leave behind while travelling outside the European Union (EU) may qualify for relief from import duties when returned to you. You must show that the goods being returned are your personal items and were taken out of the EU by you.

DUBVENDOR

ops shame we left the EU hey 

bengal-stripe

Presuming the phone was bought in the UK with VAT properly paid, there shouldn't have been any charges. The declaration on the package would have been something like this:

"Returning addressee's own property. Left behind on a temporary trip. No commercial value"

If that wasn't done and the declaration had stated: "Phone. Value GBP xxx" then the charges would have been based on a new phone bought abroad. If the wrong charges had been paid, they could have been claimed back from HMRC, who might have asked for evidence (receipt).

But I agree with previous posters, the whole thing looks dodgy and it well might have been a scam.