Import duty question

[BikerGran]

Does anyone know how I can find out how much I would have to pay on an item bought from USA via Ebay? Or how it would work, ie how does the duty get charged?

[Kwackerz]

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/ac ... 1073790604

any use? probably the phone number more than anything

[Aladinsaneuk]

ask the seller to send it to you as a personal gift, and on the customs docket to declare that its value is 50 dollars or less

BUT if that does not work =

standard rate of duty is vat - ie 17.5% and the robbing bastards will charge you 6.50 to collect it via the post office.....

[snapdragon]

ask the seller to send it to you as a personal gift, and on the customs docket to declare that its value is 50 dollars or less

BUT if that does not work =

standard rate of duty is vat - ie 17.5% and the robbing bastards will charge you 6.50 to collect it via the post office.....

Nod nod (actually I think mine was £8)
'cos they don't trust the postie to collect money from the customer, and you pay extra to use your own petrol to go collect from the sorting office (and ours has just moved six miles further, so now eight miles from home)

[joecrx]

i bought my pikfee belly pan from USA and was charged £25 at this end , i tried to explain it was a replacement part for my bike so it would of been exempt , i think , but i didint work , but worth a try

[BikerGran]

Cheers folks!

It's not bike stuff and it's just over £100, but it would still be cheaper if I pay full whack, as the same items in the UK can't be found for less than £2.99!

[D-Rider]

You can be liable for both Import Duty and VAT

I covered it in THIS THREAD a while back (including links to the rules)

Hope this helps

[Aladinsaneuk]

erm bg.... decimal point may need to be moved......

[GregD-UK]

Hi all,

Duty if your package has been stopped and checked has to be paid alas The post office and customs is in the same building in coventry by the way. Here's the bit they negate to tell you.

They (The Post Office) pay your duty amount before it is despatched from the collection centre alledgedly! Therefore, the duty becomes a civil debt. The duty of paying said amount has been discharged by postman pat Under the Postal Services Act 2000, section 105 is for disputes. Here's the Biggy: Section 104(2) para (d):- Says that a postal packet shall have immunity from "retention by virtue of a lien."

In other words they by law not discharge their duty from actually posting your parcel/package But, my local depot has stopped delivering suck packages because by the most part when posty knocks on your door and says; "Here's your parcel, but, give me lots of dosh!" People often respond with no-way jose.. Or words to that effect. So they hold your parcel at a local collection centre, and send you a letter, with there is duty owed and we want that money before we can release your parcel! Highly illegal

And just to twist the blade further, they put on an £8.00 handling fee, for not doing what they have an legal obligation to carry out, friggin deliver mail I refused to pay their surcharge, but, duly paid the duty and demanded my parcel. I pointed out the law to the muppet behind the counter and he just stood there with a blank expression on his face. He wasn't going to give me my parcel, till I got my mob out and told him I was phoning the police because you have illegally withheld my parcel. He went and got it. A few people have gone to court over this issue as well. Knowledge is Power people

[Aladinsaneuk]

ooooo


:)

[BikerGran]

You can be liable for both Import Duty and VAT

I covered it in THIS THREAD a while back (including links to the rules)

Hope this helps

Cheers, it does!

[MartDude]

My daughter's just been 'stung' (well, that's what it feels like) by this. She ordered a pair of spectacle frames form a US supplier; about £80.00 incl. carriage. Parcel Force are demanding £27.11 from her before she can claim her parcel - £13.61 import VAT (fair enough) and £13.50 'clearance fee' (robbing tw*ts, in our opinion).

We've searched various relevant forums & sites; the consensus seems to be that, as Greg described above, if you kick up a fuss and threaten them with taking the matter to the police, you might get the charge waived. Parcel Force justify the charge on the grounds that they have incurred costs in taking the parcel to Customs, bringing it back, and processing the import duty/VAT. The package-handling components of the charge, as they share the same building as Customs, seem dodgy. We might run this one past he Consumers Association.

[D-Rider]

The customs fee is understandable but if customs inspection it's part of normal importing of anything (which it must be assumed that it is), then any charges should surely be part of any fee paid for the postage and delivery of the parcel when it was sent.

.... I would have thought ....