Customs Fee To Pay From.....Germany?

Name · 20 Apr 2020 at 20:05

So i have a Glorious Model o- gaming mouse in which for many owners, the cable stopped working. I contacted the manufacturer who gave me a discount code to receive a new cable for free! $0.00 paid on their website (American company/website).

From everything I've seen Glorious operate and dispatch their European business from Germany.

Today i received a fee to pay card from RM regarding withheld goods in customs with the following info online:

Sender name POSTFACH 2265 .
Sender country Germany
Charge details
Import VAT £3.74
Handling fee £8.00

As per the EU commission website the United Kingdom is still part of the customs union and does not have to pay import taxes on items coming from within the EU at least during the Brexit crossover period.

Im pretty astonished i have to pay £12 on an item i received for free dispatched within the EU. I can get RM to waiver this fee.......right?

Puppetmaster · 20 Apr 2020 at 20:06

You sure it wasn't sent from America and then passed to another company in Germany to handle?

Bear · 20 Apr 2020 at 21:22

The parcel should have a sticker on the outside stating where it was sent from. If it says Germany like you indicate in the OP then no you shouldn’t have to pay anything. As said above, it could have been sent from the US to their EU distribution hub and forwarded on from there

Name · 20 Apr 2020 at 23:13

There's nothing on the card to indicate where it came from but the info online is as it states in the OP - Germany. I'l give RM a call tomorrow and see what they say.

mjt · 20 Apr 2020 at 23:30

Did you pay VAT for the product in Germany? If not, then you are liable for VAT in the UK.

Diagro · 21 Apr 2020 at 00:42

mjt said:
Did you pay VAT for the product in Germany? If not, then you are liable for VAT in the UK.

It was free

Darkpassenger · 21 Apr 2020 at 11:18

Brexit?

mmj_uk · 21 Apr 2020 at 11:25

You dealt with a US company though so no VAT has been paid? it doesn't matter where it came from. If you buy from Germany VAT is included in the price, if you buy from the US it isn't.

Royal Mail handling charges are the real crime here, I can't wait for a free trade agreement with the US in order to avoid them.

theone8181 · 21 Apr 2020 at 20:02

How much is VAT on something that cost nothing

.

mmj_uk · 21 Apr 2020 at 20:13

Good point didn't notice that, try speaking with Royal Mail they're robbing him on the handling fee if nothing else.

Beans on toast Dave · 22 Apr 2020 at 07:46

its warranty replacement so should be free wherever from

Vern1961 · 22 Apr 2020 at 07:50

We are no longer in the EU. Anything bought from Europe, including Amazon de, would I presume now be subject to duty and the insidious PO/courier handling fee, in the same way as anything with a value over £15 ordered from the USA, Australia etc.

Em3bbs · 22 Apr 2020 at 08:03

Vern1961 said:
We are no longer in the EU. Anything bought from Europe, including Amazon de, would I presume now be subject to duty and the insidious PO/courier handling fee, in the same way as anything with a value over £15 ordered from the USA, Australia etc.

How about reading the thread or even more than the first sentence before replying? The OP didn't buy anything.

Screeeech · 22 Apr 2020 at 08:04

Vern1961 said:
We are no longer in the EU. Anything bought from Europe, including Amazon de, would I presume now be subject to duty and the insidious PO/courier handling fee, in the same way as anything with a value over £15 ordered from the USA, Australia etc.

No, we’re currently in a transition period with the EU until Dec 2020 (I think) where during that time, nothing changes with customs from EU countries.

d_brennen · 22 Apr 2020 at 08:08

Vern1961 said:
We are no longer in the EU.

With the clowns in charge here you'll have quite the wait until you can roll that sentence out

Vern1961 · 22 Apr 2020 at 09:43

My bad... Then the OP needs to take up with HM Customs and the Post Office.

Kol · 22 Apr 2020 at 10:34

I'm sure there have been many threads on this over the years; Royal Mail / HMRC don't take into account what you paid or didn't pay, they care what the value of the item is and then charge accordingly. So VAT will be charged on the value of the item, regardless.

Yes, it's wrong as it's a warranty replacement that didn't cost you anything, but that doesn't stop them from doing it unfortunately

Sam__ · 22 Apr 2020 at 10:43

Kol said:
I'm sure there have been many threads on this over the years; Royal Mail / HMRC don't take into account what you paid or didn't pay, they care what the value of the item is and then charge accordingly. So VAT will be charged on the value of the item, regardless.

Yes, it's wrong as it's a warranty replacement that didn't cost you anything, but that doesn't stop them from doing it unfortunately

Unfortunately I think this is correct.

tom_e · 22 Apr 2020 at 10:53

https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/vat-supply-and-consideration/vatsc06200

Kol · 22 Apr 2020 at 10:55

Good find. Like I said, they still do it regardless as they expect people not to know/fight it (as has been seen many times on here, unfortunately).