Anyone ordered/imported stuff from US? (customs and tax question)

MarkDavis

MarkDavis

MarkDavis

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I've ordered a load of sports gear (tennis bags, reels of string, clothing etc) from US which is going to come in a pretty big box. The value is about £400.

Is this going to be stopped at customs? Is it going to be held at customs until I pay the import tax / VAT ie what exactly is going to happen to my package? Do the customs people send me a letter with a bill to pay first? If its stopped, is there gong to be a huge delay?

Any explanation / experience of this would be appreciated.
 
It most likely will, yes. When I bought my keyboard from a US retailer, ParcelForce sent me a letter once it was in the country saying I had to pay the £27ish charge before I could have it. You can either send them a cheque, or pay online. Once you've done that, they'll deliver it to you. I think it was on a next-day service.

Obviously, the charge depends on what you're bringing in to the country and its total value.
 
The delivery company will usually give you an invoice, with vat + customs + their handling charge. Ordering to America on the other hand results in viritually no charges, welcome to the UK. Expect to pay at least 20%.
 
I'm guessing you only ordered the stuff from the US because you couldn't get it in the UK?

You'll have a very very very slim chance of it getting through customs if it is valued at £400.
 
At £400 you will be liable to pay duty and VAT. Getting charged etc. by HMRC doesn't have anything to do with the size of the box, it mainly depends on the data given to CHIEF. I'm not sure what the duty rate on sports gear is, it depends on the commodity code really. VAT will then be added to this, followed by a handling fee from the courier for clearing your goods on their deferment account.

Depending on which courier brings it into the UK, you may have to:
Pay duty up front prior to the release of the parcel
Pay cash on delivery for the duty
Be sent a bill for the duty some time after delivery has taken place.
 
If its couriered or priority shipping some couriers will pay for the charge at customs and charge you when they deliver - but for the life of me I can't recall who.

But that's only smaller amounts, so hard to say.
 
I've had dvds stopped at customs before. They opened the packaging, checked what was inside, resealed it and stuck a note on the box saying that there was unpaid duty. I got a card through the door from Royal Mail (same cards they use when you're out and they try to deliver something). You go to your local depo and pay what you owe. If you don't pay I think they return it to the sender.
 
ordered about £40 quids worth of T's from threadless, got about £12 customs + handling charge, which is ridiculous, so you probs gonna get a nasty charge
 
The Handling charge is £15 i believe. So you're looking at in excess of £85 in VAT and handling charge before any duty that might be payable.
 
Handling depends on the company. Parcelfarce will take your package, refuse to give it to you until you pay duty (perfectly fine) but will also charge you a handling fee and refuse to give you your parcel until it is paid (illegal). I have a major gripe about them as they usually do not even let you know they have your parcel (I waited 10 days after it cleared customs before they even bothered to let me know they had it).
 
taz488 said:
ordered about £40 quids worth of T's from threadless, got about £12 customs + handling charge, which is ridiculous, so you probs gonna get a nasty charge
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Almost every pence of that was handling charge which is a flat fee. Thats the biggest joke, if you get charged 1p VAT you'll also be charged royal mail or parcelforces handling fee.
 
taz488 said:
ordered about £40 quids worth of T's from threadless, got about £12 customs + handling charge, which is ridiculous, so you probs gonna get a nasty charge
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It's not ridiculous, it's revenue protection

DIABLO said:
The Handling charge is £15 i believe. So you're looking at in excess of £85 in VAT and handling charge before any duty that might be payable.
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Handling fee depends on the courier

Strife212 said:
Almost every pence of that was handling charge which is a flat fee. Thats the biggest joke, if you get charged 1p VAT you'll also be charged royal mail or parcelforces handling fee.
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You could always try clearing it yourself if you have plenty of time and energy.
 
I ordered 2 Tee's totaling about £40 from J!nx, and they stopped it and I had to walk down to my local postie, give him some monnies and he gave it me there and then.
 
I know you work at a shipping company of some kind, I have no idea whats involved (filling in some forms I thought), but it doesn't cost £12 to clear a parcel, it's profit making.

You could always try clearing it yourself if you have plenty of time and energy.
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You can't because no shipping company will let you :p
 
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