UK customs charges on computer equipment

[Cyberus]

Some of you may know that I've been battling with a certain ebay seller to get the items I paid for delivered, and thanks to the persistence of TheMagicM, he has finally sent them to me.

However, I got a letter this morning from ParcelForce Worldwide (The Royal Mail's parcel service) telling me that I owe them VAT of £23.65 plus a clearance fee of £8.00.

Now, two things I don't understand - firstly, I spent a lot of time last year finding out how much customs charges on computer equipment would be, both on the Customs and Excise website, and by phoning their helpline. Both sources told me computer equipment could be imported with 0% customs charge.

Secondly, it details the VAT charge at £23.65.
Since VAT in the UK is 17.5%, that would mean the item would be worth 135 pounds to incur a charge of 23.65, if I've done the maths right.

So WTF happened? Has the seller shafter me by putting a high goods value on the item? And if Customs have opened it, why are they charging me, since I've had loads of computer equipment sent from US in the past, and never paid customs and was even told by someone before that it should incur a charge...?

I am seriously pissed off with that ebay seller now  :pissed:

[Bezzen]

I once had an ebay seller value a couple of NES games (auction won for some dollars) to $500. Didn't notice that until I got a bill from UPS. I wasn't very happy with that seller either.

[Cyberus]

And did you have any chance to show customs that the items weren't worth that much?

[Cyberus]

Turns out that he didn't put the declared value on the parcel, so Customs had no choice but to charge me VAT on the insured value, which is $200.

So I'm still getting stuffed for a high charge, but the lady at customs was very helpful and told me the procedure for reclaiming at least some of the cost - since its charged on the total cost including postage :-(

But I can't reclaim the £8 that ParcelForce charge for presenting the parcel to customs.

I feel thoroughly pissed off by this whole experience :-(
I've sent stuff all over the world, and I've always put the value on the little customs docket, in fact I think I HAD TO before the people at the Post Office would take it.

edit: I just hope the items are as they were described - if he's sent me a pile of crap like he sent TheMagicM, I'll be almost 100 pounds ~ 200 Euro/Dollars down. Oh how I wish I hadn't bothered....

[xeron]

Yeah, I was hit for a £60 VAT bill on a CSPPC I bought from Canada :-( Sucks, but at least now i'm one of the preveliged few with a working CSPPC ;-)

[Chunder]

I had a slightly similar experience...

Many moons ago, I bought the DE SDK from Amiga, and whilst browsing their site, I added a couple of Amiga T-shirts.

All was fine until the courier person turned up demanding the payment of the VAT and import duties, and other stuff - which came to nearly half of what I'd paid in the first place! Argh!  :-(
Not happy - and it was all down to the t-shirts (hehe - isn't it always!?)

[Lando]

When ordering stuff from the states I always ask them to write the value lower.

eg. I bought an iPod from the USA as they're so much cheaper than the UK, and got them to put the description as "tape music player" and value at $20, so i didn't pay any duty.

I also bought quite a bit of airsoft stuff from Japan, and they had a box on the ordering page where you can type in the value you want them to write on the package for customs purposes.

Customs only open a tiny percentage of packages so you have a 98% chance of getting away without paying import duty/vat.

[Cyberus]

I would have done, but seller is a {bleep}ing tosspot.
He made no communication with me at all that he was even sending the stuff, it was over a month ago that I paid for it.
The first I knew it was sent was a copy of the tracking docket sent to me by The MagicM - if it wasn't for his kind help, I probably would be chasing the seller through ebay's {bleep} buyer protection.

And knowing my luck, when I do receive it, it won't be what I paid for. The guy's a retard and it really is the crowning turd in the water pipe of a terrible week, I feel as if the world's imploding arounf me....and to think I turn 26 next week :-(

[Holley]

awww, you're just a youngster then, lol :-D

Customs open maybe one in 50 parcels, it's a VAT lottery of sorts.  It helps if you're getting stuff in second hand boxes, and if the forms are filled in at all.  

I had one batch of car parts that had been openned and labelled as 'no value' ... which I'd paid over $1000 for ...

Oh and if you ever bring in a car you pay 10% import tax on the vehicle + shipping cost, then you pay VAT on the total!!!

[Holley]

Oh yeah, whereabouts in Cornwall are you residing now, Cyberus?  I was born & raised 5 miles SSW of Bodmin :-)

[Brian]

One can always try to sneek it past the customs as a free gift for someones birthday or the like with a note saying it's rubish but perhaps the receiver can still get a laugh out of it. I sent a fat box with 70+ original boxed games that way... I belive the receiver informed me that the package had been opened by customs but had passed along for free. :lol:

[Hyperspeed]

2nd hand items are exempt from VAT.

When buying things you should tell the seller to put GIFT on the green customs form even if you have paid for it.

Sample of Merchandise should be ignored and the product value put for what you paid for the item 2nd hand.

However, to make sure they don't forget the law... put the product value as $4 or something low like that. If you are shipping Amiga stuff include the `accurate' description words vintage, old, 1980s and maybe discontinued.

Maybe you should include a surprise for those custom officials with too much time on their hands. I'd reccomend a mousetrap.

:-D :-D :-D

[ReggieO]

Does anyone know what happens when the declared value is much lower than the insured value?

I suppose that's an invitation to have ones package opened....

[odin]

I don't get it really, how can taxes be put on second hand stuff :-?. I mean, I know how, but don't understand why.

[X-ray]

I advise that if you buy something second hand from somebody in the US or Canada, you ask them to declare the value low. I recently got a DKB3128 board from a user here who lives in Canada and I got charged 27% of its declared value in import duty. It is payable directly to the ParcelForce guy who brings the package around, or else you have to pay at the depot.
I suggest listing the item (if it is a component) as broken, or in need of repair or faulty. Considering the elderly look of most of our Amiga components today, I promise you even if they open the package they won't challenge you. And the worst that can happen is they make you pay an import charge, which will nonetheless be lower than what you would have paid if the sender declared the full value.