Stung by Customs!

[Kerne]

For the first time I have been stung by the customs when buying something from outside the EU. I bought a hoochie from Kitbag in Australia (£36 inc. postage) but got stung for £14 this end! Of this, only £6 was the VAT and the Royal mail charged me £8 "international handling charge" - I thought that's what they did, handle mail! Given that all they had to do was take it back to the depot and that they do this whenever I am not in and charge me nothing, this seems a bit of a rip off.

Rant over. Adding it all together, I still got a genuine hoochie for £25 less than on Raymondo's site, so I shouldn't complain...

Taking umpteen Bronze D of E'ers out this weekend so I'm going to give it a try. Hope I can sleep easy and not have nightmares involving the excisemen!

[slamdunk]

The customs 'handling charge' always annoys the hell out of me too. Seems pretty harsh every time. Still, well done for not being hit before!

[lostplanet]

I find it ridiculous that the threshold for attracting VAT or Duty is so low in these times, What can you honestly get for £18 these days!!

I have been caught out before where because of the Customs exchange rate was different from everybody else in the WORLD I had to pay VAT and the scum bag parcel farce Shafting fee because I was over by 25p!!

Just another example of Rip off Britain once more.

[susi]

This may sound unpopular, but i have zero sympathy. We have perhaps become spoilt by living in the EU, a trade block where duty is mostly absent on the movement of goods. But buying outside of this area will usually attract duty when the purchase value is over a certain limit. And it is has little to do with "rip off britain", for a similar situation will be met in other EU countries too, where imports attract a duty plus handling fee.

[Kerne]

This may sound unpopular, but i have zero sympathy. We have perhaps become spoilt by living in the EU, a trade block where duty is mostly absent on the movement of goods. But buying outside of this area will usually attract duty when the purchase value is over a certain limit. And it is has little to do with "rip off britain", for a similar situation will be met in other EU countries too, where imports attract a duty plus handling fee.

The duty I can live with - and I am grateful that we are part of an enormous free trade zone (which I take advantage of whenever I can). The handling fee just seems excessive when nothing more is being "handled".

[lostplanet]

This may sound unpopular, but i have zero sympathy. We have perhaps become spoilt by living in the EU, a trade block where duty is mostly absent on the movement of goods. But buying outside of this area will usually attract duty when the purchase value is over a certain limit. And it is has little to do with "rip off britain", for a similar situation will be met in other EU countries too, where imports attract a duty plus handling fee.

you are right it is unpopular with me, when I Pay shipping costs I don't expect to be charged twice! and at a rate which I think is well over top for the goods value like a T shirt for example 8 or sometimes 11 pounds I have been charged, for it to be sat on a PF shelf, great without redelivery Option!!

Call it rip off europe then but whatever it is I am not happy paying parcel force extra.

[Peter_t]

how can they put VAT on top? what value does being conned into extra postage have!!!


pete

[bigandy]

i got stung by this when buying my wedding ring from a usa seller it took that long to get it around a month after original post mark!and then paid the £14 on top 9
(vat and handling charge) and then missed my wedding meaning it would be back luck to wear it, so now i dont wear it(thats what i tell the mrs anyhow!)

[rik_uk3]

You only pay duty on stuff over about £115 IIRC, the limit changed over a year ago but you still get hit with VAT. I get a lot of stuff from the States via a mate or three and they always mark the packs as 'Used camping equipment' and as a gift, value $20

One problem that is happening more and more is the Royal Mail are scanning parcels more and if in doubt of the content won't allow it to go Air Mail, so a five day parcel to New Jersey took six weeks After that I only post via courier service which costs about the same and get to most major US destinations, certainly east coast in 48 hours.

[Shewie]

I'm with you on that, they've had me a few times

Paying over $300 for a down underblanket and then getting stung at this end made me cry nearly. I was lucky with the hootchies I got from Kitbag though, managed to sneak three under the radar.

I've just got some bits from the states from one of the guys on the hammock forums, just over $100 of gear but he marked it at only $40.

Is it still a lottery as to whether you get stung with customs or is it purely on the value ?

[Kerne]

I'm with you on that, they've had me a few times

Paying over $300 for a down underblanket and then getting stung at this end made me cry nearly. I was lucky with the hootchies I got from Kitbag though, managed to sneak three under the radar.

I've just got some bits from the states from one of the guys on the hammock forums, just over $100 of gear but he marked it at only $40.

Is it still a lottery as to whether you get stung with customs or is it purely on the value ?

I bought a stove from Canada and paid nothing not that long ago. I suppose it's the luck of the draw.

[TJRoots]

doesnt make any sense that you have to pay international shipping fees buying from australia which is an english speaking country, still part of the commonwealth (although most have forgotten what that means these days) and australia is still technically owned by her majesty the queen, so it is essentially just another part of britain. yet you dont have to pay anything when buying from completely foreign countries like france, germany, sweden and other european countries! we may be a member of the european union but last time i checked we were still an independent country, not just another part of europe!

sorry, rant over

TJ

[wanderingblade]

I get a lot of stuff from the States via a mate or three and they always mark the packs as 'Used camping equipment' and as a gift, value $20

All fine until something goes missing and you only get $20 payout.

And remember - tax evasion is what done for Al Capone

[helixpteron]

Paying over $300 for a down underblanket and then getting stung at this end made me cry nearly.

I didn't feel too overjoyed when I found out how much I had to pay for my Packraft, spares and paddle!

[susi]

doesnt make any sense that you have to pay international shipping fees buying from australia which is an english speaking country, still part of the commonwealth (although most have forgotten what that means these days) and australia is still technically owned by her majesty the queen, so it is essentially just another part of britain. yet you dont have to pay anything when buying from completely foreign countries like france, germany, sweden and other european countries! we may be a member of the european union but last time i checked we were still an independent country, not just another part of europe!

sorry, rant over

TJ

I don't quite understand. Why would the fact that Australia is an English speaking country and in the Commonwealth, mean that shipping should be free?

[susi]

you are right it is unpopular with me, when I Pay shipping costs I don't expect to be charged twice! and at a rate which I think is well over top for the goods value like a T shirt for example 8 or sometimes 11 pounds I have been charged, for it to be sat on a PF shelf, great without redelivery Option!!

The reason you're "charged twice" is this: You pay a shipping fee, which goes to the postal service of the country in which the item is posted, e.g. Australia. The delivery service in the UK will have a recipricol arrangement to deliver items from other countries. Usually they won't directly be making any money by delivering your parcel. But if the parcel needs "more work", e.g. Adding of VAT, then someone has to pay for this work.

Tha handling fee may sound totally out of proportion for low value items like T Shirts. But this fee is for work done, which is the same for a 3000 pound telescopic sight as it is for a cheap T Shirt. Or should the guy with the optics that cost 300 times as much as the T-shirt also pay 300 times the handling fee?

Finally 8 pounds doesn't buy much labour. Pay someone 10 pounds/hour, and by the time you've added in "labour overheads" you can double it to 20/hour for the actual cost. These are items such as employers national insurance contributions, accident insurance, holiday pay, canteen facilities, a uniform, a locker for his shoes, pay for when he is off sick, pay for his smoke break, etc.

So 8 quid buys perhaps 25 mins of labour, during which time he will collect the item from a shelf, check the value of the item, calculate VAT due, fill out some paperwork, etc.. Perhaps he'll have a chat with his mate for a couple of minutes about his bushcrafting plans for the weekend Maybe, like most of us, he is still getting paid when he goes for a dump Then finally, if the company, e.g. Parcelforce, is a listed company, then it is still expected to make a profit for its shareholders.

So whilst 8 pounds handling charge might sting, it's actually not bad for the work that needs to be done.

[TJRoots]

I don't quite understand. Why would the fact that Australia is an English speaking country and in the Commonwealth, mean that shipping should be free?

well the fact that it is english speaking doesnt really mean anything, i was just being ranty. but the commonwealth is the "correct" term for the british empire, technically we still own australia, not that that means anything in this modern day and age. i'd have just thought that being "ruled" by the same monarchy we shouldnt have to pay international shipping fees if we're not paying them in europe.

i'm not in anyway saying we should start paying them in europe, im more than happy not, i just reckon its silly that we have to pay them in australia.

i hope i havent offended anyone with my "old fashion patriotic" views, if so it was unintentional and i apologise, sometimes my views on foreign relations come across as slightly racist, i assure you i am not racist i have no problem with people from different countries, when you hear me complaining about other countries i assure you all i am talking about is that countries government or the way it is run.

ATB
TJ

[Kerne]

Perhaps, at this juncture, I should say that my reaction to being stung was more one of feeling unlucky, rather than unjustly treated. I know I have got away with it for a long time and, now, my bluff has been called. The £8 charge might seem more reasonable if it represented a smaller value of what I was importing.

As for the commonwealth and Europe - how did we get here? (Personally I'm much happier in an EU based (albeit loosely) on democratic principles than in a commonwealth based on the vestiges of imperialism and an outmoded monarchy. - just winding you up!)

[susi]

I wasn't aware that Britain still "technically owned" Australia, but I hope that someone who knows the subject will soon be along to clarify this.

Import tarrifs, duty, etc. tend to get criticised. But one of the reasons they were invented was to protect local industry and local jobs (even if that job is just the sales guy in the local shop). The idea of artificially inflating the price of imports makes the locally produced goods more attractive.

[susi]

Hei Kearne, I can sympathise with your feeling of getting tripped up - have had the same happen to me.
How we got on to the British Empire? Good god, i have no idea. I thought it had died out 100+ years ago, but clearly it still lives on in fond memories. The worrying thing is that that some of the more sprightly countries, who never had an empire to dream about, are busy looking forward as dynamic, flexible and innovative economies. And it's these guys who are Britain's competitors tomorrow. Sorry a bit off the subject, but i'm honestly shocked that anyone thinks Britain still "owns" independent countries. This is 2010.

[Trev]

Hey , Sorry you had to pay your dues , little wheels spinning and all that .

OT British Empire is still there only smaller , Was still quite large 60 years ago , Australia not fully independant until 1986 .

[TREETOP]

Well i think most people know that if you import anything from anywhere outside of the EU you run the risk of import duty, So why anyone has to whine about it when they do get charged is beyond me

On the subject of Australia it's no bloody wonder they call us whinging poms

[rik_uk3]

All fine until something goes missing and you only get $20 payout.

(see post 13)And remember - tax evasion is what done for Al Capone

In about eight year and 50+ trades I've not lost a parcel As for tax evasion? I don't give a toss, I've paid many thousands of pounds in taxes (still pay tax on my pension) so don't feel any guilt about paying none on an old classic camping stove.

One pet hate of mine is on booze and smokes. I can order a plasma screen TV from the EU and job done I get it, order 1000 smokes or a couple of cases of wine and I get hit with tax I'm told. Europe has told the UK government in the past that this practise is illegal and yet it still goes on.