Parcel Force / Customs

[kevinsoulman]

JUST BOUGHT $200 + WORTH OF STUFF FROM AMERICA AND GOT A LETTER FROM PARCEL FORCE SAYING THEY HAVE PAID MY VAT TO CUSTOMS OF £12.84 AND WANT THIS + £8 ADMIN BEFORE THEY RELEASE THEM TO ME .

FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME ,WHAT IS THE LIMIT BEFORE CUSTOMS HIT YOU? AND WHY CAN'T THEY BILL YOU DIRECT AS THEY HAVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS ALREADY ,INSTEAD OF LINING PARCELFORCES POCKETS TO THE TUNE OF £8 A GO .

THANKS

KEV

[Wiggyflat]

Had something similar on a copy of Determination.I thought the extra £11.53 I had to pay was a customs charge but it was sent by UPS and Royal Mail charged a handling fee of £8.00 and then £3.53 vat. Declared value was $32.00.Any big amounts US wise I contact the seller re declared values before I get stung on import duty etc but this looks like anything sent UPS Royal Mail are asking for a handling charge.They never deliver anyway....I'm always at their sorting office with cards!.

[Blunny]

£18 (about $28-$30) is the limit before they stop it for VAT. There is a higher figure aswell where they then charge Import Duty but I don't know what that is or what it applies to.

I'd cut your losses mate, VAT on $200 should really be about £25, so £12.84 is a bargain.

All carriers charge a £8 handling charge if it gets stung for customs.

[Mrtag]

You Have to pay first with royal mail ! ! Had A similer thing with With UsPs And Complained about The Value of Goods Vat Reduced !!

[NEV]

I called one sellers bluff and told him i wasnt payin the charge to release it,and unless he met half the charge it would be sent back,then i would do a Paypal claim for item not received.

It worked.

Didnt tell him i'd already payed it.lol

[Paul Shirley]

you think your hard done , i was just 1 pence over and ended up paying £16 or close to it , and that was down to the exchange rate on the day , also just as a mater of fact its down to the royal mail as to who they put forward to customs for the charge ,by law they suposed to inform customs of every item thats due for a charge obviously they would come to a standstill if they played it by the book , ive had to pay charges well over 4 or five times .thanks to the main sorting office in liverpool

Edited December 6, 2010 by steptoe

[Blunny]

I called one sellers bluff and told him i wasnt payin the charge to release it,and unless he met half the charge it would be sent back,then i would do a Paypal claim for item not received.

It worked.

Didnt tell him i'd already payed it.lol

I don't blame the seller where the item is insured, as they can't declare $10 when the items insured for, say, $200 otherwise they the insurance won't pay up if the item does genuinely go missing or get broke. It's the archaic customs regulations in this country that's to blame. After all, based on the true reasons why customs is there, every declared value of a 60's soul single should be no more than 50cents

I do get a bit narked tho when a seller declares an un-insured item at anything over the $15 that the USPS offer as compensation

[Guest smudgesmith]

Just had a similar thing £54.43 in total................when letter arrived from Royal Mail rung them and told them to send item back.Claimed money back off Pay pal.Seller was narked but soon realised by putting purchase price on customs slip and not insuring item he had caused the problem.

[Kevinkent]

I get an Invoice from Parcelforce for £28.23 ..................and info which included that I can have it delivered on a Saturday for an extra £12. :ohmy:wtf ! Edited December 16, 2010 by KevinKent

[Guest miff]

Asked my seller to declare vinyl at a minimal price and he said he "made a mistake" and declared it at $99.95.

Then I get an Invoice from Parcelforce for £28.23 ..................and info which included that I can have it delivered on a Saturday for an extra £12. :ohmy:wtf !

Breakdown of the charges, raised by the UK Border Agency, on behalf of Customs was:

Import Duty.......... £0.00

Excise Duty.. .........£0.00

VAT.....................£14.73

Clearance Fee.......£13.50

I hate to think what I would have been charged had the true price been declared 'cos it was nearer $1000. Perhaps I should be thankful.

Gonna get my head shot off for this reply but here gos

How can you complain about paying import charges/ vat, on items recived when by your own admission you are trying to avoid paying them, by devalueing the goods you are importing, you are in fact Tax dodgeing, Now I know where only talking a few quid, but just to keep it on a soul note, If I where to start selling illegal bootlegs the very same people would be baying for my blood, as ime not paying the artists any royalties, etc, etc,

You have to remember that the import duty is paid to stop people, and companys, from having goods made abroad cheeply and importing them here and selling them at the same price as the item would cost here, making hugh proffit on the items out of Us, and the goverment, same for vat, companys could have goods made where no vat is paid and then charge the same price as if vat was paid making 17.5 % profit instantly,

Just remember it not aimed at us recored collectors, and if you do get stung its nothing to what you should of paid, when you consder the amount you have imported over the years, or the true valur of the records,

No one likes paying tax, me included, but without it how do you get your public services, employ people, defend the country, etc, etc, Do we pay to much tax, yes buts thats another debate and nothing to do with soul

Ducking for cover now

[John Reed]

I got hit with a customs charge last year and have no issues with paying that. What narks me is the handling fee, which I think is daylight robbery. After speaking to someone at Parcelforce at the time, they explained to me that they pay the import duty to HM Customs and that the admin charge is their fee to you for doing it on your behalf and holding it for you rather than it be stored in a customs facility somewhere near Birmingham, which the general public can't go to anyway.

[NEV]

Gonna get my head shot off for this reply but here gos

How can you complain about paying import charges/ vat, on items recived when by your own admission you are trying to avoid paying them, by devalueing the goods you are importing, you are in fact Tax dodgeing, Now I know where only talking a few quid, but just to keep it on a soul note, If I where to start selling illegal bootlegs the very same people would be baying for my blood, as ime not paying the artists any royalties, etc, etc,

You have to remember that the import duty is paid to stop people, and companys, from having goods made abroad cheeply and importing them here and selling them at the same price as the item would cost here, making hugh proffit on the items out of Us, and the goverment, same for vat, companys could have goods made where no vat is paid and then charge the same price as if vat was paid making 17.5 % profit instantly,

Just remember it not aimed at us recored collectors, and if you do get stung its nothing to what you should of paid, when you consder the amount you have imported over the years, or the true valur of the records,

No one likes paying tax, me included, but without it how do you get your public services, employ people, defend the country, etc, etc, Do we pay to much tax, yes buts thats another debate and nothing to do with soul

Ducking for cover now

Never read so much bollox in such a long time !

Customs duty is put in place to stop people buying goods from other countries that do not pay the same taxes as yours .

Examples ....cigarettes /acohol /jewellery /clothing .

All these items are manufactured and sold in UK so it would be unfair to buy them abroad from a Country that does'nt enforce the same tax levvys on manufacturers ....thus creating an unfair trade .

Please explain to me ...if the records i want were never manufacturd in the UK ,were made in USA ,are only available from the USA ..how the f&&k is it affecting the UK industry please ??

And please don't say from a UK dealer .....these records are 40 yrs old ,are not being manufactured to be sold today,but are items that belong to people who were either given them as freebies ,or people who bought them a long time ago ...people who bought them from junk shops ,found them....basically they are 2nd hand .

In a lot of cases now ,rare records being sold on ebay usa are actually fetching more than they are on John Manships auction ,so what is the ethics of the duty payment there ?? Some poor guy who won a record for a £1200 the other night on ebay ,could well find himself with a customs charge in the £££ when it lands which in my opinion make's the item he bought worth less than he paid for it according to the guide books.

There lies another problem i have ...just who can say what the retail price of a record is ?? as the saying goes ,its worth what someones willing to pay.

CUSTOMS & EXCISE DUTY on old stock records is basically a loophole tax levvy being unfairly imposed on innocent people because ethically it is not possible to buy the items here in the 1st place.

However if i was a do gooder /pc correct type i'd say different ..no wonder this countries gone down the pan !

[JON WILLIS]

Had something similar on a copy of Determination.I thought the extra £11.53 I had to pay was a customs charge but it was sent by UPS and Royal Mail charged a handling fee of £8.00 and then £3.53 vat. Declared value was $32.00.Any big amounts US wise I contact the seller re declared values before I get stung on import duty etc but this looks like anything sent UPS Royal Mail are asking for a handling charge.They never deliver anyway....I'm always at their sorting office with cards!.

I think you mean USPS, US postal.. The charge Import Fee/ Brokeridge Charge is for putting info to Customs. If it was UPS minimum brokeridge charge is £11.00

Normally under $50.00 wont create any charges......

It works the same going back tom the US anything over the £50.00 wont have charges. Who ever ships the package, ie. USPS, UPS whoever has to advise Customs of what goods are moving between countries. Anything going to the US via UPS has to be approved before it can travel from origin point. This is done in about 1 hour electronically.

People order products off the Internet they get very upset when a driver deliveries package and has to collect the charges...

Replies are I paid for the goods on Internet, I could have bought these golf shoes for £20.00 less. ( they were £15.00 less than uk price including postage.. Put the Duty, VAT and Brokeridge more expensive than uk.)

Cotton T Shirts at one time had a Duty charge of 28% if coming from the US..

If anyone not sure give me a shout.

Jon

[Guest miff]

Never read so much bollox in such a long time !

Customs duty is put in place to stop people buying goods from other countries that do not pay the same taxes as yours .

Thats what i said

Examples ....cigarettes /acohol /jewellery /clothing .

Thats what i said

All these items are manufactured and sold in UK so it would be unfair to buy them abroad from a Country that does'nt enforce the same tax levvys on manufacturers ....thus creating an unfair trade .

Thats what i sad

Please explain to me ...if the records i want were never manufacturd in the UK ,were made in USA ,are only available from the USA ..how the f&&k is it affecting the UK industry please ??

Its not, but thats why the dutys there, as you stated

And please don't say from a UK dealer .....these records are 40 yrs old ,are not being manufactured to be sold today,but are items that belong to people who were either given them as freebies ,or people who bought them a long time ago ...people who bought them from junk shops ,found them....basically they are 2nd hand .

Agree and no Tax or vat is paid in the UK

In a lot of cases now ,rare records being sold on ebay usa are actually fetching more than they are on John Manships auction ,so what is the ethics of the duty payment there ?? Some poor guy who won a record for a £1200 the other night on ebay ,could well find himself with a customs charge in the £££ when it lands which in my opinion make's the item he bought worth less than he paid for it according to the guide books.

The problem ive got is with the guy that wins it at that price then wants to get the seller to put a nominal sum as value, to avoid paying import duty, only why you would do that for that amount of money is beyond me, for insurance, and it not the fact hes done that, its the fact that he coplains on here that hes been stung, he hasnt, hes had to pay what is due,and weve all done it lots of times me included and got away with it,

There lies another problem i have ...just who can say what the retail price of a record is ?? as the saying goes ,its worth what someones willing to pay.

CUSTOMS & EXCISE DUTY on old stock records is basically a loophole tax levvy being unfairly imposed on innocent people because ethically it is not possible to buy the items here in the 1st place.

That gos for lots of thigs, only guessing here but would assume the same thing applys to Art, Antigues,I know it applys to American Cars, and Scooters

However if i was a do gooder /pc correct type i'd say different ..no wonder this countries gone down the pan !

Am no do gooder or PC Correct type and think that if you can beat the system then do it, but I also belive that if you get caught out then take the punishment, if thats paying up then OK. if i robed your records and admited it, and got fined, you wouldnt expect me to come on here complaing at the size of the fine, also my statement on bootleing records holds up, How can you complain about bootleging, for resons of artistis royalties, then try a shifty dodge on the tax man, Am not saying the system is right or fair, but thats what the system is, if you change the system to exclude records, then everone will disgues the goods as crates of records, thus betting the system and then ripping you and me off,

Oh and theres no need to swear

[Kevinkent]

Gonna get my head shot off for this reply but here gos

How can you complain about paying import charges/ vat, on items recived when by your own admission you are trying to avoid paying them, by devalueing the goods you are importing, you are in fact Tax dodgeing, Now I know where only talking a few quid, but just to keep it on a soul note, If I where to start selling illegal bootlegs the very same people would be baying for my blood, as ime not paying the artists any royalties, etc, etc,

You have to remember that the import duty is paid to stop people, and companys, from having goods made abroad cheeply and importing them here and selling them at the same price as the item would cost here, making hugh proffit on the items out of Us, and the goverment, same for vat, companys could have goods made where no vat is paid and then charge the same price as if vat was paid making 17.5 % profit instantly,

Just remember it not aimed at us recored collectors, and if you do get stung its nothing to what you should of paid, when you consder the amount you have imported over the years, or the true valur of the records,

No one likes paying tax, me included, but without it how do you get your public services, employ people, defend the country, etc, etc, Do we pay to much tax, yes buts thats another debate and nothing to do with soul

Ducking for cover now

Thing is, I was prepared to pay the tax on the full amount and would have taken this into account when bidding. It got me thinking though - what is the value of any 45? Is it the minimal value it was when first released, or the over-inflated price which the likes of us will pay for it after 40 yrs of wear and tear?

I know I said before that I'd ASKED the seller to declare a mininum value - that was to allow a shorter post and was not srictly true

...... I contacted the seller before bidding to enquire what they were declaring as the value, not to suggest or demand - but to enquire.

Having received a reply I bid accordingly and was surprised to find that they appeared to have back tracked on what they told me, hence the "unexpected" charges.

Most of the charge was VAT. Is VAT due on 2nd hand goods? If not, it might have helped if the seller had declared "used vinyl record" but there was no indication that the item wasn't new.

Like I said before, it could have been worse and I'm thankful for that. Just wish I'd have been able to calculate the true cost in advance.

Kev.

Edited December 16, 2010 by KevinKent

[Spacehopper]

was reading this couple of days back while wondering where my frankie and johnny hickory issue was,hoping it was delayed in the snow or cos of xmas but in the back of my mind thinkin it may be in some customs yard somewhere...

yesturday contacted the seller and got a parcel number went on the royal mail website and found it was infact 'held' by express 48....and bloody typical when i got home there was a letter waiting for me telling me evrything id just taken over an hour to find out......so ive just been up to collect it and part with another 20 quid...luckily it was near mint,still in company sleeve and had paid 90 under book so even with the post and extra was still a good bit cheaper than what it would have cost me in the uk...

...and i was thinkin it was lost at one point as last winter in the backlog i lost one...not sure if the seller ever got it back but was only a cheapie so he didnt mind paying me back.....dont think i would have got my money back this time if it had been lost so all in all 20 quid aint too bad i suppose

dean

[Ernie Andrews]

The best one for me was I bout a record at about $150 and the postage was around $20 cos I wanted it insured etc.

The cheeky seller addedd the $20 to the cost of the record on the customs form so I got charged for $170 instead of $150.