Customs Valuations

[Paul McKay]

Has anyone else noticed the increase in cards from the Post Office saying that they are unable to deliver a parcel due to customs fees needing to be paid ? I guess most buyers on here use Ebay quite a bit, but even sellers who used to mark packages with a low value are now itemising records and their sale price on the customs form. Is this a new "Ebay automatically filled out customs form" or are things being cracked down on in the US (where it's a federal offence to falsify a customs form - although why when it's leaving the country is a mystery to me!)? I don't really mind (I do really! ) paying the tax, normally 20% VAT on lower priced stuff which is also charged in some cases on the postage too!, but I do draw the line at the £8 charge for the pleasure of paying it!

Is it time to offer up to members the Ebay IDs of sellers who do this?

Your views would be appreciated.....

[Dave Moore]

Hi Paul,

Although most of my 'net' purchased 45s are sent to UK I've been 'collared' here in Spain too. In fact it's slightly dafter here in that they stopped one 45 with a value of $10 on the package but charged me 7.81 Euros for 'their service' of intercepting it, even though there was no import tax due. They then added VAT to the postage and billed me for it?!

Mental!

Regards,

Dave

[Denbo]

Has anyone else noticed the increase in cards from the Post Office saying that they are unable to deliver a parcel due to customs fees needing to be paid ? I guess most buyers on here use Ebay quite a bit, but even sellers who used to mark packages with a low value are now itemising records and their sale price on the customs form. Is this a new "Ebay automatically filled out customs form" or are things being cracked down on in the US (where it's a federal offence to falsify a customs form - although why when it's leaving the country is a mystery to me!)? I don't really mind (I do really! ) paying the tax, normally 20% VAT on lower priced stuff which is also charged in some cases on the postage too!, but I do draw the line at the £8 charge for the pleasure of paying it!

Is it time to offer up to members the Ebay IDs of sellers who do this?

Your views would be appreciated.....

Who do what Paul? Enter a low value? Or state full value?

[Denbo]

Hi Paul,

Although most of my 'net' purchased 45s are sent to UK I've been 'collared' here in Spain too. In fact it's slightly dafter here in that they stopped one 45 with a value of $10 on the package but charged me 7.81 Euros for 'their service' of intercepting it, even though there was no import tax due. They then added VAT to the postage and billed me for it?!

Mental!

Regards,

Dave

What's stopping us from just refusing to pay and leaving the package with the Post Office? Will it then be returned to sender? And if so, will the sender receive a charge?

[Paul McKay]

Who do what Paul? Enter a low value? Or state full value?

Both - but specifically the seeming increasing number of sellers who use full value. I've noticed these forms are not the old style green fill in yourself ones but white and larger and perhaps computer generated.

[Gogger]

What's stopping us from just refusing to pay and leaving the package with the Post Office? Will it then be returned to sender? And if so, will the sender receive a charge?

after 18 days it will be returned to sender if not collected, not sure if sender will be charged, think that would be up to the us side , as the 8 pound is a royal mail charge.

[Julianb]

Currently in discussions with a seller in the States.

He seems 'hellbent' on putting the final selling price on the customs declaration. I've pointed out that this will decrease my bid by 35% to cover the costs at my end and ultimately cost him money!

No reply to my latest email. Let's see what happens.

[Paul McKay]

Both of the latest packages have home printed Pitney Bowes combined postage and customs forms and have the Ebay item header in the detailed description box, so it looks as though the seller has just left the value at the final price. Saves them going to the post office I guess. At least there should be no more charges for the trip though in th handling charge Still in the interests of us buyers heres the last 3 that've cost me £8 apiece as well as the tax.:

stik-shift

soulheaven2769

recordsplus

Not saying they're bad people just watch out for the card from the postman demanding money!

[Paul McKay]

Currently in discussions with a seller in the States.

He seems 'hellbent' on putting the final selling price on the customs declaration. I've pointed out that this will decrease my bid by 35% to cover the costs at my end and ultimately cost him money!

No reply to my latest email. Let's see what happens.

Careful Julian he might agree and then stitch you up!

[Julianb]

Careful Julian he might agree and then stitch you up!

Hi Paul

that thought did cross my mind

[Tiberius]

I found this to be a problem for a while now. The £8 fee is a complete rip off given that if you end up picking the parcel up in person from the sorting office you incur fuel costs on top of the time taken.

I've begun to wonder if it's a change in policy in order for Royal Mail to make some extra revenue,given that vat is due on "commercial goods" over £15 in value, where the "value" is not just the actual cost of the item but = basic cost of goods + postage, packing,insurance etc + any import duty charged. For items marked "gift" £40 is the limit but the same formula applies.

At a guess the value most 45's sent from USA will be over £15 total once P&P is factored in. So there's a lot of scope for RM to claw in some extra dosh.

Frightening thought really.......

[Denbo]

You sure about p&p being included / factored in?

I'm going to contact Royal Mail regarding this first thing tomorrow. I'm pretty sure thaty can't do that, it's against commercial Law.

[Guest in town Mikey]

Paul. I'm not sure that you should be paying VAT on a second hand good. VAT is charged at source ie on a new car. When you buy one second hand, a the VAT has already been paid the second and subsequent purchases are exempt.

It is worth asking at least. Maybe someone like Stuart Tyler might know someone to ask about the VAT charge.

Import fees you cant do anything about but if you are buying lots it could save you some money to ask about.

Edited August 16, 2012 by in town Mikey

[Spook]

Currently in discussions with a seller in the States.

He seems 'hellbent' on putting the final selling price on the customs declaration. I've pointed out that this will decrease my bid by 35% to cover the costs at my end and ultimately cost him money!

No reply to my latest email. Let's see what happens.

Hi, Before I bid on any US auction 45 I always ask the seller what their thoughts are on the CN 22 valuation. I ask, can you mark it low or do you put the Final Value,

and I advise i will bid accordingly explaining that If they use FV I will bid low because of the customs and handling charges in the UK and they may not get as much for their 45 , conbined with if the package

is marked as low value ( say $10) it is much less likely to "go missing In the post" which they all seem to like.

[Spook]

You sure about p&p being included / factored in?

I'm going to contact Royal Mail regarding this first thing tomorrow. I'm pretty sure thaty can't do that, it's against commercial Law.

Yes Postage and packing and insurance if any paid are factored in have a look here:

https://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/

[Guest john s]

Must be at least a month since we've had this thread!

And I think the normal conclusion is, yes, VAT is liable, yes, it's a pain, and no, you can't do anything about it.

[Denbo]

Yes Postage and packing and insurance if any paid are factored in have a look here:

https://www.dutycalcu...ax-calculation/

Thanks 'spook', that's a REALLY useful link. Cheers.

[Denbo]

Must be at least a month since we've had this thread!

And I think the normal conclusion is, yes, VAT is liable, yes, it's a pain, and no, you can't do anything about it.

Yes, but (for me), it's being 'refined' more and more, every time.

ignore the 'updates' at your peril.

[SallieJane]

What gets me is when the record is sent special delivery and I get a note from Parcel Force telling me I got to pay £30+ to receive my record when I'd already had to pay extra for delivery from the US. Happened on a number of occasions....don't mind so much if it's an expensive record but when it's only $100 or so not on !!!!

[NEV]

Reading in anticipation for the soul source "do gooder " to tell us how morally wrong we all are ,to expect to pick up a 40 yr old record from USA ,without paying a whopping bonus to the greedy bar stewards who claim to be running our country for our best interests

[NEV]

Note ...ask before you pay the seller .." would you be so kind as to put a low value on package please "

It costs nothing to be polite

Usually does the trick for me ..

[Denbo]

What gets me is when the record is sent special delivery and I get a note from Parcel Force telling me I got to pay £30+ to receive my record when I'd already had to pay extra for delivery from the US. Happened on a number of occasions....don't mind so much if it's an expensive record but when it's only $100 or so not on !!!!

Then REFUSE to pay it!!! See what happens?

[Guest john s]

Note ...ask before you pay the seller .." would you be so kind as to put a low value on package please "

It costs nothing to be polite

Usually does the trick for me ..

Exactly!

And I normally explain 'otherwise it'll cost me another $30 or whatever it is...', 95% of people are fine about it.

And even the packages that have the full value on them seem to get through OK normally - maybe I just have sympathetic posties!

[Denbo]

Note ...ask before you pay the seller .." would you be so kind as to put a low value on package please "

It costs nothing to be polite

Usually does the trick for me ..

Already do. Have been doing so for years. If they refuse, then I decline to pay. Simples.

If they 'stitch me up', then I don't do business with them again, EVER!!! And I tell them so. I'm NEVER that desperate to buy a record; EVER!!!

Completely sad if otherwise. Collecting is supposed to be FUN. The moment it's not, forget it.

[Steve G]

It's v hit and miss I find. I just got one of them grey cards through the door, usually I buy low value items anyway and don't get cards. i am currently filling in the gaps in my Scepter collection - very tedious!

Edited August 16, 2012 by Steve G

[Tiberius]

Personally,in one bitter instance,some jobsworth must have used a calculator to work out that the total value of one of mine from the US was a few pence over £15 total. I worked it out to be 8 pence over using the exchange rate at the time. I strolled into the sorting office thinking the £8 would obviously be waived......how wrong was I!

Worth remembering to ask the seller if they would be willing to mark the item as a "gift" for lower value items.

[Paul McKay]

Sorry chaps this wasn't so much about the rights or wrongs of tax etc but the seeming increase in the number of grey cards! I think the answer is yes they are on the increase but not because of HMRC but the efforts of Ebay to squeeze every last drop of profit from sellers by getting them to pay them for their postage rather US Mail direct.