JON WILLIS Posted October 10, 2013 Posted October 10, 2013 Just found this... With all the issues, this may help to take some of the shock away from when postie arrive.. https://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation Jon 2
Gogger Posted October 10, 2013 Posted October 10, 2013 five free go's then they want to charge you to use it
Psamsara Posted October 11, 2013 Posted October 11, 2013 Albania and Montenegro on the list, but no Serbia... bloody hell - where i live
Tiberius Posted October 11, 2013 Posted October 11, 2013 Just found this... With all the issues, this may help to take some of the shock away from when postie arrive.. https://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation Jon A very useful link. Sadly it'll never take away the shock of the additional £8 handling charge from Royal Mail, especially on the occasions when I'm incurring less than a quids worth of import vat on an item. 2
JON WILLIS Posted October 11, 2013 Author Posted October 11, 2013 All the companies charge different rates, UPS is a min. of £11.00 Brokeridge charge for putting paperwork to Customs.
Popular Post Mace Posted October 14, 2013 Popular Post Posted October 14, 2013 Just got charged £11.13 (£3.13 Vat + £8 handling) for a package valued at $25. Anything over £15 now attracts VAT and the extortionate £8 handling fee. I thought cut off was £22 so queried if value of package had been read in £s rather than $s Was told now £15 and to ring up if wanted to complain.... Oh wait, its an 0845 number....that'll probably cost me another £4 to moan about the £8 handling fee they charged me to invoice me £3.13 VAT for a package that's only about £2 over the threshold. You couldn't fuckin make it up if you tried.... 4
Kev John Posted October 14, 2013 Posted October 14, 2013 (edited) Just got charged £11.13 (£3.13 Vat + £8 handling) for a package valued at $25. Anything over £15 now attracts VAT and the extortionate £8 handling fee. I thought cut off was £22 so queried if value of package had been read in £s rather than $s Was told now £15 and to ring up if wanted to complain.... Oh wait, its an 0845 number....that'll probably cost me another £4 to moan about the £8 handling fee they charged me to invoice me £3.13 VAT for a package that's only about £2 over the threshold. You couldn't fuckin make it up if you tried.... Ay Up Mace Truly Rip OF Britain again ? I Bet you don't get a refund m8 atb Kev Edited October 14, 2013 by Kev John
Mace Posted October 14, 2013 Posted October 14, 2013 Just used that calculator and if you include the cost of shipping it gets added to your total product value!!!! As it happens, I only got charged for the product value without the shipping, and $25 worked out as £15.65 on current exchange rate ..... so I effectively got charged £11.13 for 65pence above threshold.
Mace Posted October 14, 2013 Posted October 14, 2013 Not gonna phone the fcukers, won't get anywhere so what's the use. Can't complain really Kev, only ever been hit a few times, but it is that £8 handling charge that's really takes the p*ss, especially as I had to drive an 8 mile round trip to pick it up. Had to wait till their 2 hour lunch was up as well....cavier and quails eggs no doubt!!! 1
Kev John Posted October 14, 2013 Posted October 14, 2013 Not gonna phone the fcukers, won't get anywhere so what's the use. Can't complain really Kev, only ever been hit a few times, but it is that £8 handling charge that's really takes the p*ss, especially as I had to drive an 8 mile round trip to pick it up. Had to wait till their 2 hour lunch was up as well....cavier and quails eggs no doubt!!! I'll Bet you'll get your money back & more when you sell it on M8 atb Kev
Guest Posted October 14, 2013 Posted October 14, 2013 Ask the sellers to put a low value on the customs sticker. The records are expensive as it is, without all these extra costs!
Tiberius Posted October 14, 2013 Posted October 14, 2013 Ask the sellers to put a low value on the customs sticker. The records are expensive as it is, without all these extra costs! You can ask but there's no guarantee the seller will agree. I've just got one from a seller who didn't want to oblige, £7 odd vat + the usual £8 "handling". To be fair in this case I was still OK with the total price even though the handling charge still makes my blood boil every time.
Reg Scott Posted October 15, 2013 Posted October 15, 2013 You can ask but there's no guarantee the seller will agree. I've just got one from a seller who didn't want to oblige, £7 odd vat + the usual £8 "handling". To be fair in this case I was still OK with the total price even though the handling charge still makes my blood boil every time. The more informed and larger sellers usually 'play the game' but it has become a lottery with a lot more items being charged. Makes buying from the US increasingly less attractive!
Jason S Posted October 15, 2013 Posted October 15, 2013 Just got a package containing a CD and a 45 to use for mastering a forthcoming 7" release and the guy put a $50 value on the package! FFS! Luckily customs seemed to ignore it. Seems like they're very hit and miss.
Mal C Posted October 29, 2013 Posted October 29, 2013 every package for a week now, has had about £10 fee, 3 have gone back, two I kept and swallowed the fee because I had to have them, but its now got silly, I just cant justify buying from the USA, or anywhere overseas at the moment... Not unless I actually want to make a loss... :( :(
Chalky Posted January 8, 2014 Posted January 8, 2014 Its a sodding joke this country. Taxed left right and centre for everything we do. £16+ charges on a £30 lp (£44 with postage). Why is postage taken into account when calculating this figure? B*stards! £8 handling fee wtf? I wouldn't mind but I have to go and collect the f*cking thing, they do less handling than they would if they delivered it. 1
Steve G Posted January 8, 2014 Posted January 8, 2014 Seems to be a new campaign on now by HMC&E……got two grey cards today….went to collect - feck it two cheap rekkids $25 and stung both times…..
Mike Lofthouse Posted January 8, 2014 Posted January 8, 2014 Don't the Post Office inform you (by delivering a card?) that a payment is due? then they collect the fee and pass it on to the relevant agencies? they need to employ people to that so why would they (now a privately owned company) do that for free?
Steve G Posted January 8, 2014 Posted January 8, 2014 The PO have charged an £8 collection fee for ages, not just post privatisation…..it's nothing new, but there is a concerted campaign on to collect import duty…..
Douglaschip Posted January 8, 2014 Posted January 8, 2014 I received a record today that had been posted from Lafayette in the States on October 15th - it was posted with tracking fortunately and myself and the guy that posted it to me have been following its progress around most of the USA with interest! -It eventually returned to New York for the third time and left on the 3rd of January to arrive today - must have been a new year resolution by US postal service to get it out of the country!! Worth the wait - Phillip Mitchell - Little Things at bargain price of 3 dollars plus 3 months shipping!!
Mike Lofthouse Posted January 8, 2014 Posted January 8, 2014 The PO have charged an £8 collection fee for ages, not just post privatisation…..it's nothing new, but there is a concerted campaign on to collect import duty….. I know that - I was making the point that they are even more likely to charge now - And whether the import duty is right or wrong I don't understand how it can be said that the PO is not doing anything for the £8.
Tiberius Posted January 8, 2014 Posted January 8, 2014 On a slightly different note in the last few months I've had a lot more parcels from the USA which just need a signature, no fee to pay. In fact I've had a card through today so this means a trip to collect from the sorting office. These always have post it notes stuck on with hand written "special delivery". Strange thing is that often, when the postie at the counter scans the bar code on the packet, he doesn't even ask me to sign anything. When I questioned this I was told that scanning the barcode was proof of delivery in these cases. When I asked about the sticky "special delivery" labels I was told it was all to do with revenue ie Royal Mail get paid more for delivering these items. The bottom line is that there is a definate drive within RM to increase revenue and the folks sorting the parcels are clearly being much more vigilant as to what the labels/CN22 etc say on them.
Steve G Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 I know that - I was making the point that they are even more likely to charge now - And whether the import duty is right or wrong I don't understand how it can be said that the PO is not doing anything for the £8. Agree with the principle of "£8 for what"? It is a long standing overcharge by PO. But the decision whether to charge import duty / VAT is determined by HMC&E not the PO. I have NEVER had a PO delivered parcel with import duty to pay, without the £8 stuck on top. HMC&E determine the duty at their warehouses (my one is at Bracknell or somewhere) which everything coming into the UK goes through, unless you use a specialist like FedEx / UPS who are "trusted" to collect on behalf of HMC&E. Got stung with one of them too.......Parcel received before Xmas, no duty, then a letter arrives this week "You owe us xxx - pay immediately" - a nasty shock to the system and post Xmas bank balance I can tell you! 1
Chris L Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 Just found this... With all the issues, this may help to take some of the shock away from when postie arrive.. https://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation Jon Thanks for posting, I always ask seller to value record(s) at under $50.00, most have done so. 1
Chalky Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 They charge us £8, which is probably more than the postie earns in an hour for a few minutes work. The process of giving the HMRC there bit is done electronically and probably takes five minutes maximum. So for ten minutes work tops, and on top of the postage costs they charge £8. And why do customs include the postage as the value? I doubt I will buy any more from the USA as I personally think I pay enough taxes without this extending to my hobby.
Mace Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 (edited) Thanks for posting, I always ask seller to value record(s) at under $50.00, most have done so. Chris, read my post #6.....not sure if you have higher level of allowance over there but for U.K. limit is now £15 and should inc postage costs (which is $12+ from US) so effectively contents of package should not exceed approx. £7 !!!! However...I just rechecked with that calculator link and seems if contents exceed $23 value + $13 post then a customs charge is added....defionately read somewhere it should inc cost of shipping but cant find that info now..... Edited January 9, 2014 by Mace
Guest MBarrett Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 They charge us £8, Just out of interest I wonder what the postal services/couriers in other EU countries charge. Anyone out there enlighten us on that? MB
Sebastian Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 Just out of interest I wonder what the postal services/couriers in other EU countries charge. Anyone out there enlighten us on that? The handling fee in Sweden is 100 SEK = £9.25. Two times during the past week I've had to collect packages where the customs fee was about 70 SEK and the handling fee was 100 SEK...
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