Customs charges

[Bods]

Its good to bring up subjects like this now as many of us forget and i always get mixed up with how much before vat paid and the import duty

Still dont see why you have to pay any on old items like this myself, if it was nos then not so bad

I just dont buy much from usa any more because costs etc but on a non arcade related item the girlfriend has just bought me, the item was on first at $400 i think but i said dont pay that, after it not sold for ages she contacted seller and done deal on it for alot less but she was worried it would get stopped and pay import and tax so asked seller to mark it down, so he put its being returned to owner which is good of him and just good job it didnt get lost, else he would be screwed

Gotta wait for a while to get it though as its gonna be a present but pretty cool one

 

[phillv85]

It's done to keep this country in business, otherwise it'd be a completely unlevel playing field for British companies. It's particularly bad for us European arcade fans because the two biggest markets by far were the US and Japan, so we tend to look overseas for items. I don't think customs had people wanting 30 year old video games in mind when they imposed these charges!

 

[system11]

Still dont see why you have to pay any on old items like this myself, if it was nos then not so bad

This is one of my main complaints, the other is that EU countries generally have very low personal allowances, people in the US get $800.

 

[Muppz]

I got nailed for VAT on $75 postage the company didn't even pay but they put it on the customs form, I paid $300 for artwork and shipping and they put $375 on the form.

On the opposite end I got a bill from ParcelFarce for 2.5 times the value of an item as admin costs and taxes.

I didn't know you could appeal this crap.

I'm now getting small stuff sent to my bother in law in Canada and he brings it me over in his luggage when he comes over as he has to bring parts and tools for his job.

 

[system11]

The charging VAT on postage is a total insult too.

 

[jimmerd]

Does the overseas postage already already include a percentage that UK courier or government get to perform the processing or are the UK couriers just adding on a fee for profit?

I am lead to believe the courier does have to do 'paper work' and perform random inspections and hence most cases it's cheaper not to do this yourself unless you want a day out at the airport.

It would sure be nice if there was threshold so that low value items did not get a handling fee, the only workaround is to by several things at once.

 

[ColinD]

This has been fun to write.....I'm quite happy to waste their time !!

DHL asked me to contact HMRC to claify so I did !!!!

I've not enclosed the full email thread but it does contain details of the £15 limit and I asked why they charged me on an item valued at £13 !! - Its a bit of a saga and its clear they are trying to fob me off !!

###############




Hi
Gracy,

You failed to enclose the backup document
regarding the invoice, but I’m well aware that I’ve been charged at the full
invoice amount of $35.95. (Shown as £28.06 on your invoice that was
supplied with my package). And that this has been sent earlier to me in this
email thread. I re-enclose it for your reference along with a copy of the
commercial invoice from the supplier that formed the basis for your charges.

I
have spoken to HMRC as per your request. I have a full transcript
of the conversation.



The HMRC agent asked me to contact you to clarify where the
customs charges have came from ? (such as your agents in China or HMRC agents in the
UK). I would presume at this time that as you billed me before the
package reached the UK, then you have imposed these charges yourself ?

It states on your website…. “These charges are
levied by HM Revenue & Customs and have been paid for by DHL Express on
your behalf in order that we can deliver your goods.”

This is clearly not the case and that HMRC did not levy the charges themselves.



The HMRC Agent also confirmed with me that……



“Items
under £15 or less are not subject to customs duty or import VAT”

and also pointed me at their web site…. Which states….



“commercial
consignments, that is, goods you have purchased, of £15 or less are free from
Customs Duty and import VAT.”



and
the DHL website makes this quite clear…. Which states….



Are there any reliefs from Duty and VAT?
Yes, they include:

§ Goods of £15 or less in
value (excluding postage, packing and other miscellaneous costs).
This does not include alcohol, tobacco products, perfume or toilet waters.



As you state below….

“As
per the commercial invoice the value of the shipment including the
freight charge is USD 35.95 that is GBP27.17 and the Duty
and/or VAT has been charged on your shipment.”

Now… the invoice that was attached to the package clearly
shows the goods value at $15.95 and the total value including
freight charges at $35.95. It also shows that the
freight charge is $19.

I am not disputing this and it concurs with what you have stated
above. However the item value is well below £15.



So… Let’s do some quick sums to double check the shipping
invoice is correct (which is also attached for your reference once again)



$35.95
(total charge including freight charges) I’m not disputing this as it is
correct.

- $19
(freight charge) this is clearly shown on the commercial invoice.



= $16.95
which equates to the value of the goods stated on the invoice at
$16.95.



This converts to £13.03p and is clearly under the £15 limit,
So therefore under the rules of HMRC it should not be subject to customs duty
or import VAT, which HMRC have clarified, so you should NOT have billed me for
this or your handling charges.



I am seeking a full refund of your invoice at £16 which includes
your handling charges (£10.39) and vat imposed (£5.61) as this has clearly been
calculated in error by your agents.

If you have already paid any duties on my behalf, I would refer you to HMRC
Form BOR268 which would allow you to reclaim the £5.61 paid in error to HMRC.


If this matter is not dealt with in a timely manner, I would wish to
escalate this to the complaints department. I fully appreciate that there
are many shipments to examine which have to be valued for customs purposes and
that due to the sheer volume, errors may occur from time to time, but when
these mistakes happen there should be a clear process to rectify this.



I look forward to your response to this matter and how we can
progress this. It’s quite clear that I have been billed in error by your
agents who may not be aware of the £15 goods value duty free limit so there are
some important learning points to be considered here in how your exporting
agents deal with commercial invoices which clearly show goods values and
freight charges.

Kind Regards,


Colin Davies




From: dvsupport@dhl.com [mailto:dvsupport@dhl.com]


Sent: Monday, May 22, 2017 10:32 AM
To: Colin

Subject: RE:Re: RE:RE: Import Duty on Item xxxxxxx Case ID :
xxxxxxxxxxx



Hi Colin,

Please find attached the backup document for your reference. (THIS WAS NOT ENCLOSED - COL)

As per the commercial invoice the value of the shipment including the
freight charge is USD 35.95 that is GBP27.17 and the Duty and/or VAT has
been charged on your shipment.

We request you to contact HMRC at 0300 200 3700 for further
assistance.

Kindly write to us for clarification, if any.

Thank you.


Regards,

Gracy Sheela D
DHL International (UK) Ltd
Southern Hub
Unit 1, Horton Road
Colnbrook, Berkshire
SL3 0BB

Tel: 0844 209 0102
Registration No: 01184988
VAT No: GB751812341
E-mail: dvsupport@dhl.com
www.dhl.com




From : Colin

Sent : Thursday, May 18, 2017
To :dvsupport@dhl.com
CC :
Subject : Re: RE:RE: Import Duty on Item xxxxxx Case ID :
xxxxxxxxxx



Hi,

I'm well aware of the £15 limit, so why have I've been
charged for an item of £13 Value ? ( $16.95 )

It's clearly a mistake, so please can you arrange for a
refund.

Thanks, Colin

ColinD2017-05-22 20:34:39

 

[Bods]

Makes you wonder just how many times they have done this to people when they have no right to charge them and they have just been paid because people can't be bothered or haven't worked out the price in £'s

You should also be able to invoice them for all the time you have had to spend to get their mistakes sorted out, like couple of hours say £20

Sort of thing that should be brought to Watchdog/Fake Britain teams to investigate and see just how many have been invoiced for no reason

 

[ColinD]

The thing which make me LOL is that further down the email, they have explained it all to me !! - and I also explained it to them!! - They really are numbnuts !! Have they got any GCSE's ? - Can they read ? - or are they there to fob us off ??

Hi,

I'm well aware of the £15 limit, so why have I've been
charged for an item of £13 Value ? ( $16.95 )

It's clearly a mistake, so please can you arrange for a
refund.

Thanks, Colin

----Original message----
From : dvsupport@dhl.com
Date : 18/05/2017 - 05:35 (GMTDT)
To : colin
Subject : RE:RE: Import Duty on Item xxxxx Case ID : xxxxxx

Hi
Colin,

We
understand your concern that you have made the payment including the
shipping charges,however these are import taxes on your shipment.

Whenever
a product is imported to UK and the value of the product exceeds £15.00, it is
liable for import Duty and VAT payment for customs clearance.

The
VAT calculation is done by the HMRC for the package which is imported to UK.

The
VAT is calculated as flat 20% of the shipment value, provided the value of the
goods is more than £15.

The
duty rate is calculated based on the type of product that is imported if the
value of the goods is more than £135.

If
the goods are related to Alcohol or Tobacco etc., the excise duty is applied.

For
private individual customers and the business customers the Advance
Payment is £11 or 2.5% of the VAT, whichever is greater.

Please
be informed that the VAT
adjustment refers
to the charges for transporting the shipment from the UK border to your place.

Please
get back to us if you need any assistance.

Thank
you.

Regards,

Gracy Sheela D
DHL International (UK) Ltd
Southern Hub
Unit 1, Horton Road
Colnbrook, Berkshire
SL3 0BB

Tel: 0844 209 0102
Registration No: 01184988
VAT No: GB751812341
E-mail: dvsupport@dhl.com
www.dhl.com

From : colin
Sent : Monday,
May 15, 2017
To :dvsupport@dhl.com
CC :
Subject : RE:
Import Duty on Item xxxxxxx Case ID : xxxxxxxxx

---

Hi,

Please
can you explain to me why I have been charged vat and handling when the
invoice clearly shows the item value as $16.96 and the shipping as $19.

The
item value works out at just over £13 and is well within the £15 limit
(excluding freight/shipping) which is clearly stated on your web support site
and should not be liable for any fees whatsoever.

Yes,
I understand the invoice shows a total value of $35.95 but it clearly
shows that $19 of this is the freight charge.

The
invoice has been opened up / inspected and then folded back and sealed (but put
in the wrong way so not showing any total values) so it’s quite clear to me
that it’s been wrongly interpreted when it was being shipped from
China. I was sent the invoice before it reached the UK or indeed UK
customs so it would seem to be a mistake on DHL’s part in china.

I
enclose photos of the package and invoice, clearly showing the goods value.

I’m
now £16 out of pocket having had to pay your fees to release the package, when
I should not have been charged any fees in this instance, so I am seeking a
full refund, due to this.

Kind
Regards, Colin

ColinD2017-05-22 21:02:03

 

[iamjimmi]

So what was the final outcome? Did you get a refund?

 

[ColinD]

They fobbed me off and I asked it to be escalated..... and I get this..... I've replied to the message below and asked them to clarify the £15 rule as they seem to skate around it or totally ignore !!

"As I understand, you believe that you have been overcharged as a result of the freight charges having been included in the value for Customs." - NOPE - THEY HAVE GOT THE WRONG END OF THE STICK AGAIN !! FFS !! - My query is "why have they charged me on an item costing under £15 not including shipping which should be duty free !!!! "

5th June 2017

Dear Mr Davies,

Thank you for your recent enquiry to which I have been asked to respond.

As I understand, you believe that you have been overcharged as a result of the freight charges having been included in the value for Customs. (NO - I'm FULLY AWARE OF HOW ITS CALCULATED and have already explained this to them !!)

I would explain that the United Kingdom subscribes to an internationally agreed convention, the World Trade Organisation Valuation Code, which defines how Customs value is calculated.

Under this code, delivery costs must be included in the Customs value, and as you will appreciate, DHL have to pay charges calculated in accordance with these regulations.

Further information concerning Valuation of goods for import is detailed in Notice 252, available from Customs on 0300 200 3700 or at www.hmrc.gov.uk, or the WTO at www.wto.org

I trust that the above will resolve your enquiry, but if anything further is required please contact me on the details below. Further information can also be obtained from Customs on 0300 200 3700 or at www.hmrc.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely,

Lorraine Trapnell

Customer Accounting

DHL Express (UK) Limited

Tel: +44 (0) 844 248 0777

Extract from Customs Notice 252 ‘Valuation of Imported Goods’

1.13 What items must I add to the price paid or payable?

You must add the following to the price you pay (unless they are already included):

a. Delivery costs. The costs of transport, insurance, loading or handling connected with delivering the goods to the EC border must be included.

Section 11 gives further details.

b. Commissions. Certain payments of commission and brokerage, including selling commission, must be included. Appendix G gives more details about selling agents.

BUT buying commission is to be excluded providing it is shown separately, at the time of entry, from the price paid or payable for the goods (see paragraph 1.14(g) and Appendix J).

c. Royalties and licence fees. Include these payments when they relate to the imported goods and are paid by you as a condition of the sale to you of those goods.

Appendix K explains further.

d. Goods and services provided free of charge or at reduced cost by the buyer. If you provide, directly or indirectly, any of the following, you must include in the customs value any part of the cost or value not included in the price charged to you by the seller:

i. Materials, components, parts and similar items incorporated in the imported goods including price tags, Kimball tags, labels;

ii. Tools, dies, moulds and similar items used in producing the imported goods, e.g. tooling charges. There are various ways of apportioning these charges.

iii. Materials consumed in producing the imported goods, e.g. abrasives, lubricants, catalysts, reagents etc. which are used up in the manufacture of the goods but are not incorporated in them;

iv. Engineering, development, artwork, design work and plans and sketches carried out outside the EC and necessary for producing the imported goods. The cost of research and preliminary design sketches is not to be included.

NOTE. If you make any payments (periodically or "one off") to the seller for any of the above goods and services, you must include the amounts in the customs value (see paragraph 1.4).

e. Containers and packing. Include: the cost of containers which are treated for customs purposes as being one with the goods being valued (i.e. not freight containers the hire-cost of which forms part of the transport costs); and the cost of packing whether for labour or materials.

Where containers are for repeated use, e.g. reusable bottles, you can spread their cost over the expected number of imports. If a number of the containers may not be re-exported, this must be allowed for.

f. Proceeds of resale. If you are to share with the seller (whether directly or indirectly) the profit on resale, use or disposal of the imported goods you must add the seller’s share to the price paid (but see paragraph 1.14(e) as regards dividends). For example if the seller is to have 30% of the profit, which you receive, this is to be added to the price paid or payable. If at the time of importation the amount of profit is not known, you must request release of the goods against a deposit or guarantee (see Part 1, paragraph 5).

ColinD2017-06-05 19:50:48

 

[iamjimmi]

I don't get it...

Are they saying that the postage is added to the value of the item, and if the total is > £15 then you pay custom charges?

That's insane? Or have I misunderstood their response?

 

[itruk]

I don't get it...

Are they saying that the postage is added to the value of the item, and if the total is > £15 then you pay custom charges?

That's insane? Or have I misunderstood their response?

That's what it looks like to me as well.

I've recently have a parcel from the US come over, with a declared value of $20 + the shipping at $14, and it came right through. But this was with Royal Mail.

Wonder if RM's values are still set to the $30 mark?

 

[Purity]

Royal Mail do exactly the same, and add the postage and the item cost together

Had an item marked as £10, and postage was £40, so took total to £50. Got a customs charge, and when I queried it and said the item is below the £15 or £39 threshold they said that with the postage added to it, it took it beyond those values, hence the charge

If it is marked as a gift and is less than £39 you should be ok. If it is not a gift then the limit is £15
Purity2017-06-06 10:24:25

 

[Bensonrad]

Its so hit and miss with what they charge, my Super Pacman CP came through with no charges, that was marked value of $20, but post was $85 and a huge parcel. I've got some leaf switches and Pacman stick parts coming, marked value of $15 so fingers crossed they will reach me okay.

 

[ZeroSum]

I never pay a customs charge

But even for me this is a hard thing to do when getting items from america.

Ebay
See a nice item going cheap

see the postage

see the impoert tax

= f**k ebay
I don't use them much anymore now because of this sh*te.

 

[musashi]

I used to buy comics on a regular from the states and always got stung with custom charges .. I feel your pain..

 

[ZeroSum]

Yeah

I don't buy anything from the states now i only use ebay.uk once or twice a month.

You can always ask the seller to drop the price on the customs form but the seller has to be a punk

like me.

 

[ColinD]

Finally after replying to the above email repeating the issue once again.... I get this.....

Dear Mr Davies,

Thank you for your reply to my email concerning your enquiry
relating to our invoice AVIxxxxxx

I now understand that the goods were below the £15.00 allowance
and I have taken the necessary steps for the charges to be cancelled.

Our refunds team with be in contact with you in the next couple
of days to arrange a refund to you.

I trust this will conclude your enquiry but please do not
hesitate to contact me if I can be of any further assistance to you in this
matter.

Lorraine

ColinD2017-06-13 18:28:00

 

[Bods]

Finally they acutally listened to what your saying

Sure they do it on purpose so most people just give in, shouldn't have to waste hours of your own time to get something cancelled you shouldn't be charged for in the first place, really you should be able to invoice these muppets for the time you spend sorting out the mistakes

Good on ya