Shipping/Customs charges. Aaaaarrrgh!

I'm sure some of you guys might've had a bit of experience with customs charges...
I bought a bike from the US. I new there could be customs issues but went ahead anyway.
I spoke to the seller and asked about his experience shipping to the UK and about possible extra fees.
I was told it would be fine.
Last week I recieved the frame and bars no problem. I was expecting the other box shortly afterwards but nothing...
Then today I get a letter from parcelforce saying I need to pay £80 to get the box!!!
The box was labelled old bike parts and 'gift'. They are old second hand parts inc. seat, crankset, wheelset etc.
Bastardos!!!
I'm sure there's nothing I can do so must take this like a man! It hurt's today...

Can you not contact them and explin these are second-hand used parts? You might have to declare this in writing, but worth doing to save the £80.

2nd hand stuff still is liable for VAT+Custom charges.

"Most goods arriving in the UK from outside the EU are liable to any or all of the following taxes:

* customs duty
* excise duty
* import VAT

and must be paid whether:

* you purchase the goods or receive them as a gift
* the goods are new or used (including antiques)
* the goods are for your private use or for sale."

See here:
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014&propertyType=document#P58_4585

I always thought 2nd hand stuff was exempt, but HM Revenue & Customs seems to think otherwise. Might be worth asking anyway though, esp as they've obviously got to set a price for the goods to be able to charge tax on them.

I do hate this system and I do hate that the Royal Mail stings you for a lot of money 'to collect the tax due'; ParcelForce's charge are even more expensive. Wouldn't mind a small charge but I can't see how they can really justify their current charges.

Yep, I got stung by Parcelforce's charges last year when buying my fixie frame. I was happy with the VAT, but the extra on top was a piss take.

STILL not built it up.

The letter insists they will not dispute the matter. Disputing the matter will result in an undelivered item, which will be returned to the seller. They are a 'force' to be reckoned with. At least I know for next time. And TAKE NOTE when considering international sales. At least it's a nice enough bike!

Well you should at least post photos. That way all our 'oohs' and 'ahhs' of jealousy and envy should make you feel better about it all.

the thing that gets me is they charge you for keeping it from you! handling or whatever.. wankers..

The parcelforce charges are ridiculous. I think they're only so high because they spend it all sending out invoices - I received at least 6 through the post *after *I had gone there and picked up my parcel. Plus I had to spend most of an hour waiting in the depot waiting room which was worse than the average refugee camp - full of people shuffling around in dirty clothes clutching parcels and/or little scraps of paper. And one guy in the corner who spent the whole full hour transferring things (including books, pads of paper, kitchen utensils, clothes and an old monopoly set) from one cardboard box to another for no apparent reason. It took them over ten minutes to "process" my payment, and then another full ten minutes to lift my parcel from their side of the counter over to mine.

Still worked out cheaper than buying UK though...!

I was married in Chicago then went on honeymoon before returning to Paris. The photographer shipped the wedding photos to my Paris address. DHL refused to deliver until I paid 280 euros excise duty on my own wedding photos.

Bike parts I buy off e-bay have them shipped to an address in Chicago and then bring back in my suitcase. Security check seatposts out because they look like pipebombs to the X-ray but I never bother with the 'anything to declare' the way I see it those cunts still owe me for my wedding photos

fixedpip Well you should at least post photos. That way all our 'oohs' and 'ahhs' of jealousy and envy should make you feel better about it all.

1973 Witcomb. Made in London, made it's way to San Fran and has now come home. Few scrapes and knocks in paintwork but good solid frame. Would look great repainted but will keep as is for now. Will post more pics in 'what bikes...' thread when finished.

Aye, thats nice! Have a lot of love for Witcombs especially the really vintage ones.

Nice score, you can't beat handmade in Deptford!

Thing is....no charges on the frame or the bars which came together. Just charges on the rest of the bike which was in a seperate box! If I'd been charged for both I would've been fuming!

Damn americans, they don't know how to send stuff! Did you ask him to mark as a gift?

Once i forced the seller to pay me what i spent with customs (£62) - asked me 3 times to mark as a gift, but guess what, he didn't mark.

Another great experience buying from american sellers...

The customs link above is currently down. Does anyone know what the minimum value is before you get stung with bullsh1t ripoff/duty/charges/w@nk/courierfsck tax?
ie. I'm thinking about getting some brakes for the US that are around the mark but I can't remember if these go under the minimum or not?
Ebay is saying costs are £20 + £8 P/P. Will I be stung?

From the HMRC website:

' * Customs duty - if the amount of duty is £7 and over.

* Import VAT - if the value of the goods is £18 and over.

See http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_001454&propertyType=document

Exercise apparatus 2.7% duty

Bicycles 15% duty

Is a bike not a an exercise apparatus?

Note too that the Royal Mail has increased their "handling fee" to a flat rate of £8 per customs duty to be charged (i.e. per package).

So unless you're spending a bit, the Royal Mail just wiped out the benefit of sending anything via them.

p00jabs.. oh well.. will wait and see what these calipers come in as. It's a bit of a gamble ordering from US for such a low priced item.
The more expensive stuff is still well worth getting from the US.. especially with a US address to send to.

Just a little info as far as i know....
The courier pays the custom charges on the customers behalf and then invoices the customer for reinbursement plus their admin fees etc.
A year or so ago a friend ordered stuff from the USA, just a few clothes, and got stung by whatever courier was used for customs charges and the courier handling charge/fees etc. She wrote back to the courier saying she never wanted them to pay to pay her charges and she would have paid the customs charge directly if given the chance so she said she wouldn't pay their handling/admin fees and sent a cheque for the customs charge only, she never heard back from the courier.
Could save you some cash

phunkymunky

ps if you get the goods marked as gifts and you get found out then both you and the retailer can get done for defrauding the government!!

From 19 July 2007, excise duty is due on all excise goods (including tobacco and alcohol products) received via post from abroad, including occasional gifts and goods ordered online. This applies to goods sent from EU and non-EU countries. Please see the Government Press release

gift thing is invalid.

velocity boy Note too that the Royal Mail has increased their "handling fee" to a flat rate of £8 ...

Parcelfarce is now £13. Bastards.

I don't really mind paying tax, since at least that money (mostly) goes toward Good Things. But the fact that a business can hold your property hostage until you pay a completely spurious "handling fee" really gets up my nose.

I hate paying tax mostly because it goes towards the governments bank account, but it is pretty fair. Customs and Taxes are pretty much the reason why it's so expensive to buy anything locally.. We can't really expect to label stuff as "gifts", knowing full well that they aren't, and be exempt from paying the same taxes that bike shops (through the distributors..) have to pay!

That said, here's what I used to do. I learned pretty early that marking stuff as gift did pretty much nothing - it's the value that counts, and they won't take $0 for value that easily. Since I usually paid stuff through paypal, I just copied the receipt into notepad, and edited the value of items to be less than what they'd be able to tax. So I got away with fairly expensive small items by changing the receipt to read "bolts and bearings - $2.95".

This worked back in Portugal as the buyer was responsible for paying the customs shit directly and providing proof of item's cost. What might work here in the UK, providing you get a sympathetic seller/friend with a convenient US address, is getting him to include an edited copy of the receipt inside the item's box - they'll open it, check the receipt and send it your way. Hopefully. :)

phunkymunky Just a little info as far as i know....
The courier pays the custom charges on the customers behalf and then invoices the customer for reinbursement plus their admin fees etc.
A year or so ago a friend ordered stuff from the USA, just a few clothes, and got stung by whatever courier was used for customs charges and the courier handling charge/fees etc. She wrote back to the courier saying she never wanted them to pay to pay her charges and she would have paid the customs charge directly if given the chance so she said she wouldn't pay their handling/admin fees and sent a cheque for the customs charge only, she never heard back from the courier. Could save you some cash

But, if you order something and the courier pays the duty, you are then forced to turn up to their depot and pay the charges. They wont deliver the item without you first paying duty and their charges. It's fscking bollox!!!

oh my god, i hate customs. I have to cycle all the way to croydon to pick up my ebayed trousers.
Absolute cunts are parcelforce.

if you hate customs, try dealing with imigration...