Import duty rip off

[dazza]

Bought a pair of jeans off ebay, only realised they were from the states when they seemed to take too long to come and I rechecked the ad.
They tried to deliver them today but wouldn't leave them in the normal place because guess what ?   Yep, there was an £18.55 charge on them.   Royal mail have put an £8.00 handling charge on top, talk about taking the piss.
 
Am having a Michael Douglas moment in the film "Falling down".
 
Am already feeling sorry for those behind me in the queue tomorrow when I pick them up and inform them of my £8.00 collection fee.

[devilsyam]

i have luckily lots friends in the usa altough this wont help now i get them to send me stuff via there us mail and there is no charge
but the usa have a relationship with fedex and ups and tend to use them over postal service
hence the charge handling or another tax as i call it

[chaz]

A couple of mates have got stung for duty on stuff from the US, I've only got stuff from China/HongKong so far no duty.

[mtread]

I've posted on this subject before, about shipping agents/couriers charging import duty/VAT + a handling charge where it isn't due. How much was the value shown on the import declaration?
If they were £15 or less, no import duty of VAT is due.
If they are a gift, the value is £36
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-143-a-guide-for-international-post-users/notice-143-a-guide-for-international-post-users
TNT tried to charge me for some cheap levers from Hong Kong. They got short shift from me and withdrew their claim 

[dazza]

The thing is, on a pair of jeans that cost £46.99 to be hit with an extra charge of £18.55 is just an absolute blatant rip off.
Especially the £8.00 handling charge from Royal mail that there was no mention of.
Probably going to end up paying it but going to have a moan and also going to take all my junk mail I've collected for the last 6 months down there and dump it on the counter loose so they have to pick it up like I have had too even though I've asked them not to post that shit through my letterbox.
 
There I go again, I'm turning into a grumpy old sod but we are all being shafted from every angle these days.

[bigralphie]

Why are you buying jeans from the US ? ....is it the 9XL sizes available of the shelf 

[dazza]

Busted 

[stevierst]

Count yourself lucky, I bought some Gore tex Aerostich trousers from the US and was hit with an £80 tax bill!!!!

My wallet felt like it had been bum raped by a grizzly bear!

[mtread]

Should be just VAT. No Customs Duty until the value reaches £135. So 20% VAT on £46.99 is £9.40. The rest is their rip off handling charges.

[dazza]

Count yourself lucky, I bought some Gore tex Aerostich trousers from the US and was hit with an £80 tax bill!!!!

My wallet felt like it had been bum raped by a grizzly bear!

    Foccing hell Stevie, that's outrageous....Makes me feel better though, cheers
 
 
So,mtread. wait till the Royal mail hear about my handling charge tomorrow 

[ChristoT]

Count yourself lucky, I bought some Gore tex Aerostich trousers from the US and was hit with an £80 tax bill!!!!

My wallet felt like it had been bum raped by a grizzly bear!

    Foccing hell Stevie, that's outrageous....Makes me feel better though, cheers
 
 
So,mtread. wait till the Royal mail hear about my handling charge tomorrow 

Don't forget travel expenses: fuel, wear and tear on vehicle, wear and tear on backside... 

[stevierst]

Don't forget travel expenses: fuel, wear and tear on vehicle, wear and tear on backside... 

You can really fall out with some people you know! :D:D

[dazza]

Seriously though, what's stopping me putting a handling/collection charge on this against them ?
 
That's  exactly what they have done to me with no warning until they tried to deliver it.
 
If it's ok for them to do it, why not me. ?

[midden]

Why are you buying jeans from the US ? ....is it the 9XL sizes available of the shelf 

I like that American 43w is better than uk 48w 

what brand are the jeans Daz?  Did you buy from US  ebay or UK ebay. 

[dazza]

They're Levi's Neil and got them off my normal ebay, wasn't aware you could get a separate us ebay.

[dazza]

what brand are the jeans Daz?  Did you buy from US  ebay or UK ebay.

So,  was there a point to those questions Neil,  or was you just being ........well,  Midden 

[midden]

I've noticed before when going on American sites with prices in $ they are quick to switch the $ to £   So  maybe if you managed to complete in $  they added the extra after, doubtful though.  Regarding the brand, Levis dislike UK purchasing from USA at USA prices,  remember when tesco introduced cut price Levis. So maybe that explains the charges.

yeah just being midden 

[fazersharp]

I am always very careful when buying on ebay because even though I click uk only that dosent stop china usa  from selling on ebay and yet it will say uk in the listing, you have to scroll down to the bottom and you have to click the  contact details  and there will be the real address --- 38 xochong aming chouw.
I blame ebay for this because not long ago everyone was automatically enrolled into what they called global shipping program without our consent and then you are into the abbis of ebays menu help system to cancel it.
If you dont I think that you could be selling wordwide although im not 100% sure
Anyone else who has sold on ebay remember getting this email

[ChristoT]

I am always very careful when buying on ebay because even though I click uk only that dosent stop china usa  from selling on ebay and yet it will say uk in the listing, you have to scroll down to the bottom and you have to click the  contact details  and there will be the real address --- 38 xochong aming chouw.
I blame ebay for this because not long ago everyone was automatically enrolled into what they called global shipping program without our consent and then you are into the abbis of ebays menu help system to cancel it.
If you dont I think that you could be selling wordwide although im not 100% sure
Anyone else who has sold on ebay remember getting this email

Yeah, I do. Funny, I don't sell much on ebay, but the two big things I sold recently went to Bulgaria and the US respectively - despite only being listed on Ebay UK!!

[fazersharp]

You need to cancel the global setting,

[ChristoT]

You need to cancel the global setting,

Doesn't phase me. The listing said "shipping to UK only", and both the guys who contacted me were cool about paying the postage. Happy days!

[fazersharp]

Its no better than a scam - you think you are shipping to uk they think they are buying in Bulgaria untill like Dazza they get stung for extra tax and then they blame you for it, or say it didnt arrive as you are hardly going to go round there and knock on their door and ask "what you playing at mate" but just selling in uk that is always an option if you think you are being ripped off.
I do not sell out of the uk.

[mtread]

38 xochong aming chouw

Is that with sweet and sour sauce ? 
No UK tax to or from Bulgaria. Within the EU you are OK, they/you just charge their VAT which should be alreday included in the price.

[darrsi]

I got stung with that as well when I bought my hi-viz jacket from the States, it was still about £18 a few years back.

I work for an American firm and my workmate ordered a jacket from America and got one of our colleagues to ship it with our camera equipment in a camera box.
He definitely packaged it but it never got here, must've been nicked en route! 

[dazza]

Well Foccer's, got up earlyish today with a bee in my bonnet and just had to have my say....I must say I ended up paying the charge but not before getting my point across which eased the pain of feeling you're being ripped off and felt very liberating.
 
 
I filled a large carrier bag with all the junk mail I've been collecting for the last six to eight months, grabbed my collection card and went down to the Royal mail collection office.
To my delight there was no queue so I went in with my card and bag full of junk mail and rang the bell.
The nice woman came out and I handed her the card, said I've come to pick this parcel up and collect the £1.45 that I'm owed.
She gave me a bemused look and asked what for.
I then plonked the bag of junk mail on the counter and told her £10 handling fee for this junk mail that I'm returning and a £10 collection charge for the parcel, offset against your charge of £18.55 means you owe me £1.45.
 
I kept it light hearted but matter of fact and made my point that I'm only doing what has been done to me.
I made the point that as a consumer I should be made aware of any handling charges at the point of purchase otherwise what is there to prevent people or corporations doing exactly what they like and hitting you with outrageous charges that you had no prior knowledge of.
I also queried the 20% vat that should have been £9.40 but came out at £10.55 and that nowhere in the original listing did it mention anything about a handling charge which was why I'm doing the same.
I asked her if she felt like I was trying to rip her off with my charges and she replied yes, which sort of proved my whole point.
Many other things were said about the in justness and hypocrisy of the whole episode but by this time I had her totally on side and like I said, it was all kept humorous and light hearted and I made a point of not blaming her personally.
She especially seemed to like it when I said that if you keep posting this junk mail through my door, I'm going to carry on collecting it and next time I'm going to tip it all over the floor so that someone has got to pick it up like I've had to.
 
I've got to say Foccer's, even though I ended up paying the money and collecting the parcel it was worth it just so have my say and get it off my chest.
 
You should try it .