Customs Duty?

[Dave2084]

[ukvac] Customs Duty?
Has anyone got any experience with customs duty on packages sent from the
states???

I've has 4 or 5 packages in recent months, two were over £100. I received
one today which was only a cheapie and just as well - customs opened it and
charged me duty! By the time I got it the admin charges, VAT, excise duty
and post office handling charge was nearly half the value of the item!

Has anyone else got previous experience of this????? I was just wondering
what the official line is and how many packages they open or charge duty on
. . .

h
Dave Langley

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet FileZone: Always FREE!
Instantly store & access your valuable PC files on the net,
from any Web browser.
SIGN UP NOW - http://offers.egroups.com/click/235/0

eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/ukvac
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com

 

[markadams12000]

[ukvac] Re: Customs Duty?
As far as i am aware, and i buy quite a lot of goods from the U.S and
Canada, Customs open about 10-20% of the parcels that come in to the
country. I've just been hit with a bill for C.D's that makes them even more
expensive than buying in the UK after you've added import taxes.
It seems to be luck rather than judgement, even stating on the outside of
the package "no value" doesn't work, i tried that too....

Mark

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet FileZone: Always FREE!
Instantly store & access your valuable PC files on the net,
from any Web browser.
SIGN UP NOW - http://offers.egroups.com/click/235/0

eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/ukvac
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com

 

[MrMish]

[ukvac] Re: Customs Duty?
I don't know if it would mean less or no duty if opened but someone who
sent me boards from the USA once declared the (working) boards as
"Broken video game parts sent for repair". Obviously they weren't sent
for repair, or to be returned!

Bryan

------------------------------------------------------------------------
eGroups Spotlight:
"Mergersdaily" - A newsletter covering mergers, acquisitions, investors, etc.
http://offers.egroups.com/click/242/4

eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/ukvac
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com

 

[zepromz]

[ukvac] Re: Customs Duty?
At 18:52 11/03/99 +0000, you wrote:
>Has anyone got any experience with customs duty on packages sent from the
>states???
>I've has 4 or 5 packages in recent months, two were over £100. I received
>one today which was only a cheapie and just as well - customs opened it and
>charged me duty! By the time I got it the admin charges, VAT, excise duty
>and post office handling charge was nearly half the value of the item!
>Has anyone else got previous experience of this????? I was just wondering
>what the official line is and how many packages they open or charge duty

Ive been bringing in stuff from the USA for a few years now.
Picked at random, if they dont like the look of the customs form, or the
value seems low, or the description is weird, they'll open it.
You are liable for between 4% - 5% Import duty, depending on the nature
of the goods, PLUS vat on the total, so budget for a 23% hike on the price
if you DO get hit.
ALso, if the value is really low, they MIGHT investigate the value of
the goods, and charge you duty and VAT on what THEY consider to be the
market value of the item.
Basicallly, dont try and fool them, be honest about what you have in the
package, and budget for that extra charge when you originally buy the item.
That way, NOBODY gets any nasty surprises.
Ive been doin this with guitars for a long time. They have a guy in
Heathrow customs who has forgotten more about guitars than I ever knew
in the first place, and I was manager of a guitar shop....

end
|----------------- P3TE - skitzo@dircon.co.uk -----------------|
|- Cardiacs / Thrash Metal / Arcade collecting / Guitar Tech --|
|---------- http://www.skitzo.dircon.co.uk/index.htm ----------|

------------------------------------------------------------------------
eGroups Spotlight:
"Depression2" - A Support Group for people suffering from depression.
http://offers.egroups.com/click/242/2

eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/ukvac
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com

 

[John Bennett]

[ukvac] Re: Customs Duty?
In article <36E903F1.CF4D7BC6@tendril.force9.net>, Bryan McPhail
<mish@tendril.force9.net> writes
>I don't know if it would mean less or no duty if opened but someone who
>sent me boards from the USA once declared the (working) boards as
>"Broken video game parts sent for repair". Obviously they weren't sent
>for repair, or to be returned!
>
>Bryan

A similar approach has been suggested that marking the package "Used
Goods" can avoid the duty. Given that most PCB's are used goods anyway
it may be that duty has been incorrectly charged.

When I ordered some Ballblazer cartridges from the USA to scavenge
POKEY's from, the cartridges cost virtually nothing compared to the
postage. For some strange reason the sender put an unfeasibly high
insurance value on them which resulted in an unfeasibly high duty charge
which was about 5 times the value of the goods! Since Customs are a law
unto themselves I decided to avoid rocking the boat and just fumed
silently.

--
Clive Mitchell

http://www.emanator.demon.co.uk
Lighting animators and FX

------------------------------------------------------------------------
eGroups Spotlight:
"Depression2" - A Support Group for people suffering from depression.
http://offers.egroups.com/click/242/2

eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/ukvac
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com

DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by Clive Mitchell (clive@emanator.demon.co.uk)

 

[MarbleMad]

[ukvac] Re: Customs Duty?
In article <5DKZPOAQSS62EwXJ@emanator.demon.co.uk>, Clive Mitchell
<clive@emanator.demon.co.uk> writes
>A similar approach has been suggested that marking the package "Used
>Goods" can avoid the duty. Given that most PCB's are used goods anyway
>it may be that duty has been incorrectly charged.
Tried that with marquees...No Good had to pay.
marking something as a gift may work.
--
James G Watt

http://www.kinetic-arts.demon.co.uk
Part of the Video Arcade Game Collectors WebRing.

You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet FileZone: Always FREE!
Instantly store & access your valuable PC files on the net,
from any Web browser.
SIGN UP NOW - http://offers.egroups.com/click/235/0

eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/ukvac
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com

 

[John Bennett]

[ukvac] Re: Customs Duty?
Hi

The key point is to try and get them marked below 18 pounds, and don't
leave a reciept in the package that customs can find.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
eGroups Spotlight:
"Vediculture" - Disuss the world's ancient Vedic culture.
http://offers.egroups.com/click/242/0

eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/ukvac
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com

DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by (Gavin_J_Chester@sbphrd.com)

 

[zepromz]

[ukvac] Re: Customs Duty?
At 15:06 12/03/99 +0000, James G Watt wrote:
>marking something as a gift may work.

No, gifts are also subject to import duty.

end
|----------------- P3TE - skitzo@dircon.co.uk -----------------|
|- Cardiacs / Thrash Metal / Arcade collecting / Guitar Tech --|
|---------- http://www.skitzo.dircon.co.uk/index.htm ----------|

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet FileZone: Always FREE!
Instantly store & access your valuable PC files on the net,
from any Web browser.
SIGN UP NOW - http://offers.egroups.com/click/235/0

eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/ukvac
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com

 

[aka_tdot]

[ukvac] Re: Customs Duty?
Don't talk to me about the Customs. I paid for a 1 - 3 day delivery of a
parcel from the States, it's now over two weeks since it was sent. So
you can guess whose got it. If it gets up to three weeks I'm going to
the send them a bill for the postage. Hey! You've got to try!

On a different note. If you have a correctly signed and addressed
invoice for the amount the goods are costing you. Then customs MUST
accept that as proof, not the parcel insured amount.

If you can, and a lot of dealers in the States do, try and get them to
give you an invoice for around the $65. That way you should only attract
a small amount of duty, if any.

I'm not sure how items which you have "Swapped" or "Traded", can be
vated. Anyone any ideas?

Keep playing the games.

Mr T.

PS Has anyone got a Starforce for sale or Swap, mine just died on me!
--
.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet FileZone: Always FREE!
Instantly store & access your valuable PC files on the net,
from any Web browser.
SIGN UP NOW - http://offers.egroups.com/click/235/0

eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/ukvac
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com

 

[John Bennett]

[ukvac] Re: Customs Duty?
As far as I'm aware you should need to pay import duty on anything from Canada as their Commonwealth Members. So the UK and Canada and any other country in the Commonwealth (Austraila, New Zealand, ECT) have trade and tax agreements.

David Wragg

<36e903f1.cf4d7bc-@tendril.force9.net> wrote:
Original Article: http://www.egroups.com/list/ukvac/?start=421
> I don't know if it would mean less or no duty if opened but someone who
> sent me boards from the USA once declared the (working) boards as
> "Broken video game parts sent for repair". Obviously they weren't sent
> for repair, or to be returned!
>
> Bryan
>

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet FileZone: Always FREE!
Instantly store & access your valuable PC files on the net,
from any Web browser.
SIGN UP NOW - http://offers.egroups.com/click/235/0

eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/ukvac
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com

DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by (djwragg@hotmail.com)

 

[John Bennett]

[ukvac] Re: Customs Duty?
On Fri, 12 Mar 1999 15:06:08 +0000, you wrote:

>In article <5DKZPOAQSS62EwXJ@emanator.demon.co.uk>, Clive Mitchell
><clive@emanator.demon.co.uk> writes
>>A similar approach has been suggested that marking the package "Used
>>Goods" can avoid the duty. Given that most PCB's are used goods anyway
>>it may be that duty has been incorrectly charged.
>Tried that with marquees...No Good had to pay.
>marking something as a gift may work.

I was hit a few times with ridiculous charges by our crime fighting heros
at the docks, so I now always have the sender write "Gift" on the parcel
and have had no charges since! Luck perhaps... better go touch some wood

--
Scott < http://www.quick-silver.demon.co.uk/ >
Dynamic site: DHTML games/music/general eye candy!

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet FileZone: Always FREE!
Instantly store & access your valuable PC files on the net,
from any Web browser.
SIGN UP NOW - http://offers.egroups.com/click/235/0

eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/ukvac
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com

DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by Scott Porter (scott@quick-silver.demon.co.uk)