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Buying bits from the USA.......... - Customs Loop Holes

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Orange777:

--- Quote from: Sink on April 08, 2012, 10:57 AM ---have a word with 58delray as he has a way of bringing stuff in  :daumenhoch:

--- End quote ---

thanks will ping him a message now!

kalex:
customs are a joke. i had 2 bmx's from the usa, both came to within £7 of total value of each other and only 2 weeks apart. 1 was sent fedex. they added the postage cost to the item. ( i only got charged $100 from the sender as he had a business account so gets big discounts) but fedex said the actual cost was $248 so they put that on, then charged me a total of £134 i think import duty and handling charges, i contacted them to mention the postage was $100 and they didn't want to know. the second was usps so it went through parcel force (post office) they didn't add the postage cost on but they charged me £180 i think, they're handling costs were over 200% more than fedex. i phoned them up and complained why the difference in costs and they said it was likely due exchange rate increase. the bmx's were sent only 2 weeks apart. to say i was pi**ed was an understatement. i've now come to the conclusion that it depends if the customs person has had their oats the night beforehand or not. if not their taking it out on us.

Wadz:
I thought is was free from customs if marked as a child's toy ,I've never paid customs from rinis.

ED209:
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014&propertyType=document#P40_4237

2.4 Gifts

Goods sent as a gift that are over £40 in value are liable to import VAT. Customs duty also becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £135 but is waived if the amount of duty calculated is less than £9.

To qualify as a gift:

    * the customs declaration must be completed correctly
    * the gift must be sent from a private person outside the EU to a private person(s) in this country
    * there is no commercial or trade element and the gift has not been paid for either directly or indirectly
    * the gift is of an occasional nature only, for example, for a birthday or anniversary.

Note: if you purchase goods from outside the EU to give as a gift to a relative or friend, whether or not addressed to that person, is treated as a ‘commercial consignment’ for which the import VAT relief threshold is £18 (paragraph 2.3 refers).

Skid:

--- Quote from: nickswan1 on April 08, 2012, 09:51 AM ---
--- Quote from: Orange777 on April 08, 2012, 09:49 AM ---Anyone know of a good way round being robbed by customs? I bought a snowboard few years ago from the US and paid more than the cost of the boar :-[ :-[d in Import Tax

Found a bike in the US and the seller is suggesting he will mark it as "Vintage Bike Parts"

Any help is appreciated!!

 :Great_Britain:

--- End quote ---

Get them to tick as a GIFT and dumb down the value on the label. I've received parcels with "Happy Birthday" scribbled all over them in the past too  :LolLolLolLol:

--- End quote ---


Doesn't always work. I got a f+f from the US last month which are marked as Gift and undervalued, still had to pay £20 odd to get it of Parcel Force. It was valued at $100 (£80), still had to pay the VAT and the handling charge.

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