Border force / customs

[MCBladeRun]

Just had an email through from Royal Mail this morning regarding a small package I ordered via Rockauto in the states. I'm to pay £47.42 in total.

Seems my package was inspected by our Border Force ? Don't know if they found it to be suspicious..

It was an upgraded electronic ignition to replace my worn existing component.

It cost me $205.79 for that particular part. That's more than 25% in sterling for import tax on the goods. Shame I had no option to prepay import charges, this might not have happened.

 

[MCBladeRun]

Breakdown of what's been charged.

 

[jonbills]

yes thats normal if you don't prepay. I think the ability to pre pay varies with the carrier you pick. If you pick the "cheapest" postage with US Post, you end up paying a lot more.
always pick fedex!

 

[MCBladeRun]

yes thats normal if you don't prepay. I think the ability to pre pay varies with the carrier you pick. If you pick the "cheapest" postage with US Post, you end up paying a lot more.
always pick fedex!

There you go then. I'll have to remember that, possibly warrants a sticky or how to for members?

 

[datsfun]

Get ready for same treatment for imports from EU effective 01.2021.

But at least we will make our own rules

 

[MaximG]

Blue Passports and Fish, that’s what I’m looking forward to

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Guys let's not let this thread turn into a Brexit thread.

 

[MaximG]

Guys let's not let this thread turn into a Brexit thread.

Inevitable if you ask me.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Inevitable if you ask me.

If so a useful Thread will get moderated, cause lots of aggro for us and possibly discipline for members.

 

[MaximG]

Someone puts a a thread about customs and border force and you don’t think Brexit is relevant?

 

[MaximG]

Someone puts a a thread about customs and border force and you don’t think Brexit is relevant?

plus if talking about reality gets me banned I’m done with the club.

 

[Alphabettispaghetti]

Import duty won't change post brexit(from the US). We should get charged less from nations where we don't have a customs union, so all things being equal, not much would change.

I oversee a fair few million pounds worth of equipment moving around the year world a fair few times a year. Brexit is not an issue. its possible that further trade agreements(like the recent Japanese one) will put us in a decent position.

Ps, i'm not pro brexit.

 

[Albrecht]

There you go then. I'll have to remember that, possibly warrants a sticky or how to for members?

I don't want to appear rude, but what exactly were you expecting? Did you not know that Import Duty would be applied, that VAT would then be levied on the stated cost of the goods PLUS the cost of shipping, and that they'd charge you a handling fee for processing it?

If you pre-paid the duties on the sending side, you'd only avoid the £8-odd processing fee. It would - however - be a little quicker in passing through the system.

I'm not pro-Brexit either, but this is how the world works.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

plus if talking about reality gets me banned I’m done with the club.

Mike sorry, I should have expressed myself better. By Brexit I meant 'politically' because I agree the Thread could be useful (as I said) but I just know how these things deteriorate into a full blown argument and 'slanging match'. As did hours and hours of television

So Brexit can be mentioned, but lets not get political.

 

[MCBladeRun]

I don't want to appear rude, but what exactly were you expecting? Did you not know that Import Duty would be applied, that VAT would then be levied on the stated cost of the goods PLUS the cost of shipping, and that they'd charge you a handling fee for processing it?

If you pre-paid the duties on the sending side, you'd only avoid the £8-odd processing fee. It would - however - be a little quicker in passing through the system.

I'm not pro-Brexit either, but this is how the world works.

No-no, you're absolutely spot on. I failed to take a step back and actually look at what I was paying for (delivery-wise) and I've been lucky so far paying for the cheapest option, which always got me through customs / import vat /tax etc.

The one time it doesn't work, the first thing I thought was I hope other members don't get caught out the same way as myself and I thought posting to raise awareness was my best bet.

Of course I clearly don't have enough experience importing goods from abroad as others do. I tend to learn a lot from my mistakes, but if others could learn from my mistakes as well... We'd all be better off.

 

[moggy240]

I have noticed with rockauto not every shipping option has Vat on it.
If you pick the option where you pay VAT then you will not have customs holding it. FedEx always has the vat on it but Post sometimes does and sometimes doesn't.