TOSSERS!!!

joan collins

08/05/2002 at 19:02

Last week I ordered a tent online from a US company for a bargainaceous $99, or around £70. Even with the $33 shipping added, it was still a great deal.

So 'imagine my surprise' this morning to be asked to part with £38 (sic) in duties to collect the sodding parcel!

I phoned HMCE in disbelief, and they explained the charge was made up of:
- 11.5% import duty charged on the tent AND ON THE POSTAGE TOO
- 17.5% VAT on the tent AND ON THE POSTAGE AND ON THE DUTY
- A £7.75 Parcelforce 'clearance fee' based on the tax-inclusive value of the package (why? clearance costs are not dependent on value!)

It's clearly been fortunate that my occasional past imports have escaped HMCE attention. I had no idea that they could legally stuff their pockets with over 50% of the value of the goods by pretending postage has a value to the recipient and that tax is itself taxable.

So if you're thinking of buying from the States, be warned it may turn out to be more expensive than it first appears!

Ben Hedley

08/05/2002 at 19:07

bastards....

a peach is go out to the states with an old crappy tent..skip when u get their..but a new one..use it all holiday and come back with "used tent"

Ben Hedley

08/05/2002 at 19:38

that should of course read- "..go out to the states with an old crappy tent, skip IT when u get there, by yur new one, use it all holiday and come back with a "used tent"

Clive Clasby (Old Git)

08/05/2002 at 21:42

Ah thanks for the clarification ben
I was just practising skipping. Could have been embarrassing.

Dave Moseley

08/05/2002 at 22:55

I've bought stuff from the States, most of the time with no problem, had to pay import duty once but the stuff was still cheaper than buying in the UK, it's just worth bearing in mind that it can happen, if you're not making much of a saving then it's probably not worth the hassle

Lloyd Bower

09/05/2002 at 16:28

Daylight robbery, I've bought quite abit cycling stuff recently from Groundeffect in NZ without any duty. One of which was certainly more than £70 as I was getting some gear for other people to save on postage, could have had a nasty surprise.

My sympathies.

Orange Alex Ford

09/05/2002 at 18:07

Cheeky Beggars.

A friend of mine bought one of those "all terrain pushchair" thingies from the states and had to pay duty but it was still cheaper than buying it in the UK!

neil l

11/05/2002 at 22:08

Suggestion - if u have a mate over in the states (Sallys in Boston and EMS is not a bad shop, as for REI Let me in!!!!!!!) you could get them to ship gear to you.
1. Get obliging mate
2. Get them to remove the packaging,
3. remove price tags,
4. hid instructions inside
5. finally mark as gift.
Voila hopefully customs and exise wont have a clue.

Also (not sure about this one)
u could have them buy it and wait 6 months Then have them send you the recipt. Get mate to post package.
Present recipt to HMS C&E when they demand payment and watch the smile disappear off their faces.

PS I've tried none of this bt i'm assured it works.

neil l

11/05/2002 at 22:10

Alternitively get your mate to open the tent up, let it hang in the wind, throw in a bit of grass and voila "used tent"

tony mcgarley

12/05/2002 at 00:59

www.bullied-by-customs.co.uk

neil rich

13/05/2002 at 08:36

Joan
I think you've been lucky in the past so chill a bit and put it down to experience.
I've never been caught for duty yet. They only pull a small percentage of parcels, but if it's yours it's a bummer.
Last year I investigated an american web site that would sell me a racoon skin (don't ask) for $25. the paperwork to get it into this country would have been another $175.
Just thought
perhaps the thing to do is go to the auctions of C&E stuff and buy cheap the kit that people refuse to pay the duty on!

ben brockway

13/05/2002 at 10:06

Joan, just sticking my neck out here but was it a Kelty Zen from Campmor? Campmor customers always seem to get stung for postage. NMS on the other hand I've got loads of goodies from without ever being stung, they ship with FedEx rather than UPS and I suspect this may be significant.

joan collins

13/05/2002 at 10:24

It was actually a Kelty Clark (£70!) from REI Outlet, shipped via USPS, which I generally prefer on the grounds of cost and reliability.

Interestingly, I've been done AGAIN today (twice) for some shoes and a dress a couple of friends sent over marked as gifts. The (newish) rules are no duty/VAT on items under £18 net value, or under £36 for gifts, and duty reduced to 3.5% (no VAT reduction) on gifts over £36. I wonder if I have just been unlucky, or whether they're starting to clamp down more.

Hedgehope Aztec

13/05/2002 at 10:28

Or is it the constant stream of parcels winging their way to your house from the States? They probably think you're running some kind of importing business. :-)

joan collins

13/05/2002 at 10:31

Yup, victimising people for running a business, that would be very British.

ben brockway

13/05/2002 at 10:34

Evidently my psychic powers have left me, only 1 out of 3 this time. How is the Clark? It looks like a hooped Zen, which is our usual LAMM/KIMM hangout. Any good?

joan collins

13/05/2002 at 10:44

Haven't actually used it yet, but the test-pitch was easy enough. I can (just) sit up in it, and there's a fair sized porch area, so I'm hoping it will be not too bad for hanging around in when the weather's being British. And it weighs under 2kg!

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