33 replies to this topic

[bigburty]

So I come home this morning to be greeted by a Royal Mail slip saying my package couldn't be delivered because there is a £17.76 customs and handling charge on it. After the initial burst of rage, I remember that I know another guy who bought a similar figure for a higher price from the same seller at the same time. I contact them, presuming they have had the same issue - they haven't. Even though their package was of a higher value, it was delivered without charge. Hence why I'm left scratching my head.

My item came from Canada and cost £27 ($49). I was under the impression that a customs charge wouldn't apply if the item was valued below £36 ($65). I must have got that wrong. I've contacted the seller to see what they put on the customs form, but haven't had a reply as yet.

I've bought, sold and traded many times between America, Canada etc, but this is the first time this has happened to me, so I'm hoping to learn from it. Any insights would be appreciated.

[bachamn]

An LRG member from Germany bought one of my sets of LB shields about a year ago and mentioned a customs charge of about $21 was itemized on the invoice. He said he had never had to pay any kind of customs fee like this before. At the time, I was using the "eBay Global Shipping" program. Not sure if that had anything to do with it,, but we ended up cancelling and settling through here because there was no way I could figure out to remove it for him. Needless to say I quit using that rip-off "feature" a while back

Edited by bachamn, 21 August 2014 - 08:00 AM.

[plasticfiend]

I've been using the global shipping program on Ebay... But I haven't had any crazy fees that he buyers have let me know about. Could be they just aren't mentioning it.

I think when we did out deal Burty we did it outside of Ebay.

Was this an Ebay deal?

PF

[bigburty]

Yep it was an eBay deal, but I don't think the guy used the global shipping program. Even if he did, it still doesn't make sense that I was charged and the other buyer wasn't. I'm going to see what they've got to say at the Post Office depot tomorrow morning anyway. Actually, I can't believe I've just bothered typing that because the Post Office depot staff where I have to go are about as much use as an inflatable dartboard.

[plasticfiend]

I think I had one of one inflatable dartboards as a kid...

PF

[Strontium Dog]

My item came from Canada and cost £27 ($49). I was under the impression that a customs charge wouldn't apply if the item was valued below £36 ($65). I must have got that wrong.

 

Yup. The threshold is £15 for packages from outside the EU. If its declared value is in any other currency other than sterling, they use the official exchange rate, which changes every month, to work out its sterling value.

 

Sometimes you might get lucky and have your package get through without being charged.

 

Anyway, above the £15 threshold, it attracts VAT at 20%, plus a flat £8 handling charge.

 

So if you're required to pay £17.76, that is £9.76 VAT plus £8.00. I figure your item must have been valued on the customs form at £48.80, or, more likely, around C$89.

 

If your item was correctly valued at C$49, it ought to have been more like £13.35 I think.

[bigburty]

So if you're required to pay £17.76, that is £9.76 VAT plus £8.00. I figure your item must have been valued on the customs form at £48.80, or, more likely, around C$89.

If your item was correctly valued at C$49, it ought to have been more like £13.35 I think.

Ok thanks for that info, appreciate it. Actually, reading this has made me come up with a possible explanation for why I've paid more than you think I should've. The final price for the other item was approximately £48 - I think the seller may have stated the wrong item value on each of our forms, in other words got them mixed up.

Edited by bigburty, 21 August 2014 - 09:19 AM.

[iwao]

I think it matters if the sender checks "Gift" or "Merchandise" on the customs form too, with Merchandise more likely to result in a customs charge.

[plasticfiend]

Good to know for the future if I deal w any more international buyers!

PF

[bigburty]

I think it matters if the sender checks "Gift" or "Merchandise" on the customs form too, with Merchandise more likely to result in a customs charge.

Maybe fella, I'll check that tomorrow when I pick up the package. When I post internationally, they just ask me what the item is and the value. In fact, they don't bother even asking what it is anymore as they know what I'm sending ha!

Anyways, you win some, you lose some I suppose. It's annoying, but there's not much I can really do. However, if it does turn out that the seller has made a mistake or two, then hopefully he'll offer some sort of reimbursement.

[Strontium Dog]

I think it matters if the sender checks "Gift" or "Merchandise" on the customs form too, with Merchandise more likely to result in a customs charge.

Yeah, marking it as Gift sees the threshold rise to £36. Although they might get a bit suspicious if gifts are arriving for you several times a week all year, after all, birthdays and Christmas are just 2 days out of 365

[bigburty]

Yeah, marking it as Gift sees the threshold rise to £36. Although they might get a bit suspicious if gifts are arriving for you several times a week all year, after all, birthdays and Christmas are just 2 days out of 365

I knew I'd got that £36 in my head from somewhere ha!

Edited by bigburty, 21 August 2014 - 10:32 AM.

[Nik]

I always send international orders as "gifts" on custom forms. Customers usually request me to, but I'm just in the habit of doing it anyway to avoid unnecessary charges on the buyer's end. I never include an invoice with their order so there is no way for anyone to prove it wasn't a gift or a sample. 

[Ericnilla]

I always mark my packages at $5 and as a gift.

When I first joined lrg in 2007 I made my first international trade, I shipped a display case I used to make to a member in the uk. I marked it at the appropriate value and a month later It was returned to me cause they had rejected to pay the fee of $20+. Luckily we were still able to finish the deal, although it took 2 months longer than it should.

[bigburty]

It's starting to sound more and more like the seller marked the item as 'merchendise' and mixed up the item values - leaving me with the consequences.

[bachamn]

I always mark my packages at $5 and as a gift.

I also do this, unless of course the person requested shipping insurance or something, but I usually mark $20 as I thought that was a generally observed threshold value. Any specific reason you use $5? 

[Ericnilla]

No real reason, $5 just  stuck as my standard marking price.

[bigburty]

The trouble is, many eBay sellers won't alter the item price on the customs form. They seem to think we're trying to scam them or something.

[Nik]

It's ridiculous that a customer would have to pay a charge after the postage has already been paid. 

[fkro6784]

So buyers can get smacked with these fees through the eBay Global Shipping program? I know I have sold a couple things on eBay through that program that were over $20, but I didn't receive any concerns or complaints from those buyers. Maybe they had to pay fees and just didn't say anything. The thing is, I didn't even actively opt in to the Global Shipping Program. I think eBay just has the listings set to use it by default, and if you don't want to use it, you have to actively opt out. 

 

I know your item didn't go through that program, bigburty, but now I am curious about it.

 

I hope the seller will respond and do whatever they need to so that your issue is resolved in a satisfactory way. 

[bigburty]

 
I know your item didn't go through that program, bigburty, but now I am curious about it.
 
I hope the seller will respond and do whatever they need to so that your issue is resolved in a satisfactory way.

I'll have a better knowledge of what's gone on once I get to the post office and see the package in the morning. If I was importing something dangerous or the like then yeh, hit me with a customs charge, but for a rubber mini figure... Give me a break!!

[bachamn]

The thing is, I didn't even actively opt in to the Global Shipping Program. I think eBay just has the listings set to use it by default, and if you don't want to use it, you have to actively opt out. 

That's exactly what they do, and it's very annoying. Even if you're re-listing an item and had previously set international shipping options (I always set to "Calculated Shipping Worldwide") it will still default to the "Global Shipping Program" option. It's the only setting that does this, makes it pretty clear to me that they're making bank from it.

[Behemoth]

Marking sales as "gift" is mail fraud in the US and many sellers refuse to take that risk, even though the likelihood of getting caught or prosecuted is very low. Also from reading the USPS website, they will not issue a refund on tracked posts over a certain amount (I think it was $100) without some evidence of value. The evidence of value allowed includes retail prices, trade advertisements and invoice prices. So for tracked items over $100, you are basically agreeing to eat any possibility of loss over that if you mark it as gift, at least if you are selling old toys like MIMP or MUSCLE.  

 

I think the US sellers that refuse to mark it are just protecting themselves and I don't see any problem with that. 

 

Also customs charge for toys and most things is completely ridiculous. And the fact that it is a criminal offense is pretty crazy. It is a really terrible law. 

 

PS Ebay's policies are really awful for sellers and getting worse. That's why I sell on here and Facebook much more now. 

Edited by Behemoth, 21 August 2014 - 03:14 PM.

[Sixthwizard]

I know from experience that something marked as merch is considered a resale retail package. It is considered "freight" instead of just getting some stuff send to someone. It's a business aspect of shipping. Dad owns shipping company. After sending something to my wife's family in Brazil and accidentally marking it as merch valued at $150. Brazilian customs held my box as freight. Cost me $350 to get it released. The things in the box maaayyyyy have been worth $15.00. I'm not sure if they confused that as 150 or what? My dad then basically said I was a dumbass hahaha and told me about that merch shipping deal.

When I ship figures/collectibles across my border now, I've never ever marked anything else afterwards as anything other than a gift valued at $5 (no more.00's). Description being- used children's toy. Never had any issues with any other international shipment since.

Sending poor kids some charity toys....ya know!

[bigburty]

WTF!!! I've gone to collect the package and he's marked the value of the figure as $80!! It cost me $46!! No wonder I've been screwed over with a customs charge. He hasn't replied to my messages yet, so I'm going to give him another try today with the evidence. What a grade A chump!

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