MrConfusedBRONZE Member
addict
529 posts
Location: I wish I knew, United Kingdom


Posted:
In the past couple of years I've ordered plenty of times from the HoP shop with no problems. A couple of weeks back, I put in a small order. It seemed to be taking a long time; usually my orders come through within a week, this time it's taken over two. Today I got home from work to find a note from the post office saying they couldn't deliver my item because there's a fee to pay.

Import VAT.
Import VAT of almost a third again the value of the goods being ordered and shipping put together.

Not happy. Anyone else have this happen to them? Are they right to be charging at all, let alone such an exorbitant rate? I've never had this problem before.

J

If you're not confused, you're not thinking about things hard enough.


pkBRONZE Member
Lambretta Fanatic
4,997 posts
Location: United Kingdom


Posted:
how can they charge when you have paid p&p on your goods???

SeraphireHoP's Original Smelly-Hippie-Scum-Bag
270 posts
Location: Under your stairs


Posted:
I thought the VAT rates in the UK were 17.5% of the product in question? But Import VAT? You'd have to ask the HoP shop or the Post office.

Music gives Soul to the Universe, Wings to the Mind, Flight to the Imagination and Life to Everything.

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colemanSILVER Member
big and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom


Posted:
import duty and VAT should be charged on all imported goods bought outside of the e.u.



if you've gotten away with it before, you should count yourself lucky smile



a handy blag is to request that the sender marks the package as "gift - ncv".



the ncv stands for 'no commercial value'.

as such you can still insure it for the full amount but since it is being declared as a non-purchase, you cannot be charged for tax or duty on it.



it may also be sensible to ask that an invoice is NOT included since if uk customs open the package to security check it and find an invoice, the sender will get their wrists slapped.



but as long as customs cannot prove it is a purchase, you cannot be charged tax or duty smile



i have saved literally hundreds of pounds using this method (most recently this week, on a purchase from hong kong) ubbrollsmile





cole. x



[edit: extra information on import duty and vat]
EDITED_BY: coleman (1109868392)

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood


NYCNYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA


Posted:
I had a import customs nightmare when ordering an Aerotech staff. It often has to do with the value of the shipment. Over a certain price and you'll pay. I actually had to drive to the airport to sort it all out.

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
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MrConfusedBRONZE Member
addict
529 posts
Location: I wish I knew, United Kingdom


Posted:
Oh well. Guess I've just been lucky these past years. Just annoying that it was so much (somewhere between 25 and 30 percent of the total value!).
Checked out that web site. Turns out I couldn't have been charged had I not added something on impulse at the last minute frown.

Live and learn

J

If you're not confused, you're not thinking about things hard enough.


DurbsBRONZE Member
Classically British
5,689 posts
Location: Epsom, Surrey, England


Posted:
Likewise matey smile

I've ordered loads of stuff from HoP (at least 8 orders I reckon) and only one of them got picked up by customs - strangely, it too was flags *Duh duh duuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*

The reason it's so high I guess is to make up for all the ones that don't get caught

Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude


flidBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,136 posts
Location: Warwickshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
I have to do customs declaration paperwork quite often for shipping industrial computer gear at work from the UK to US. The rules are very complex that determin how much duty will be added, but some things provided that they are bellow a certain price bracket don't get any duty, which is nice smile



To add to the fun it's quite hard to determine how much duty will be before shipping, courrier companies are very reluctant to/won't tell you what they think it will be. It's very much something that you have to take into consideration when importing/exporting

MrConfusedBRONZE Member
addict
529 posts
Location: I wish I knew, United Kingdom


Posted:
Maybe customs have some sideline business interests in swinging flags?? Mmmmmmmm, implausable conspiracy.....

J

If you're not confused, you're not thinking about things hard enough.


NOnactivist for HoPper liberation.
1,643 posts
Location: ffidrac


Posted:
Written by: Durbs


Likewise matey smile

I've ordered loads of stuff from HoP (at least 8 orders I reckon) and only one of them got picked up by customs - strangely, it too was flags *Duh duh duuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*

The reason it's so high I guess is to make up for all the ones that don't get caught




oh pants, i was thinking of ordering some new flags off HoP....... . I've been caught on the import VAT before, for a T-shirt.... and had to pay about half the value again for that, although that also went via UPS so maybe that made a difference...

Aurinko freedom agreement reached 10th Sept 2006

if it makes no sense that's because it's NOn-sense.


MynciBRONZE Member
Macaque of all trades
8,738 posts
Location: wombling free..., United Kingdom


Posted:
The reason you are being caught I think is Import duty more than VAT.
The VAT will always be 17.5% (until they change the rate)
But duty can be from 0% to 50% depending on the product.
It all comes from the HMC&E duty tariff codes. The main reason you are all getting caught on flags is fabrics can have quite a high duty rate especially when imported from India, China or Pakistan I work in Imports and Exports and we have 3 MASSIVE folders from which duty rates are marked as tariff numbers.
It can all drive you a bit ubbloco when trying to work it out.

A couple of balls short of a full cascade... or maybe a few cards short of a deck... we'll see how this all fans out.


SniperBRONZE Member
Snoochie-boochie-noochies!
663 posts
Location: United Kingdom


Posted:
according to lil tag on my mp3 player box anything under £18 or £36 for gifts doesn't require duty. on a £150 mp3 player i paid about £17.88 vat, and £13.88 for the parcelforce clearance fee.

Written by: coleman

import duty and VAT should be charged on all imported goods bought outside of the e.u.




it shouldn't be charged on anything. thieving gits

flidBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,136 posts
Location: Warwickshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
but then all us unloyal brits would start buying everything in from abbroad cheaper, and our own industries would suffer as a result

Matty_BSILVER Member
veteran
1,314 posts
Location: Blu's Pocket, United Kingdom


Posted:
I recently bought some stuff from HoP and very pleased I am with too. . . . and I got charged some import duty . . thats fair enough.... whats more annoying is the charge that parcel force add - for paying the relase charge for you - on £50 or order I had to pay £10 but £6 of that was to parcel force. . . . goddamnit....


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