General Chat

I have just received a notification that a £20 2xDVD set I bought off an ebay seller has incurred a £12 customs charge. Eek, that is more than half the cost of the item and a heck of a lot more than 17.5% VAT!

(It did catch me on the hop as the seller has UK in their title and only deals in pounds sterling.)

Does anyone know if I can appeal this and if so is it with HM Customs or Royal Mail?

Is there a website which explains how customs charges are worked out? I suspect it is quite random as, several years ago, a £30 charge was applied to a magazine sent to me from America. On that occasion, the payment card had a phone number and address on it. This time there is no such option.

All advice greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Anything you buy from outside the EU, so that includes the Channel Islands, costing over £18 will be liable for Import Duty and VAT.
In your case for a £20 DVD that would come, by my reckoning to £4.20.
The carrier will also make a charge for acting as your agent in clearing the item through Customs.

Was there any mention of customs fees in the listing? If you go into the help section on E-Bay there is a question and answer section manned by volunteers. Who give excellent advice and are very quick in responding. I have had loads of help through these boards on E-Bay. Good luck.

Lainey x

There is absolutely no onus whatsoever on the seller to inform potential buyers of any customs charges - how could a seller inform residents of every country around the globe of potential charges?

That may be true Errol, but surely the seller could say where the item was being despatched from. That way, at least you'd be made aware of any possible import charges.

Sue
xx

To me it is a bit dishonest for a seller to just say they are in the UK and want paying in stirling. they must do this because they know if they added customs duty to the item they wouldn't sell it. surely there should be guidelines on this. they have to quote package and postage, why not the probability of duty?

ann
Glos

Thanks for the replies - I've only just been able to get my computer back from the dreaded teenager ;o)

Unfortunately, right at the bottom of the page I eventually found "We are not responsible for Customs charges.".

I have no objection to a FAIR rate of customs charge but NEVER did I expect such a huge percentage to be slapped on. In the meantime I've been phoning friends who knowingly (rather than accidentally, like I did) buy DVDs from the US and not one of them has ever had to pay duty, even on much larger purchases. So it looks like I've just been unlucky.

On checking the seller's feedback, I'm not the first to be caught out in this manner. As he is a high volume seller, it wasn't all that simple to locate the negative feedbacks.

The seller has just emailed me thanking me for my recent order and "We trust that you are currently enjoying your item.".

I'm in 2 minds about what to do next. Ebay Help has yet to respond and I'd like to take it up with Customs if only I can find out who I need to contact.

I'm very tempted to email the seller and say I've not received the goods yet and ask if I can have a refund instead.

That would be a lie!

I haven't received the goods as I've not got them yet. In fact the customs card came several weeks after the due delivery date. Before the customs card arrived today, I had already emailed the seller on 2 occasions to ask where my goods were and had begun to think they'd got lost in the post.

Unfortunately, the birthday I had ordered the item for has also long gone now.

Also, I haven't paid the Customs costs and the thing won't get delivered until I do.

Customs will hold onto them if they deem fit and money hasn't been paid

Whoops Errol, I just added to my last message! I'm not going to pay the additional cost until I'm sure it is correct.

If customs does return the DVDs to the seller then I will lose the post and packing but the seller will not have lost out.

Surely she would then be in breach of contract - the seller supplied the goods and she would be turning them down outside the conditions of the sale?

Tracey,

I would be tempted to emailback to say i hadnt recieved, well you havent have you??!! I have recieved many items thru ebay beyonf the $50 mark and never been charged extra for customs. They always mark the parcels as a 'gift item'.

I dont know the full story but maybe incorrrect labelling is the issue??

love T.x

Errol

fair point but not sure how the Sale of Goods and services act transfers to international sales and purchases.

love t.x

What's the Ebay item number ???

Ron
www.genealogyprinters.com

I have also noticed this,
a seller "based" in the UK sells something, but it is actually posted/purchased from Hongkong. complete with customs label(but in my case ,fortunately without a surcharge.....)


methinks the seller is just a middleman...
Bob

Generally C&E give you 3 options

1. of paying the Duty and VAT plus a percentage on top as a "fine" and receiving the goods.

2. going to magistrates court and pleading your case - which may or may not be successful.

3. doing nothing and they will destroy the goods after 4 weeks.

This I know as it happened to me very recently. But be aware that your address is now flagged up on their system and everything that comes to you from outside the UK will now be checked!

Mary

Surely it's misrepresentation on the seller's part, many people base whether or not to purchase based on the Sellar's location. Why would you even take any notice of the "we are not liable for customs charges" when to your knowledge the item is already in the UK?

I would appeal it with ebay.

I still think that Ebay should make it a condition that the seller should state whether or not the item is to be dispatched from outside the UK.

By the way was it a set or two separate DVDs and how much would they have been in the shops, just out of interest.

Ann
glos

Everything depends on the wording in the listing, that's why I want the item number to check it, you may have a claim to get your money back if the items wording is miss-leading or if the item location is stated incorrectly.

In the "Item Location" section at the top of the listing it will say where the item is located, if it states U.K. and it wasn't you can claim your money back.

Ron
www.genealogyprinters.com