To ask you you to help me send a parcel to Germany?

it's due to a europe wide introduction of import vat on anything sent from outside eu.
youmight want to send 2 parcels to keep beliw the allowed value for gifts.

in the future you might want to buy gifts directly in the country.

german customs advice on gifts:

https://www.zoll.de/EN/Private-individuals/Postalconsignmentssinternetorder/Shipments-from-a-non-EU-country/Duties-and-taxes/Gifts/giftssnode.html

Yes in future but direct form a local in country store and get sent direct

My my mother sent secondhand duplo, like £5 from flea market. They paid customs and postage in uk. Labelled gift. DHL still wanted us to pay €40 import charges to deliver.
I could have bought new by the time £5 value, £21 uk end postage and customs, and €40 this end.

You need to be v specific and include accurate values of what the contents are worth. There may (depending on value( be duty to be paid in Germany when collecting.

The post office should help you out with the customs declaration.

Brexit = totally winning

As if it isn't difficult enough already. I might have to tell my mum not to bother with a birthday parcel for me in February, I'll pick it up next time I'm there.

@Igneococcus The rules did tighten up considerably on Jan 1st, hence the insane delays around Dover currently.

www.itv.com/news/2022-01-01/brexit-new-customs-rules-explained-amid-warnings-they-could-lead-to-shortages

@Snowiscold
Customs charges started in January 202, at least I or work have been charged for shipment coming into the UK since then.

I sent something to Italy recently. I could somehow track it and see it sitting in Turin for around 4 months the. Back it came to me. Absolutely no idea why or what I did wrong. Meticulously correct description wtc. Feels as thoigh we aren’t part of Europe any more. I mean really feels it. No idea how to send and so have given up.

@girafferaffle
I got a parcel in September which was only released after I paid duty on it. It's Parcelforce or Royal Mail (can't remember) which does the UK side of the shipment and I could see on the tracking that it was held up, contacted them, paid and parcel arrived two days later. I had also several delieveries for work which needed payment first, and one (via Fedex) which arrived and work was invoiced afterwards. It seems various couriers have different ways of doing it.

Can you post a picture of what you put on the parcel?

My family get around this my ordering gifts from Amazon.nl, or other Dutch websites. I order for them using UK based websites. I also have a pile of presents in my wardrobe which I'll only be able to give them when we next go back to the UK.

@igneococcus DHL have always sent me an invoice for the charges in the post after delivery. Not used them for a while though so might have changed!

My DD sent a box full of chocolates and other foodies things to her best friend in Germany via Royal Mail in November but it took about 3 weeks to get there. I think she’s sent about £30 worth and it got through just fine. Try DHL or DPD might be a bit quicker.

In Spain the limit is about 45€ so quite low

Ah yes could have been the value of the items. But would they not have been delivered and they pay the duty? I’ve definitely had this with things (though not gifts) sent from the US.

My sis in Belgium has asked that we dont send any parcels out for the nieces and nephews as they have to pay a fee to get them

I sent a parcel to Germany before Christmas with Royal Mail. I itemised the content and put the value for each. Postage date was the 17th December and it arrived some day this week but that's probably due to Christmas and New Year.
I got a parcel from my sister in Germany who shipped it with DHL and she even had to put the weight of the individual items on the form. I got it without having to pay taxes on it despite the value being above the limit, weirdly.

I didn’t know the recipient has to declare the same! They knew what was coming but they didn’t know the exact values

I doubt if my recipient did. Customs would have no means of contacting her other than writing to her - not possible in the timeframe. Once through customs, it would have just been delivered by the normal postman.

Has anyone successfully sent presents to Germany from brexitland?

Not Germany but Holland. Itemised the contents and put a nominal value. Posted at the post office and cousin received 4 days later with no problem. I didn’t list everything, just groups, so ‘baby clothes’ should have been fine. I Also received a similar box in the other direction with similar label.

No help to you in this case but if you're sending gifts in future it's worth buying from Amazon.de (the German site) and sending it direct to your friend. I believe that the German Amazon website has an English version.

I do that with the Amazon.fr site to send to my brother who lives in France - but I don't think that it does an English version (which doesn't matter for me as I speak French )

I know people who had to pay customs charges on really small-value gifts - like £7 worth of gift.

If the value was over a certain amount, the recipient would have been asked to pay customs. In Spain the limit is about 45€ so quite low. If the recipient doesn't pay, the parcel is sent back. You are better off buying locally or via Amazon Germany and get them to deliver to your friend's house