Aliexpress...customs charges?

[ScarlettDarling]

I’ve just made an order from Aliexpress, just a few cheap bits. In the confirmation emails it mentions that ‘the customer may be subject to relevant customs duties and/or fees’
Has anyone been stung by extra customs charges like this? I’m starting to regret ever having ordered!

Customs charges on items from the EU are a thing these days.
What's the value of the items?

The total order was just over £15 but they’re coming from four different suppliers, so about £3-4 in each parcel.

I buy a lot from Ali express and have never had to pay custom charges after the initial purchase.

How do customs charges even work? Would the item just be held at the post office until I went to pay it? If so I guess I could just write the order off if the customs charges were silly?

Last few times I ordered from there the customs charge has been added to the order. I've never had to pay anything when it gets into the country.

Ok, I’m hoping that’s the case here. Don’t want to be landed with silly customs charges for items worth peanuts.