To be annoyed at myself for just wasting money....Have you ever done anything so stupid?

[Mogs43]

Bought some make up brushes from the Scott Barnes website- cost just over £120- a ridiculous treat I know (needed cheering up and thought I would spoil myself in the sales after saving up-never again).. Was even more shocked to be charged £56 for customs charges!!! Eek - I Haven't a clue why HMRC put such high taxes on - will this happen even more once we leave the EU??

I wasted £200 on a completely selfish ridiculous item over the weekend when I know full well I’ve got no money coming in for a month. Fuming at myself!

yes unfortunately because of brexit i have had to close my business as i just wont be able to afford it, prices have already hiked and it will be getting worse

Yeah I got caught with this 50 quid charge on a pair of period pants from the US. I checked their website (said tough luck, we don't take refunds). Other EU women complained too on their FB group. Again tough luck.

Apparently if they'd checked one box on the paper work the charge wouldn't have gone through.

£70 for ugly period pants and that aren't particularly good.
Sainsburys now do similar for a tenner.

@BlindAssassin1 try these next time www.firebox.com/Period-Panties/p6635?mkt=en-gb&aff=1108&aff=1982&gclid=Cj0KCQiAvJXxBRCeARIsAMSkApoVwGqdbsZaVGmWfk7Xqp76y6s7QRO1mKSQUuuPyoSQzxVCyjnkYWwaAtUCEALw_wcB

£8 handling fee so they can put a card through your neighbour's door? Robbing bastards.

I order a lot of hair stuff from the USA
I’ve never paid more then £50 in customs and RM delivery
And that’s for stuff that’s around 3- 400 pounds
Sometimes it comes direct to my house with no customs fees which is a bonus

I used to live in switzerland (so not eu) - custom charges were ridiculous, and as a consequence availability of all things not made in switzerland very limited (think prams, clothes etc). and that is a country where you just drive across the border, buy things, drive back (hardly ever gets checked). not looking forward to brexit!

Nice segue from ridiculous expenditure on make up brushes to Brexit
Really nice

Accidentally clicked on a bread maker on Amazon when trying to see if a discount code would go in. It did and so did the breadmaker. Must take my saved card details out.

Thankfully it was from my wish list so not entirely a disaster and there was money in the account to cover it.

Its totally ridiculous to say that a gift that has already been subject to VAT or whatever Oz sales tax should be subject to more duty. People are not stupid they will start gifting via Amazon the greatest tax dodgers of the world rather than be stung for postage and customs charges.
None of this is remotely new, FFS... Also buying duty free when travelling is absolutely zero to do with importing goods through the postal systems. Ridiculous comparison.

Oh yes, and with amazon you pay the customs charges up front when buying from the US, for example. So good luck dodging anything by using amazon.

Oh yes, and with amazon you pay the customs charges up front when buying from the US, for example. So good luck dodging anything by using amazon.

I'd rather pay upfront than an unsuspecting recipient be forced to fork out for the privilege of receiving a gift.

This is going to be so much more of a problem after Brexit as the same charges will apply to Europe too.

You have no evidence to say that. It may be the same as US, it may be the same as we have now, it may be something different. No-one knows until negotiations have concluded between the UK/EU and the rest of the world.

@Blackbear19 You have to declare what is in the parcel and the value, even if you don’t purchase insurance in your postage type. It’s on the outside of the package so UK Customs can see it and charge accordingly or open it up if they think it’s been misdeclared. Better to put the correct amount on and insure the package, than fir my friends or family not to receive or have to pay an even greater charge.

I purchased a t-shirt for DS for Christmas from the US, cost me £12 from Etsy, couldnt find it anywhere else.Got stung with an £18 custom fee.

The fees make me so mad, as well as the £1 handling fee if someone doesnt put the correct postage on. How can £1 be proportionate?

You have no evidence to say that. It may be the same as US, it may be the same as we have now, it may be something different. No-one knows until negotiations have concluded between the UK/EU and the rest of the world.
Most of the "customs charges" are VAT - this is not going to change due to trade negotiations. However, it is highly likely that goods imported privately from the EU will have VAT added after Brexit.

Slight derail, but a quick question.

I am planning on buying an item from a German based brand but buying it on the UK website.

Would the cost include any customs charges or might I still get them?

This is going to be so much more of a problem after Brexit as the same charges will apply to Europe too.

That's why I think we should join EFTA, and not have duties/tax between the UK and EU countries (plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and somewhere else).

We buy so much from Europe as a nation, and from a personal point of view, it would stop our regular shopping trips across the channel being worthwhile.

And I assume it would put up the cost of manufactured things that include components made in EU countries. DP tells me that most Ford engines are made in Spain now, so I presume they'd have to pay duty when they import them to put in cars that are built here.

Apparently if they'd checked one box on the paper work the charge wouldn't have gone through

You mean the’gift’ option? In which case the company would have been committing an offence not to mention leaving the item uninsured because it’s been misdeclared.
There is a customs calculator online, it’s reasonably accurate and easy to use. Failing that buy from Amazon or eBay where you see the words’ duty included’.

LEELULUMPKIN

You'll be buying within the EU so no. Unless you're buying after Brexit, in which case nobody knows.

www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

Better to put the correct amount on and insure the package, than fir my friends or family not to receive or have to pay an even greater charge.

I don't think you quite get my logic.

The earrings cost £60. Import was £26.

Gifts up to £30 aren't subject to customs duty.

Very difficult to tell £30 vs £60 earrings from the outside of the packet. If you said they were worth £30 you'd be insured to £30 and family would escape the £26 duty.

If they were unfortunately lost you'd get £30 back, and have "lost" £30. Weigh up the odds of losing the £30 vs saving £26

GiveHerHellFromUs, thanks, they look much more fun that faded black, horrifyingly expensive granny pants.

So good luck dodging anything by using amazon.

You miss the point about gifting via Amazon. For the poster in Australia sending gifts to the UK. It's much cheaper to buy through Amazon UK than to buy in Oz and post esp if that posted gift is subject to customs dutys.

I can't believe all the Brexiteers on this thread who actually believe costs won't go up after Brexit! Leavers have been pushing for years not to be in any kind of union. This is the logical consequence.