THANKS A LOT BREXITEERS (and good luck when you order items from abroad)!

[customchaos]

I recently bought some art through an online website (think, a bit like Etsy, but not that one). So the item was £400, plus £140 delivery, which I did think it was a lot, but it was being shipped from Russia. Anyway, two weeks later, I get an email from the website company, to tell me the item is being held at the depot and I am required to contact Parcelforce to pay a customs tax. I phoned up and the tax is to the tune of £140. For an item costing £400! Apparently this is the new post-Brexit norm. Just to get what you have ordered over the border!

I’ve also ordered more art from Bulgaria which is apparently in its way now and I’m really worried as this was more expensive (just under £3000). Does this mean I going to be charged another ridiculous amount as customs tax?

I’ve been on to HMRC today and they are no help, beyond saying “yes this is because of Brexit,” “No we’re not sure if you’ve been charged the right amount or why,” and “You will need to pay first and them make a claim if you think you’ve been overcharged.”

So basically, is this the end of ordering from abroad? What madness is this?

Also it's us "brexiteers" that avoided you the EU vaccine farce. Be greatful

I bit disappointed there is no photo of art so could said how awful it was, you paid how much comments and being able to say we could of painted that

@sst1234 Just pointing out that remainers will not win anyone over with points like this. In terms of gaining support with the wider population, your arguments were shit then, they are shit now and will be shit going into the future. Many of them are struggling to feed and clothe their kids. They don’t care about Pret coffees and the cost of art being delivered.

@Ohthatsgreat exactly some of what op says doesn't make sense .
I could always work out a rough amount for duty/ vat at least a ball park figure . If you know value and other bits and a rough idea how its calculated and like you say always had to pay this from non eu countries .
I get that for people who only brought from the eu that this may be more of a surprise. Although regular importers / exporters would of known this was likely coming.

Could HAVE!

Ffs people.

Stupid indignation
End of

A company in say Russia wants to export, they have to be able to fill in lots of paperwork in order to export and pay VAT, the system is the same across 27 of the richest countries in the world so it make absolute sense to put in the time and invest in being able to easily export to the EU. Then the UK leave, they now need you to fill in different paperwork to the EU and potentially change different amounts of VAT, this admin costs money, so you either increase the cost of your product to UK buyers to cover your additional admin, or you decide it isn't worth exporting to the UK.

Disney not currently delivering to the UK from their US site, so it's not just small businesses that are finding exporting to the UK unattractive at the moment.

^The stupidity and collective self harm
that people are willing to endure just so that the rich can be punished is astonishing. Whatever your views on Brexit, the fact that the rich pay more means that the poor will be even harder hit.^

Turkeys voting for Christmas comes to mind.

Manufacturers will have to buy some of their raw materials from outside the uk, any additional import costs will ultimately be added to the end product. It’s a shame many didn’t consider this when voting leave.

It’s like the poster on here irked at customs charges for Australian imported products...not brexit related at all.

It specifically states on their website they are not posting to the UK due to Brexit.

Regardless of what you bought OP, and how much it costs, the truth is it sucks to pay an extra huge fee on top, whether the item is £50 or £5000, whether you are rich or poor.

People saying "diddums" don't seem to get the wider implications for the economy, and for their lives in terms of buying, selling and exporting goods and how the extra taxes will be bad for our economy, from the little person to the huge company or rich man.

WilsonMilson
Why don't you just order stuff from Ireland? I would have thought that's what most in NI would do now.

All these posters kicking off and saying buy British don't realise I buy British goods to gift to friends in EU countries. In other words I am exporting items to friends I have made who have moved to EU countries as gifts.

Now I'm not allowed to send them food items at all. Other goods I am allowed to send must be under £39 or they pay VAT and/or customs duties.

Its quite worrying that people never realised there would be different processes with imports: exports at least in the short term.
Long term the uk could arrange new trade agreements and it may be easier to import from some countries easier than others, this is why many wanted to keep the trade part , which is what originally the eu was for.
It was always going to be a bit if a headache at first and it seems to of also caused issues from non eu countries as well ( but vat and customs duty has generally always applied in some way from non eu countries )
Hopefully these are things that get ironed out as new trade deals are made, with covid I am surprised we didn't ask for another extension as having the 2 together makes it even more challenging.

No - the difference is, normally when you order from India, USA or wherever, the import taxes are included within any delivery charge you pay upfront.

Now, this is not happening. When items ordered by private individuals arrive in the U.K., you are liable to be hit with additional charges which were not declared upfront. You have no recourse and no way of challenging how these additional charges have been calculated.

So, the example I gave - a painting on a canvas (not large or heavy at all) - £403 from Russia.

I’ve already paid £146 delivery upfront, thinking that should cover everything. In the past, it would have done.

But no. Now it’s being held at SW London Depot. I have 18 remaining days to pay £139 if I want to receive the item. The breakdown I have been given is as follows -

£12 handling fee (this is Parcelforce)
£42.37 duty tax
£85.51 VAT

So if I was to pay this, essentially I would have paid £285 for delivery of an item that cost £403. What’s that, 70% or something of the price of the goods?

I think it may have been calculated wrongly but THERE IS NO RECOURSE TO CHALLENGE the cost. I have to pay first to be able to legally challenge.

Apparently this is now applied to anything received into the U.K. over £135. So anything you may order - watch out!

@Hope4theBestPlan4theWorst funny as fuck my dp has just had a proper belly laugh at this thread and wonders if the OP is available for attendances at weddings, christentings and Bar Mitvas lol

He said she could give most comedians a run for her money
I bet he could too.

I want to send someone in Spain a £50 item from a small British retailer who hand makes items as they have a new baby. As they will have to pay VAT charges I'm now sending them something from a larger British retailer which costs £20 and likely not made in the UK.

@customchaos you would always of paid customs and vat from the usa , some companies can send duties paid but its rare .

People saying "diddums" don't seem to get the wider implications for the economy, and for their lives in terms of buying, selling and exporting goods and how the extra taxes will be bad for our economy, from the little person to the huge company or rich man.

This is exactly right. I’m not personally worried about importing stuff (I almost never do it myself) but I am worried about the knock-on effects of customs charges on things which are essential (such as food, or the items needed to grow food). I earn enough to absorb an increase in food bills, but many people don’t.

Perhaps in 10 years the uk will be hugely prosperous and it will have been worth all the pain, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s going to be a painful couple of years while the economy readjusts.

@customchaos also how duty and vat is calculated is in a set way , they don't just pluck figures.
I can't remember exactly but its roughly on invoice value, freight costs etc
And a item could be 2 % duty or 15% , which you would generally know upfront as the company selling should be able to tell you.
I don't understand when you were buying such expensive goods where duty and especially vat was paid by the exporter, and if you were that would of been added to the goods , they can't get that money back if not vat registered in the uk

my dp has just had a proper belly laugh at this thread no one cares that man has spoken
These my man says posts are truly awful, esp the women facilitating it
Tell him to post, or belt up

Oh yes having the same problem shipping out of uk abroad. It is ridiculous.

Parcelforce can and should tell you how they calculated this but straight away vat is 20% so on the £400 that is £80 if my maths is correct.
Who are your other goods being sent with? If you know maybe contact them and ask if they can provide a price
Handling fee can vary as well
You also should get a copy of the paperwork which will tell you how its calculated , unless everything has changed that much in the 18 months I have been out of it all.

The gift rate for sending abroad is ridiculous and always been pretty low, we used to send gifts to canada and could never send what we wanted as too much
Surely £100 value for gifts isn't unreasonable but always been a lowish figure .

People saying "diddums" don't seem to get the wider implications for the economy, and for their lives in terms of buying, selling and exporting goods and how the extra taxes will be bad for our economy, from the little person to the huge company or rich man.

YY Wine, Prosecco, cheese and or milk products, ham, bacon, will all be more expensive for a start. The majority of the food we eat comes from abroad!

@Sackofspuds

I presumed you were thanking us for vaccines.

This un-informed bullshit?