SLOW CLAP FOR BREXITEERS (again).

[alaia3]

I posted a while back about a ridiculous customs charge I had to pay due to the wonder that is Brexit.

So now, it’s a special birthday of a relative who has had a hard time recently. I ordered her a certain type of Murano glass vase (she collects these) and, hardly surprisingly, it comes from Italy where it is made. No problem as it’s free and fast delivery with this company.

Anyway, the vase didn’t arrive. Checked on UPS and hey presto - a customs charge of £170 for a vase that cost £450. This is “due to the inconvenience that is Brexit” that’s how it translates on the Italian tracking page).

So, it seems we can no longer order anything from Europe for to the genius of those who voted Brexit! Has anything more idiotic ever taken place in British history? Maybe reality will finally hit them at the same time as the customs charges hit?

Those are lovely moggiek

I voted for Brexit precisely to stop our Government from hiding behind the tailcoats of he EU.

@smigg

I have never seen this sort of attack on here on people who spend this sort of money on a holiday or a mountain bike. And there are quite a few threads about both. Don’t know why art attracts such bile

It's not art it's the import tax.

If I started a thread now about buying a £300 dress from the US & complained about paying an import fee what do you think people would say?

I think people would point out that an import tax was to be expected, but that there wouldn’t be sneery comments about buying art or a vase.

And to be fair to the OP Johnson did bang on about his tariff-free deal, so a lot of people were shocked by customs charges. I know it’s not the same thing, but he very much blurred the distinction.

The Mather Gallery in Manchester is a Murano glass UK stockist and Selfridge's in London carries a few pieces.

It’s about how the cost of living and the price of all sorts of things is about to skyrocket. Read that room.

How the fuck does a tax on imported art affect the cost of living!! Nobody has sat down with their food budget, and decided to forego eggs because the fine-art budget was too expensive this month 😅

Apparently some Brexit voters aren't aware that we're no longer allowed to work in the EU. So unless you're independently wealthy, there's no way of relocating to the EU.

Brexit is a fucking stupid idea. Can't argue with that OP. YANBU.

I would love to know how many of you who are saying buy British have had a kitchen or bathroom fitted, and find that the tiles are Spanish or Italian, or that the kitchen appliances are German or Italian - even brands that you think are British made. Brands which probably were British made once, but are no longer. That's obviously fine, find something British or go without.

Similarly if you have a special birthday or anniversary and instead of a close family member buying you a nice but expensive gift they tell you it's a waste of money and here's a £10 box of chocolates.

I voted for Brexit precisely to stop our Government from hiding behind the tailcoats of he EU.

Nice idea, but the Government is going to milk this for all its worth, so give it at least 4 more years.

@Peregrina most people don't buy £450 vases as gifts for family members birthdays. It's the outrage and entitlement of the OP that has amused me, as if everyone purposely voted for Brexit to ruin her expanding on her expensive art collection.

Obviously many things are made in other countries, and then they are shipped here. If you buy them here, the cost of shipping is already covered in the price, no surprises.
So, if we must be pedantic, buy British-based.

@NoLactose

Brexit is a fucking stupid idea. Can't argue with that OP. YANBU.

Have you had your vaccine yet?

Plus the stealth brag "look how much money I'm having to spend on customs charges but it's ok as I have loads of money" threads are losing their shine somewhat

Really? I'm finding them hilarious! Either someone is trolling, or is so out of touch, they actually think this is an issue.

Similarly if you have a special birthday or anniversary and instead of a close family member buying you a nice but expensive gift they tell you it's a waste of money and here's a £10 box of chocolates

I would be very grateful. Not all of us are grabby

@MintyMabel a different issue but both consequences of Brexit and on balance right now I think many people who thought Brexit would have no redeeming features are now re-evaluating that (me included)
I don’t disagree that many frustrations were around the U.K. government not taking the independence which was open to them from within the EU. I would have loved to have stayed in it.
However the fact the U.K. had bought into vaccines before it left the EU and indicating they would have gone alone even if we were part of EU I don’t agree with. By the time Covid was an issue Brexit was done and we were in transition period so we had to go it alone. If we were in EU the politics suggests that we would have tied ourselves to the EU and suffered as a result. But that’s just my opinion.

@alaia3

To the person rambling about being caught out a second time or whatever, this is not the ‘second time’ I have ordered from the EU and had these charges.

The first time I have ever noticed this was when something came from Russia, but I was told this customs tax (£130) was apparently also because we are no longer in the EU so, according to the customs representative I spoke to in the phone - “I don’t really understand it, but don’t have that protection anymore.” I sent off the requisite form to query that but it’s been over a month now, I think. No doubt it’s lost in a mountain of similar queries, so won’t hold my breath to hear back about that.

In the interim, 3 separate things were delivered from Bulgaria - all fine.

Something from US, but only £20 to pay on that as is reasonable and to be expected.

Now this.

But, you point is, you have no way of knowing whether you will be charged or not and no way of disputing the charges until you’ve paid.

Whether you import directly yourself or buy from a company that has imported the items (or parts of the items) for you, these charges will inevitably have to be mitigated against and they will be passed onto you as the consumer. All sorts of items are about to get a lot more expensive.

So basically some traders have sorted out their paperwork while others haven't, leaving unscrupulous couriers to add their "admin fees" which far exceed the duty due. Little to do with Brexit then if some things are coming through fine and everything to do with individual traders and couriers.

@alaia3

People get so aggro and fixated on the fact that in this scenario was a vase, but what if you wanted / needed to buy your mother a fridge that just happened to be produced in Germany? Yes you could buy it from a UK supplier (as I would, no point importing a fridge) but those extra customs charges will likely be built into the price you pay.

Well no, because Curry's are probably a pretty competent firm who are capable of getting their paperwork in order so that they don't get overcharged in admin fees or charged VAT at both ends. The duties themselves are pretty low and VAT still roughly the same amount as it always was.

@MintyMabel

I'm still buying locally, even if it wasn't grown locally.

You do realise you’re still paying import charges even though you don’t buy the product direct from the supplier?

Of course I know that, especially as bananas generally come from outside the EU anyway. The point being that I outsource such complications to the shop and their supplier. That way, the price I see is the price I pay.

However the fact the U.K. had bought into vaccines before it left the EU and indicating they would have gone alone even if we were part of EU I don’t agree with.

You can disagree with it all you like, but you can't state it as any sort of fact.

By the time Covid was an issue Brexit was done and we were in transition period so we had to go it alone.

We did not have to go it alone. There were many options from there, one of which was extending the transition. Either way, we had the option to make our own decisions so to say our vaccine success is because of Brexit is a downright lie.

Similarly if you have a special birthday or anniversary and instead of a close family member buying you a nice but expensive gift they tell you it's a waste of money and here's a £10 box of chocolates.
That reminds me, my birthday is next month, I must write up my list of preferred chocolatiers...

But, you point is, you have no way of knowing whether you will be charged or not and no way of disputing the charges until you’ve paid
You do have a way of knowing. Everything you import from the EU (and Russia, just to cover your last thread ) dependant upon type of goods and value (the details of which are widely available just a google away) are subject to VAT, customs charges and courier admin fees. All of them. However, it would be almost impossible for customs officers to check every.single.imported.item. Therefore, sometimes, you get lucky and you don’t get ‘caught’ and you don’t receive a charge for these charges. If that happens , that’s the exception, not the rule, so think yourself lucky. Technically, if you’re importing goods and not paying the customs then you’re evading them. As far as I am aware, that’s not illegal, yet. You weren’t hard done by the times you had to pay, you were just lucky the times you didn’t have to pay. Brexit may not be a good idea for all sorts of reasons, this isn’t one of them. You seem woefully, er let’s be polite, uninformed.

Brexit may not be a good idea for all sorts of reasons, this isn’t one of them

Of course this is one of them! What is affecting OP here is impacting business across the country: significantly increased costs.

What you are paying is VAT at 20% plus an admin charge. UPS admin charge us usually around £12.50 + VAT.

As it was made in Italy there is no duty to pay.

You did not pay Italian VAT which is 22%. So you bought it for less money than Pre-Brexit.

Shipping was free - this just means there was no charge for postage.

Also look on the bright side. The tax is going into UK coffers rather than Italian.

Buying from EU is now no different from buying from the rest of the world.

With current exchange rates many products can be bought for the same price, or even less, from suppliers in the UK.

Also, one thing to be aware of. If, as a private purchaser, you buy a product from the EU, you may have no recourse if you have a problem, as it is classed as a "grey" import.

Also as a business owner, we have only seen marginal increase in costs.

We've had no issues with imports or exports since early January, with the only exception is that delivery takes 1-2 days longer.

Although I understand this is not the case for all businesses, particularly if you are not VAT registered.