Import custom charges am I doomed?

[jabbajabba]

During x factor last night I bought a pair of vintage frye boots off bay, arriving from US, cost $150 Inc postage, woke up this morning panicking about import duty, can someone brace me for worse case scenario please! Seller has already printed postage label, have messaged them but i could have been too late! Waahhhh

I think you pay duty if goods are over £100 which yours shouldn't be.

You may need to pay:

a) VAT - over £40 if item described as a gift, or over £18 if commercial (unless trader has a VAT MOU with UK for VAT to be included in sale price). VAT is/is payable on used goods (I assume vintage = second hand)

b) Customs duty: over £135

c) repackaging charge (if parcel needs to be opened)

There's an online guide at www.customs.hmrc.gov.uk

My brother in-law in Australia sent over the suit he wanted my DH to wear to his wedding, as well as the dresses and shoes for my flower-girl DDs so that we could fit and adjust them. He marked the parcel correctly with the value: equivalent of ~£450 I think.

You guessed it- we paid a whacking great £130 for the privilege of retrieving said items only to take them to Australia for the wedding!

I'm sure you won't have to pay anywhere near that much!

Urgh thanks ladies!

It seems the limit is set at 145 pounds- ezinearticles.com/?Buying-Goods-Abroad:-UK-Customs&id=377545

If it's sent as a 'gift' then you won't get any charges. A few nice American companies do this to save their loyal UK fanbases

paribus i hope so! its vintage, i messaged the seller the next morning about marking gift etc and she'd already taken it to the post office!! ah well...

The post office will also charge £8 for collecting the duty/ vat

I just had a £12 charge for a $20 tshirt and a $7 bracelet.

sometimes you don't always get charged.
Isn't it a random thing..?

I have bought a quinny zapp from usa. Think pram was around £150 and I wasn't charged anything additional...

Although I have bought crocs from USA years ago (when they were still cheaper than uk) and from what i recall I got charged around £20/£30 ish before parcl company would deliver item. hth

When I bought my wedding dress from China (ebay) they marked it sample - no resale value. So no charge.