Damn Customs

[Pav]

have you seen how much the couriers this company uses to forward goods charge?

http://www.mailforwarding.biz/rates.asp

2] Packages

All packages will be shipped by a trackable shipping method through DHL or FedEx. DHL or FedEx provides reliable international shipping service to virtually anywhere in the world. Depending on your location, your package will arrive in 1 to 5 days from the time it leaves our location. You can take advantage of special pricing discounts as our members.

We offer our members a 35% discount off published shipping rates for DHL Worldwide Express. (For example, if the published shipping rate is $90, your shipping rate via DHL will be $58.50.) You may find the DHL published rates at http://www.dhl-usa.com/ratecalculato...Y&nav=GetRates. Use 90631 for our shipping Zip/Postal code. (Note: We don't ship packages via USPS at all as we can't track them.)

Exception For Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong, Turkey, Qatar, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirate Members Only:
We offer these members a 30% discount off published shipping rates for FedEx International Economy. (For example, if the published shipping rate is $75, your shipping rate via FedEx will be $52.50.) You may find the FedEx published rates at http://www.fedex.com/ratefinder/home?cc=US&language=en Use 90631 for our shipping Postal code. (Note: We do not normally ship packages to these countries via DHL Express. If we have to ship packages to Canada, Mexico, Singapre, Hong Kong, Turkey, Qatar, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirate via DHL Express, we offer our members a 20% discount off published shipping rates.)

[BluMonkey]

Originally Posted by Pav

have you seen how much the couriers this company uses to forward goods charge?

http://www.mailforwarding.biz/rates.asp

2] Packages

All packages will be shipped by a trackable shipping method through DHL or FedEx. DHL or FedEx provides reliable international shipping service to virtually anywhere in the world. Depending on your location, your package will arrive in 1 to 5 days from the time it leaves our location. You can take advantage of special pricing discounts as our members.

We offer our members a 35% discount off published shipping rates for DHL Worldwide Express. (For example, if the published shipping rate is $90, your shipping rate via DHL will be $58.50.) You may find the DHL published rates at http://www.dhl-usa.com/ratecalculato...Y&nav=GetRates. Use 90631 for our shipping Zip/Postal code. (Note: We don't ship packages via USPS at all as we can't track them.)

Exception For Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong, Turkey, Qatar, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirate Members Only:
We offer these members a 30% discount off published shipping rates for FedEx International Economy. (For example, if the published shipping rate is $75, your shipping rate via FedEx will be $52.50.) You may find the FedEx published rates at http://www.fedex.com/ratefinder/home?cc=US&language=en Use 90631 for our shipping Postal code. (Note: We do not normally ship packages to these countries via DHL Express. If we have to ship packages to Canada, Mexico, Singapre, Hong Kong, Turkey, Qatar, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirate via DHL Express, we offer our members a 20% discount off published shipping rates.)

Yes ...

I thought it looks ok with the 35 % discount.
Amazon use DHL worldwide ...

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I've just returned from the sorting office Ive decided to pay the charges and try and claim them back, overall i haven't lost out ...

But the thing that is eating away @ me is the following:

Package 1
Amazons Total Value which is the only Value Show $137.63
Description = "Unknown"

* Actual contents on my amazon invoice inside the box
2 HP ... $19.95 each = $39.90
2 HP ... $19.95 each = $39.90
2 HP ... $19.95 each = $39.90

Shipping etc = $17.93
Promo... = - $59.85
ship total = $77.78

*** Now the charges from customs, based on the box value $137.63
Import Duty = £0.00
Excise Duty = £0.00
VAT = £12.02
Royal Mail Fee = £8.00
Total = £20.02

**** NOTE THIS PACKAGE CANNOT BE DELIVERED UNTIL THE CHARGES ARE PAID
...................................
1. There is no legislation that gives Royal Mail the right to pay my charges for me.
2. Apparently under section 104 of the Postal Services Act 2000 they are not allowed to delay or Interfere with my package or hold onto it as ransom for charges.

They have charged me £8.00 for what ...
In the past Ive received and item then later had an invoice sent through for the charges as the charges are a civil charge, i then either paid it or spoke to customs and sent them copy invoices...

.................................
I'm now going to write to:
Royal Mail asking for copy of Legislation that allows them to do this.
Customs with copy invoices asking them to confirm the £18 Rule
My MP to again ask for clarification on the law.

I appreciate that to you guys from the US this is a trivial thread however we are helping your economy by buying from the US and if this continues I will have to Buy off ebay members etc ...
................................

Will keep you Up to date ... But UK buyers be warned..
The Royal Mail & Customs ARE targeting ebay packages

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Re using a mail forwarding company ... again they re package and will hold on to packages whilst other things are awaited for then bundle together ...

You ask them to describe the contents etc ...

[BluMonkey]

Originally Posted by eat_me_cool

You can also try this

http://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthr...351900&page=15

The Post office have no legal right to with hold the package after you have paid for it and paid for delivery.

They are acting illegally.

Read this from post 149 onwards

[BluMonkey]

One last thing I've just noticed ...

On the boxes that I've not been charged for Amazon have put descriptions ie.

DVD disks count 4

on the ones I have been charged for they've put

Description "unknown" count 6


.................................................. .................................................. ...

[jcdennis]

Originally Posted by BluMonkey

One last thing I've just noticed ...

On the boxes that I've not been charged for Amazon have put descriptions ie.

DVD disks count 4

on the ones I have been charged for they've put

Description "unknown" count 6


.................................................. .................................................. ...

I’m not sure how it works in the UK, but I work for a Customs Brokerage firm in Canada, and anytime you have “unknown”, “sample”, or “gift” as the description of the goods the shipment always gets flagged.

[Pav]

sounds to me it is maybe better to refuse accepting package if the customs charge is too much, does seem this 8.00 fixed charge from royal mail is absolutely absurd. if my charges amount to more than 14/15 quid will refvuse to accept, and ask for another order

[DS1975]

Okay, I know it's money and all but going through all that trouble and getting upset because of the few pounds I can't understand....

Sometimes I also have to pay and sometimes I don't - however I don't get upset and enjoy my movies and discs or whatever I've ordered.

You have of course the option to buy the Discs locally but that may be even more expensive in the end than importing from the US.

[BluMonkey]

Originally Posted by DS1975

Okay, I know it's money and all but going through all that trouble and getting upset because of the few pounds I can't understand....

Sometimes I also have to pay and sometimes I don't - however I don't get upset and enjoy my movies and discs or whatever I've ordered.

You have of course the option to buy the Discs locally but that may be even more expensive in the end than importing from the US.

I can understand you thinking that, however we've allowed these ppl to get away with this for too long, we elect them they work for us... they have now made it that we work for them ...

Its like I believe in America you pay income tax as we do in the UK, however you shouldn't be paying it as it goes against your constitution... and the amendment that was made to it didn't have a majority vote... I know it's been challenged and the only answer your government gives is ... you have to pay it because we say so ... also your interest rates are paid to the federal reserve for using their tender, which is not owned by the government but a private organisation ...

Upon taking the Oath of Office; Lynden B. Johnson stopped the issuing of the United States Notes and went back to borrowing Federal Reserve Bank Notes (which were loaned to the people of the United States at the going rate of interest of 17%).

Sorry I digress .. it just annoys me that laws can be bent and changed without our say so ... don't get me wrong if there is tax/duty due I dont mind paying it, but they say we can import items up to the value of £18 and then play on the wording and say packages up to that value ...
Then they allow agencies to hold parcels ransom until we pay their charges, which contravenes our own laws ...

[dbs2]

I've been caught 3 times this month..... £14.40 each time, all Amazon BOBO's, I know they still work out cheaper, but it's taking liberties,not too angry about the VAT but Taking the piss with £8.00 handling charges looks like i will be avoiding BOGO's from now on

[BluMonkey]

Originally Posted by dbs2

I've been caught 3 times this month..... £14.40 each time, all Amazon BOBO's, I know they still work out cheaper, but it's taking liberties,not too angry about the VAT but Taking the piss with £8.00 handling charges looks like i will be avoiding BOGO's from now on

My point exactly... they have no right to charge it ... they should deliver the package then we should receive an ivoice from customs for the duty ... I ve never signed anything to allow Royal Mail to charge me so this is a hidden charge ....

[jccca]

Well, I don't see where the problem is, at least on amazon's end. When I read their policy when I started buying at amazon US, I think it was clear that the customer was to be charged in case of duties.

However, it sounds very fishy on the mail carrier's end. Inside the EU they can't charge you, but if I'm not mistaken inside the EU you pay VAT whereas you don't when you buy from amazon US.

When amazon ships through something other than regular mail, they state that you are authorizing the courier of their choice to pay on your behalf in case of customs duties. But when it comes to regular mail it depends on the own countries' regulations really.

Mail wasn't invented yesterday and importing items surely has been going on for long. So the whole who-pays-who with customs should have been sorted out already. I wonder how it works in Spain. I've never been charged for importing. Of course I've never ordered more than 50-60 dollar in a single shipment