Caution about buying from America

[kalia]

I bought a solarveil Monkey Pocket from America - it's basically a cover for baby when in a sling with built in sun protection so we don't have to use cream.

It arrived today and we had to pay £13 custom charge! On a £25 thing! So I'm a bit gutted to be honest. With the postage from America included we've spent around £45 on this and I wasn't intending to spend that much But if it saves baby from being burnt it will be worth it.

So why were the charges so steep - because as well as VAT, which I was happy enough to pay, they stick on a £8 handling fee charge That's almost twice what the VAT was!!!

I don't like Royal Mail today and I'm quite upset to be honest. I just wanted to warn you all in case, like me, you thought it would just be VAT.

They don't charge every parcel that comes through but there's no telling if yours will be.

 

[Minxy]

If you buy off an individual rather than a company you could ask them nicely if they'd mark your parcel 'gift'.

That way it should escape charges

 

[SarahH]

Yeah, as Minxy said.... if it was marked gift there is no charge!

 

[Minxy]

It is a bummer when it happens though.

 

[beanie]

I am confused as I thought with baby stuff you didn't pay custom charges.I always buy nappies from America and bought a babyhawk sling and never got charged. Did get stung on my uggs though

 

[paradysso]

royal mail charge the £8 for handling it for you, stupid people ive been stung before.


but for some thing so cheap you shouldnt have been charged, i thought you can spend up to £35 or some thing? is there a phone number you can dispute it?

 

[kalia]

If it's a gift it can be up to £36 but for something you have bought it's anything over £18 I called but they said that is just the way it is. Apparently it costs them £8.40 to process it, hence the £8 charge. They shouldn't bother processing it in my opinion if it's going to cost them more to do that than they get in VAT!

 

[Sherlock]

Anything over £18 in value gets slapped with duty iirc.

Hence its hardly worth ordering anything from the US, unless it really can't be gotten over here or elsewhere. Or if when you work out the import duty you still save a decent amount.

 

[SarahH]

If it's a gift it can be up to £36 but for something you have bought it's anything over £18 I called but they said that is just the way it is. Apparently it costs them £8.40 to process it, hence the £8 charge. They shouldn't bother processing it in my opinion if it's going to cost them more to do that than they get in VAT!

I am forever getting boxes from my inlaws marked as gifts and have never (touch-wood) been charged, the last box we got was things we had left when we were there that we couldnt fit in the case, inc Arianna's trike.... my MIL marked the value of items as over $300 and the postage alone was $125.

 

[kalia]

Hence its hardly worth ordering anything from the US, unless it really can't be gotten over here or elsewhere. Or if when you work out the import duty you still save a decent amount.

I couldn't get it over here and I really wanted it. I think I was just shocked when I got home and OH told me! I've relaxed now, I know I won't notice the difference in money, it's just the principle! But at least in future I will be able to keep in mind that that may happen and be able to think of it as a bargain if it doesn't.

I wanted to get a winter one too so I may ask if she could call it a 'baby coat for use with carrier' rather than a 'baby carrier cover' as clothing is zero rated so a coat shouldn't be charged. I think.

 

[sparky]

i had this at christmas...duty was 75p plus £8 handling charge, i wrote to royal mail stating that the charge was unacceptable and it was illegal for them to hold my goods to ransom!!

Got the £8 refunded!

 

[Bee]

Even if the company marks it gift u can still be charged - my ex used to buy things all the time from america and got them to mark it gift and he would still get charged.

 

[Melanie]

I've never been charged for anything at all, and i have a parcel going to the UK from the US at least twice a month. I didnt charged for my Monkey Pocket either but i did get that sent here rather than to England.