EU postage experiment.

[Paul S]

This morning I sent a couple of small packages to France.  1st class but not tracked or signed for.  Filled out a small customs declaration, that was it at this end.  Be interesting to see what happens at the other end.

[KiOgon]

I have a small parcel on it's way to The Netherlands, Royal Mail International Traced and Signed. Received at local Post Office 15/01/21  16:51  Tracking so far shows 'Handed to Delivery Partner' but postNL seems unable to find it at the moment, early days!

[BigRedX]

Post in The Netherlands seems to be very slow for imports from the Uk at the moment. My GF sent something to a friend there just before Christmas and it only arrived at the end of last week!

[BassTractor]

11 minutes ago, KiOgon said:

Tracking so far shows 'Handed to Delivery Partner' but postNL seems unable to find it at the moment, early days!

Part of this might be that postNL, or one of their partners, sometimes generates a new tracking identity and track that one instead - for reasons unknown to me. In the mean time, the physical package just keeps toddling along.
The Norwegian post sometimes does the same, with the same result.

[obbm]

I ordered some LED light bulbs from Italy recently, value just under £40.  They were despatched from Spain on the 13th via DPD.  I'll let you know what happens.

Edited January 18, 2021 by obbm

[claustra]

I am due to receive one of these parcels.

This was a purely investigative purchase, with (almost) no GAS involved 🙄

Did you have the possibility to mention whether it was second hand goods, or a gift ?

I struggle to imagine they would charge VAT on a gift, or charge extra taxes in case of a trade with no cash involved.

 

[BigRedX]

25 minutes ago, BassTractor said:

Part of this might be that postNL, or one of their partners, sometimes generates a new tracking identity and track that one instead - for reasons unknown to me. In the mean time, the physical package just keeps toddling along.
The Norwegian post sometimes does the same, with the same result.

It's usually the same number but with the GB suffix replaced with the local variant.

Edited January 18, 2021 by BigRedX

[BigRedX]

21 minutes ago, claustra said:

I am due to receive one of these parcels.

This was a purely investigative purchase, with (almost) no GAS involved 🙄

Did you have the possibility to mention whether it was second hand goods, or a gift ?

I struggle to imagine they would charge VAT on a gift, or charge extra taxes in case of a trade with no cash involved.

The UK charge VAT on all imported items marked as "Gift" over £36.00 including postage (twice the limit on items not marked as gift).

 

[bartelby]

9 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

The UK charge VAT on all imported items marked as "Gift" over £36.00 including postage (twice the limit on items not marked as gift).

 

Hasn't that threshold been scrapped now?

EDIT: oh, apparently not, but it's now £39:

• if you’re sent a gift with a value of £39 or less, which complies with the rules shown in section 2.4, it will be free from Customs Duty and Import VAT (gifts of alcohol and tobacco are subject to the limits shown in section 2.5 and gifts of perfumes and toilet waters are subject to the limits in section 2.6)

 

Edited January 18, 2021 by bartelby

[BassTractor]

1 minute ago, BigRedX said:

It's usually the same number but with the GB suffix replaced with the local variant.

Hm. I've not experienced that for maybe 10 or 20 years, and I'm both expecting it and being a stickler for noticing details like that. 
"My" numbers the last decade(s) in those cases have been new.

Have one in my phone's postal app right now that I find slightly extra weird, again with a tracking ID that doesn't resemble the original one:
Presumedly sent from the UK, postNL getting involved and sending me updates, some party generating a new number for it, and my Norse app saying that it has been delivered (correct) as well as copying the postNL bit that they are still waiting to receive the parcel from the sender.
 

Anyway, I'm just hoping and trusting that @KiOgon's parcel will arrive.

[BigRedX]

21 minutes ago, BassTractor said:

Hm. I've not experienced that for maybe 10 or 20 years, and I'm both expecting it and being a stickler for noticing details like that. 
"My" numbers the last decade(s) in those cases have been new.

IIRC whenever I've had something sent from the US via USPS tracked the ParcelForce number has been the same with the US suffix placed by GB. 

[BassTractor]

29 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

IIRC whenever I've had something sent from the US via USPS tracked the ParcelForce number has been the same with the US suffix placed by GB. 

Ah. Incoming parcels to the UK.
I was talking about parcels sent from the UK and handled by postNL  -  as per KiOgon's case. My guess is they have different routines.

[Paul S]

2 hours ago, claustra said:

I am due to receive one of these parcels.

This was a purely investigative purchase, with (almost) no GAS involved 🙄

Did you have the possibility to mention whether it was second hand goods, or a gift ?

I struggle to imagine they would charge VAT on a gift, or charge extra taxes in case of a trade with no cash involved.

 

I didn't put that, perhaps it would have been an idea.  I put a value just because, worst case scenario it gets lost or destroyed, I can claim on some insurance   

[BassTractor]

26 minutes ago, Paul S said:

I put a value just because, worst case scenario it gets lost or destroyed, I can claim on some insurance   

Good idea, also because if you don't put on a value, then customs will decide on a value, and it might be high.

[Andermtc]

3 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Post in The Netherlands seems to be very slow for imports from the Uk at the moment. My GF sent something to a friend there just before Christmas and it only arrived at the end of last week!

It's slow going both ways.
I ordered a new fitbit, direct from fitbit UK, 4 days delivery, parcel comes from the Netherlands.
Ordered 5th Jan, dispatched 6th Jan

Left Parcel centre Utrecht 7th Jan. Then absolutely nothing until it suddenly arrived today with parcel force.

All the tracking showed no update until last night (since checking the tracking after it arrived today).

Edited January 18, 2021 by Andermtc

[Monkey Steve]

I also got something from the Netherlands last week

Ordered from an Amazon Marketplace seller on 31st Dec, posted on 6th Jan according to the label (2nd according to Amazon, but, whatever) which showed it having gone via France, delivered by Royal Mail on 9th (well, the "sorry we missed you" card arrived on the 9th, while I was asleep)

Marked as goods, not a gift, €34, no VAT or handling charges - my understanding is that Amazon handle all of this, even for Marketplace sellers, so the price charged should include all VAT

[LukeFRC]

I ordered a new coffee grinder from what said was a UK company... they posted it today and it's coming from Poland   

[Beedster]

6 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Post in The Netherlands seems to be very slow for imports from the Uk at the moment. My GF sent something to a friend there just before Christmas and it only arrived at the end of last week!

I sent two packages to the UK before Christmas, one arrived today and the other hasn't made it yet! Not sure it's just the Netherlands mate

[KiOgon]

Even Amazon Prime can't cope in the UK!

A friend ordered a very nice whisky and a equally nice bottle of champagne for us, whisky to arrive before Christmas and champers for New Year. They 'lost' the whisky, wouldn't let her re-order the same one, agreed to refund and she ordered a different bottle. Long story - but the 2nd choice whisky turned up about the 8th of Jan, the champagne a couple of days ago, 16th I think. Meanwhile she sent us a online voucher to use so we could get a bottle in with our Waitrose delivery, which came Sunday 17th.

She's still fighting Amazon for refund/s!

Cheers 🍸

S

[Hellzero]

With a friend of mine, we sent a high value (declared and insured) bass to the U.K. from Luxembourg on the 8th of January, which cleared the local customs on the very next day as all the paperwork was perfectly filled and only went out of the U.K. customs on the 18th of January. The parcel has arrived today at the local facility, so it should be delivered tomorrow.

Now let's wait for the total fee amount for the import thing...

[Paul S]

Actually the point of the thread was stuff being sent UK > EU. ,not t'other way around.  That has already been discussed ad infinitum.  

[Hellzero]

I know, but it's a two way relationship and your title isn't clear. That said, it will be interesting to know the real costs for incoming items too, don't you think ? 😉

[stevie]

22 hours ago, bartelby said:

Hasn't that threshold been scrapped now?

EDIT: oh, apparently not, but it's now £39:

• if you’re sent a gift with a value of £39 or less, which complies with the rules shown in section 2.4, it will be free from Customs Duty and Import VAT (gifts of alcohol and tobacco are subject to the limits shown in section 2.5 and gifts of perfumes and toilet waters are subject to the limits in section 2.6)

 

The threshold has indeed been scrapped for commercial transactions, although it may not apply to gifts, as you say. It was known as the Low-value consigment relief (LVCR) and meant that goods valued at £15 or under weren't subject to VAT. No more. https://www.ecommerceaccountants.co.uk/post/ecommerce-vat-changes-2021.

I bought some items valued at under £15 from Ali Express last week and was surprised to see that they now charge UK VAT. On the other hand, I sold some small-value stuff to Italy yesterday on Ebay and the question of VAT didn't even come up. Maybe the VAT will be levied in Italy. No wonder everyone's confused.

Edited January 19, 2021 by stevie

[Steve Browning]

17 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

I ordered a new coffee grinder from what said was a UK company... they posted it today and it's coming from Poland   

That will be interesting. I would presume you've paid UK VAT so I wonder how they'll handle that.

[LukeFRC]

59 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

That will be interesting. I would presume you've paid UK VAT so I wonder how they'll handle that.

yeah - it seems to be a fairly big europewide company and I emailed them asking if Brexit would mean any more fees or anything. Apparently not, and they held on from sending it for a couple of weeks so to avoid any border craziness. 
I'll report back where it is - UPS currently have it in transit in Poland and say it's due on Friday