Customs Tax on Strings

[PURPOLARIS]

I feel like I've just been done by the customs people big time.

I bought some DR EXTRA-Life Black Beauties Medium Bass Strings BKB-45 from the other side of the pond for £18. I've just had a letter from from the P.O saying I owe £11.32 in customs charges which equates to around 61% if I'm not mistaken. (edited for spelling mistake)

Surely this can't be right ?

Edited August 16, 2010 by PURPOLARIS

[Cat Burrito]

It will be. You have the joys of a handling fee to pay too hence the price hike. Anything over $30 they can sting you

[wateroftyne]

Yep, it probably is. They'll be hitting you with an admin fee as part of the £11.32.

It sucks.

[PURPOLARIS]

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='926763' date='Aug 16 2010, 07:02 PM']It will be. You have the joys of a handling fee to pay too hence the price hike. Anything over $30 they can sting you [/quote]

They were less than $30, $28.88 to be exact.

[Truckstop]

Yeah it's proper ridiculous. I bought a couple of cables from america that cost nearly $100, I had to pay nearly £35 in custom charges. Buy British!

Truckstop

[Marvin]

As BB and WoT, it's right unfortunately. When you pick up your strings you'll find a sticker on it that states the customs charge and the admin fee. The admin fee maybe larger than the actual customs charge. All part of globalisation and the free movement of goods - not!

Edited August 16, 2010 by Marvin

[PURPOLARIS]

[quote name='Truckstop' post='926768' date='Aug 16 2010, 07:07 PM']Yeah it's proper ridiculous. I bought a couple of cables from america that cost nearly $100, I had to pay nearly £35 in custom charges. Buy British!

Truckstop[/quote]

I will be in future.......lesson learnt

[Cat Burrito]

[quote name='PURPOLARIS' post='926767' date='Aug 16 2010, 07:05 PM']They were less than $30, $28.88 to be exact.[/quote]

Perhaps it's $25 or $20 then. I got stung on a tshirt recently. Did the seller list it on the package as $28.88? It's annoying on the smaller items. Most things get through & I only expect to pay on bigger items normally. I once had a $600 item get through but I don't know why or how and doubt I'll be so lucky again

[Mr. Foxen]

Phone them up and shout at them until they waive it.

[Marvin]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='926774' date='Aug 16 2010, 07:09 PM']Phone them up and shout at them until they waive it.[/quote]
I have a feeling that won't work!

[Clarky]

Same thing happened to me with some LaBella flats I bought from US when they were out of stock in the UK. I ended up paying something like £45 all-in, when the UK price (when in stock) was about £29 and the US price 'seemed' about the same including postage.

Yet I bought a Sansamp pedal costing five times as much from the US and that slipped through the net with no import duties/charges - it seems like its pot luck

[PURPOLARIS]

[quote name='Marvin' post='926776' date='Aug 16 2010, 07:10 PM']I have a feeling that won't work! [/quote]


Ye, I'll be phoning them but I'm with you on that....it won't work. I'll just buy here in future.

[Mr. Foxen]

[url="http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageImport_FAQs&propertyType=document&columns=1&id=HMCE_PROD_008654#P36_6965"]Check value limits.[/url]

Phoning and shouting at people for long enough works awesomely.

[Marvin]

[quote name='PURPOLARIS' post='926781' date='Aug 16 2010, 07:12 PM']Ye, I'll be phoning them but I'm with you on that....it won't work. I'll just buy here in future.[/quote]


[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='926783' date='Aug 16 2010, 07:15 PM'][url="http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageImport_FAQs&propertyType=document&columns=1&id=HMCE_PROD_008654#P36_6965"]Check value limits.[/url]

Phoning and shouting at people for long enough works awesomely.[/quote]
Shouting at Postal staff at your local delivery office is destined to fail, especially with regard to customs charges. If you don't pay they won't give it to you.

[PURPOLARIS]

[quote name='Clarky' post='926780' date='Aug 16 2010, 07:12 PM']Same thing happened to me with some LaBella flats I bought from US when they were out of stock in the UK. I ended up paying something like £45 all-in, when the UK price (when in stock) was about £29 and the US price 'seemed' about the same including postage.

Yet I bought a Sansamp pedal costing five times as much from the US and that slipped through the net with no import duties/charges - it seems like its pot luck[/quote]


The strings here are around £35 so I guess with the cost of £18+£11 customs and around £5 postage I'm still better off........just

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Marvin' post='926788' date='Aug 16 2010, 07:18 PM']Shouting at Postal staff at your local delivery office is destined to fail, especially with regard to customs charges. If you don't pay they won't give it to you.[/quote]

Need to phone the right place. The admin lot who levy the charge.

[xilddx]

I thought if the item was worth less than £18 you don't pay any charges?

[BigRedX]

It would probably be a good idea if [url="http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014&propertyType=document"]this page from the HMR&C site[/url] was stickied or added to the appropriate Wiki page.

Some things that you should be aware of when purchasing from outside the EU.

1. VAT and import duty is calculated on the costs of the goods [b]PLUS[/b] the cost of the shipping.

2. The exchange rate calculator used by customs is not the same as the one you looked up on the internet on the day you bought the goods.

3. If you are eligible to pay VAT and or duty then then the delivery company in the UK will charge you a handling fee for paying these up front for you. This will be somewhere between £8 and £15 depending on the carrier and the customs charges.

If you want to avoid paying VAT on imports from outside the EU you need to make sure the combined price with postage is at least £1 below the VAT threshold (currently £18).

Having said all that you still got the strings cheaper than buying from either Stringbusters or Strings Direct.

[Cat Burrito]

[quote name='silddx' post='926822' date='Aug 16 2010, 07:43 PM']I thought if the item was worth less than £18 you don't pay any charges?[/quote]

On the current exchange $28.88 is £18.42 - a bit harsh but there you have it

[PURPOLARIS]

[quote name='silddx' post='926822' date='Aug 16 2010, 07:43 PM']I thought if the item was worth less than £18 you don't pay any charges?[/quote]


They were £18.88

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='PURPOLARIS' post='926767' date='Aug 16 2010, 07:05 PM']They were less than $30, $28.88 to be exact.[/quote]
I think customs add in the postage cost before they calculate any tax due.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='926827' date='Aug 16 2010, 07:46 PM']I think customs add in the postage cost before they calculate any tax due.[/quote]

Yes they do and they use their own exchange rate calculator which is normally more likely to make you incur charges, and the calculation is made on the day the package is inspected by customs not the day you bought it.

All of which points to the fact that you should make sure the total cost of the item plus postage is under £17.00

[PURPOLARIS]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='926832' date='Aug 16 2010, 07:53 PM']Yes they do and they use their own exchange rate calculator which is normally more likely to make you incur charges, and the calculation is made on the day the package is inspected by customs not the day you bought it.

All of which points to the fact that you should make sure the total cost of the item plus postage is under £17.00[/quote]


I bought my USA Jazz FMT from the states and paid $1000 for it when the list price here was £1300. The £ was 2-1 then too. I'm sure I only paid £70 customs charges on that.

You win some, you lose some

[Platypus]

[quote name='PURPOLARIS' post='926871' date='Aug 16 2010, 08:30 PM']I bought my USA Jazz FMT from the states and paid $1000 for it when the list price here was £1300. The £ was 2-1 then too. I'm sure I only paid £70 customs charges on that.

You win some, you lose some[/quote]

When you're getting 2$ to the £, you always win..

[flyfisher]

Why were you buying the stuff abroad? Probably because it was cheaper? Now you know why it was cheaper.

[i]If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.[/i]

More correctly, Customs & Excise in this case, but it's the same result.