Buying in UK from Australia - Ripped off by customs!!!

[mark1400]

Hi Simonb, I brought an electric Synthesiser guitar type thing from outside the EU It was £700..... Customs charged me 20% plus about a £30 fee. I don't know if this information is helpful but I wish you the best of luck.
Cheers

 

[Simonb]

Hi Simonb, I brought an electric Synthesiser guitar type thing from outside the EU It was £700..... Customs charged me 20% plus about a £30 fee. I don't know if this information is helpful but I wish you the best of luck.
Cheers

Thanks Mark, this confirms hat I was thinking.

 

[KSS]

So guys - I've just had a bill from our great British customs and excise office telling me I owe them over £211 in charges and VAT for some kit I bought from Australia for £317???
Obviously im going to contest this but has anyone else experienced this and if so how did you deal with it?
I'm going to fill out the form from the HMRC website but any advice would be gratefully received.

I'm pissed off im getting charged anything but I suppose that's the luck of the draw. Getting charged excessively really grates though.

It was parts for my Roadster by the way!

Maybe you have been over charged but consider this.....if you purchase goods off a local dealer/ importer they have to pay clearance and vat on any goods they sell you, passed onto you as the consumer. So why should you not have to pay the same so it is fair and equitable for everyone? Small businesses are the lifeblood of most economies, they contribute tax and employ your countrymen. So why should they be ''penalised'' by so many private imports not paying any clearance and tax?

We have people here in New Zealand that also grizzle about ''being slugged by customs'' for goods they privately imported. But they forget that if everybody was bypassing local business there would be no such businesses and no employment.

EVERYTHING that comes across the border should be taxed and perhaps the banks should be legislated to do so, off the international money transactions, thereby also eliminating declaration fraud

Perhaps also if you had'nt had Gordon Brown destroying your economy for so long the UK would be in much better shape economically today.

 

[phar2slo]

I brought a screen off Ishrub in Oz along with lowers $550nz.

Got a letter on Friday With a fee of $135.

Makes it very expensive screen in the end.

But will make winter riding more enjoyable.

 

[Simonb]

Maybe you have been over charged but consider this.....if you purchase goods off a local dealer/ importer they have to pay clearance and vat on any goods they sell you, passed onto you as the consumer. So why should you not have to pay the same so it is fair and equitable for everyone? Small businesses are the lifeblood of most economies, they contribute tax and employ your countrymen. So why should they be ''penalised'' by so many private imports not paying any clearance and tax?

We have people here in New Zealand that also grizzle about ''being slugged by customs'' for goods they privately imported. But they forget that if everybody was bypassing local business there would be no such businesses and no employment.

EVERYTHING that comes across the border should be taxed and perhaps the banks should be legislated to do so, off the international money transactions, thereby also eliminating declaration fraud

Perhaps also if you had'nt had Gordon Brown destroying your economy for so long the UK would be in much better shape economically today.

I fully agree with you! You’ve obviously not read my original post properly. So here it goes again - i have no objection whatsoever to paying vat at 20% and customs tax at 2.5% but I’m being charged three times that figure which I don’t think anyone could disagree is being ripped off! I was asking if anyone had similar experiences and what they did about it - unfortunately this has gone off topic in a big way!

 

[Ishrub]

I fully agree with you! You’ve obviously not read my original post properly. So here it goes again - i have no objection whatsoever to paying vat at 20% and customs tax at 2.5% but I’m being charged three times that figure which I don’t think anyone could disagree is being ripped off! I was asking if anyone had similar experiences and what they did about it - unfortunately this has gone off topic in a big way!

Been a month now - what was the cause?

 

[Simonb]

Been a month now - what was the cause?

 

[Simonb]

Result is I sent a claim form off over a month ago by registered post and they ignored it. Sent all the paperwork in again last week with a covering letter. They were quick to rip me off and take my money but it seems they are not in a rush to pay it back!
Will post as soon as I hear anything.
In Ireland touring at the moment so hoping something will have landed when I get back later on this week.

 

[rocketjohn]

Next time you want to buy something from out of country...have it sent to Ireland....perhaps the duties are a bit lower. And then when you carry it into the UK, you can say you brought it with you when you left the country. Total sham....but......

 

[Grumpy Ole Codger]

Hi @Simonb , I got charged 20% Vat on the invoice price that was declared by Paul plus a £12 handling charge from Royal mail plus £19.09 import duty. That was a figure that was a lot less than anticipated, especially after your debacle.