Over £18 import duty on a £36 parcel !!! with no previou advice. WHO KNEW? Not me

[liga437]

Over £18 import duty on a £36 parcel with no previous advice of this 50%

add on. Beware.

[jchajecki]

Many items sent from overseas carry import charges. Unfortunately eBay automatically includes items from USA even when you filter by UK Only. Canada, Australia and Japan are among other countries where goods carry heavy import charges. Sometimes the estimated cost is stated in the Postage details but not always. Even if not stated, always assume that there is likely to be. Its always a good to check the listing carefully for such details before bidding!

[*knight-rider*]

had it myself a couple of weeks ago, i bought a vinyl record only available from Target store in America, so paid £31 for the album, £15 postage and £10 import tax. Now i knew about the charges and with gritted teeth paid it, but £10 import tax on a £30 item, seriously!!  i also buy alot from Japan and never paid a penny from there ...... crazy system.

[rusticrye]

"WHO KNEW?"

Everyone should know, as every listing which includes international shipping clearly states that fees and taxes etc may be payable when the goods enter the country.  It is your responsibility to read the information Ebay supplies, and to know what your particular country's import thresholds and taxes are, so that you can make an informed buying decision. Ebay and its sellers cannot possibly know the different import thresholds and sales and import taxes of every single country in the world.

You may be pleased to know that, as from the 1st January 2021, Ebay (and all sales platforms) will be legally required to add VAT onto UK buyers' international purchases that total less than £135 (with our VAT rate currently being 20%). So there will be nothing to pay when the goods enter the country.  Ebay et al will now be collecting and passing VAT payments to HMRC on your behalf.

Purchases for higher values (£135 plus) will be assessed by UK Customs just as before, with you paying VAT, any import taxes, and the carrier's admin fee for collecting those taxes, to the carrier prior to delivery just as before. 

If you like, you can read all about this new VAT collection system here: https://sellercentre.ebay.co.uk/news/september-2020-index/vat-changes

@liga437 

[john1297576]

You mean you didn't read the warning on the list!! Nothing to do with the seller, up to you to be aware of Duty or VAT payable and read what ebay tells you on the listing.

If delivered by Royal Mail they collect the Tax and charge £8, from the large charge you have I assume it was delivered by a Courier who charge up to £20 however small the amount of tax is payable.

I believe tax is assessed on Purchase Price plus Postage.

[red_magpie]

Who did you expect to advise you about this?

It's nothing to do with your seller. When you import items from abroad it's your responsibility to consider the cost of import dutues.

You should have been given an itemised invoice on delibvery, but for a low value items I imagine the it's the handling charge that's bumped it up.

You can check what import charges are likely to be payable on HMRC's web site.

[liga437]

The sender did not charge posting. I expected to pay the extra charge when
the parcel was delivered by the carrier. I bought the cushions from an
honourable dealer, in good faith. Joke, I have seen them in a uk shop,
silly me. I will make sure I read EU Law before I buy on line again.
Thanks