Thank you for the update - if I understand you it was an expensive rare item from overseas. On arrival you were asked for charges [presumably from Royal Mail]. I am afraid this is quite correct and all items listed from outside UK bear a warning that it may happen. The charge would be duty and VAT [20%] and a clearance charge. Your point seems to be that previously you may not have been charged but that does not matter. There are some items that do not carry VAT [books for example] but cards do.
There is no way that ebay could have agreed [if they understood what you were talking about]. If you fail to pay the charges in fact on importation you lose any eBay protection. The item would probably be returned and you would get no refund at all under the money back guarantee.
@hangman00_2
