CUTA action

[Dezzeh]

I have a ransom demand waiting at work for my attention tomorrow, UW Superion and Menasor from HLJ

[Shockprowl]

Do you think you'll need 'Dez-Strength' Lubey Lube? Or just normal strength Lubey Lube?

[Dezzeh]

I think around the £30 mark, not as bad as it has been previously!

[Benn]

I got CUTA's on some CD's... nearly half the combined price again. The whole thing is a joke, are we just supposed to go without the stuff we can't buy over here?

<illness induced mini rant over.... for now>

[browny87]

talking about CUTA, I don't know if anyone has seen the marvel collector corps - funko pops, T-shirt and other cool stuff. It costs about $45 every 2 months and on the first month I was charged £11.90 in taxes but ever since touch wood(3 packages later) I haven't had to pay anything, any ideas why?

[Dezzeh]

It is mainly luck of the draw. If a package is marked below a certain value it is generally left alone.

[browny87]

well I must admit paying a £2.50 customer charge plus a £9 processing charge is a joke!

[Dezzeh]

Sept 1, 2015 8:45:38 GMT Dezzeh said:

I think around the £30 mark, not as bad as it has been previously!

A slight miscalculation, £30 VAT, £13.50 more for parcelforce.

[Pinwig]

Makes my teeth grind every time I see that £13.50. £8 is bad enough. I want to know what the rule is that differentiates the two. Remember - where ever possible go for International Small Parcel as it has a far higher escape rate than anything that goes through Parcelfarce.

Okay, just answered my own question looking back through this thread. Phil found the higher clearance fee is for EMS shipping, the lower for the others. So basically Parcelforce add on another £4.50 to process your parcel faster. How fast is very debatable given all our experiences.

www.parcelforce.com/parcelforce-worldwide-clearance

"We have two levels of clearance fee for import parcels. There is a charge of £13.50 for express parcels imported with GLS or through the EMS channel from other Posts networks and also for high value standard parcels (valued at over €1000). For all other import parcels, an £8 charge will apply."

So the general calculation for working out import VAT works like this:

Only applies to parcels coming from outside the EU.

The value of the package as declared on the customs ticket + the postage on the parcel, multiplied by 0.2 to work out the VAT. Then add £8 clearance fee, or £13.50 if the parcel is coming by EMS.

The only time this doesn't apply is if the value on the package is below £15, or £36 if the 'gift' box is ticked (although there is now a rule that gifts can't be sent by companies - it has to be individual to individual, so nice toy sellers in china ticking the gift box won't make any difference if the parcel is opened and a business invoice is found inside, or the parcel box has "EXCELLENT CHINA TOY COMPANY LTD" written on it).

If the value of the package is given as over £135 then you have to pay customs duty too, which I think is 2.5% of the declared value and the postage. If that calculation comes in under £9 though they don't claim it.

[Philip Ayres]

I think the fault lies that the customs limit was set donkeys years ago and never went up in line with inflation. Indeed, IIRC, there was a reduction from £18 to £15 a few years back.

I'm recalling some story about the the limit being set in relation to the price of bringing flowers into the country, but can't attribute it.

But let's, for the sake of argument, say the import limit was set in 1999, the year I started importing toys.

£18 in 1999 is worth £27 something now (fag packet calc based on RPI figures I found online) That's how much the import limit should be, nearly twice what it is. If someone can find me when the £18 was set I'll work the numbers there.

On £27 the min charge is going to be £5.40 whereas on £15 it's £3.

[Philip Ayres]

www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-143-a-guide-for-international-post-users/notice-143-a-guide-for-international-post-users

2.3 What are the limits for customs duty and import VAT?

commercial consignments ie goods you have purchased, of £15 or less are free from Customs Duty and import VAT. Note: This does not include alcohol, tobacco products, perfume or toilet waters; these items are excluded from the relief of duty and VAT at import. In addition, commercial consignments sent to the UK from the Channel Islands do not benefit from any relief of import VAT
if you are sent a gift with a value of £36 or less, which complies with the rules shown in paragraph 2.4, it will be free from Customs Duty and import VAT. Gifts of alcohol, tobacco, perfumes and toilet waters are subject to the limits shown in paragraph 2.5, while gifts of perfumes and toilet waters are subject to the limits in paragraph 2.6
Customs Duty becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £135 but duty is waived if the amount of duty calculated is less than £9. In summary:

Goods Value* Customs Charges applicable
£0.01 to £15 - No customs duty
- No Import VAT**
£15.01 to £135 - No customs duty
- Import VAT due
£135.01 and greater - Customs duty due, but waived if the amount calculated due is less than £9
- Import VAT due

More

3.1 How are import charges calculated?

Charges are calculated by Border Force officers at the postal depots where the packages are received. However, in some cases special arrangements are in place for goods purchased on the internet or by mail order (see paragraph 3.4 below).

<snip>

Value Added Tax (VAT) - Import VAT is charged at the same rate that applies to similar goods sold in the UK and applies to commercial goods over £15 in value, and on gifts that are over £36 in value. However, please note that commercial consignments sent to the UK from the Channel Islands do not benefit from any relief of import VAT. The value of the goods for import VAT is based on the:

basic value of goods, plus
postage, packing and insurance, plus
any import (Customs or Excise) duties charged

As with Customs Duty, the cost of postage is excluded from the calculation for VAT on gifts except where the sender has used the Express Mail Service (EMS) as opposed to a standard mail service.

[browny87]

although I don't think its fair we have to pay customs charges, I do understand the reason why, what really bugs me is the handling charges Parcelforce/royal mail get.

[Pinwig]

It's also worth remembering that there are pre-paid import VAT options emerging now which allow you to lose the Parcelforce clearance fees. Amazon.com is brilliant because it accurately calculates the import VAT if needed and charges you up front, and even refunds you if you overpay (I seem to get a few pence back every time I buy something). eBay is also trying that, but their calculations seem way out to me when ever I've explored that.

1st Nov 2011 for the change from £18 to £15.

[Philip Ayres]

Sept 1, 2015 11:08:06 GMT Philip Ayres said:

I'm recalling some story about the the limit being set in relation to the price of bringing flowers into the country, but can't attribute it.

No, the flowers thing was to do with Channel Island VAT relief

taxjustice.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/channel-island-vat-loophole-endnote.html

They dealt with that, effectively putting the cheap DVD retailers out of business and handing the market to Amazon.

[Pinwig]

Ah yes. I lament the end of play.com. Those were the days.

[Philip Ayres]

Sept 1, 2015 11:19:43 GMT Pinwig said:

It's also worth remembering that there are pre-paid import VAT options emerging now which allow you to lose the Parcelforce clearance fees. Amazon.com is brilliant because it accurately calculates the import VAT if needed and charges you up front, and even refunds you if you overpay (I seem to get a few pence back every time I buy something). eBay is also trying that, but their calculations seem way out to me when ever I've explored that.

Definitely better buying from Amazon us, which has quickly become a popular option with UK fans for this very reason. Keep an eye on them in the run up to and just after Christmas as there's usually some bargains to be had.

Sept 1, 2015 11:19:43 GMT Pinwig said:

1st Nov 2011 for the change from £18 to £15.

Even that plugged into the RPI calculator suggests the limit should be £16.30 now.

[Philip Ayres]

Sept 1, 2015 11:22:58 GMT Pinwig said:

Ah yes. I lament the end of play.com. Those were the days.

Yup, but well done for the owners getting out and selling up just before it went boom!

[Pinwig]

Sept 1, 2015 11:24:17 GMT Philip Ayres said:

Definitely better buying from Amazon us, which has quickly become a popular option with UK fans for this very reason. Keep an eye on them in the run up to and just after Christmas as there's usually some bargains to be had.

I've had a fair few good buys from Amazon.com in the last year or two. Even if you're paying the UK retail equivalent it feels good, like the £10 Blackjack and £25 Motormaster on their way to me now thanks to Phil's eagle eyes! 

If Amazon.jp shipped here we'd be laughing. I keep trying stuff in baskets just to check after managing to get that G2 Masterpiece Bumblebee through, but nothing else has got as far as the checkout yet. Unless of course it's a marketplace seller who ship internationally, but you only get to pre-pay the VAT there if it's an Amazon fulfilled order. Books work though. 

[browny87]

is it this motormaster?

www.amazon.com/dp/B00NYSSOTO/

seems a right bargain

[Philip Ayres]

Yup. There will be cheaper ones around now as he's reshipped in wave 4 alongside Battle Core Optimus. Imndeed there's even a chance he may yet make it to the UK

[Pinwig]

Yes, that's the one. As Phil says, he's come back into circulation in the US so you can find him for retail price now. That one came to £26.72 for me, shipped and import VAT paid. Mine's currently going through customs clearance, so it should be here in a few days, so I can inspect the leg situation if that hasn't been explored elsewhere.

Edit: ooh! Blackjack's out of customs and loose in the UK!

[Stomski]

EBay also do a customs checking service, but I think this is dependent on the seller. I believe they need to send it to a special sorting house in the US for checking first.

[Dezzeh]

Product ID Description Sub Standard Collector Subtotal
BAN16229 S.H. Figuarts Metal Garurumon Original Designers Edition 1 $48.99
HAS24186 Generations Deluxe Combiner Wars 2015 Series 02 - Decepticon Offroad 1 $18.99
TAK12104 Transformers: The Lost Age Black Knight Exclusive - Optimus Prime 1 $89.99
HAS24373 Transformers Robots in Disguise Warriors Series 03 - Set of 2 (Sideswipe & Jazz) 1 $33.99
HAS24418 Generations Legends Combiner Wars 2015 Series 04 - Set of 2 (Rodimus & Skywarp) 1 $31.99
BAN15929 S.H. Figuarts Sasuke Uchiha 1 $52.99

Subtotal: $276.94
Tax: $0.00
Shipping: $55.49
Total: $332.43

Place your bets folks!

[browny87]

about £30?

[Philip Ayres]

The magic number 332!

OK $332 is about £216 UK

20% of that is 43.20

Plus whatever the clearance fee is.

£51 or £58

[Shockprowl]

Good God. I'll get the Lubey Lube.

[The Doctor]

332!

-Ralph

[Pinwig]

This is where we need to know the percentage for customs duty charges. They say the usual is 2.5% on packages valued over £135 including the postage, but it isn't collected unless it comes to over £9. So 2.5% of £216 is only £5.40 and wouldn't be collected, but if the percentage for toys isn't the usual 2.5% then it might.

...

Woah. I just tried to work out what the percentage would be. Import duty and taxes is a whole new level of madness way beyond the import VAT stuff. There are thousands of categories, and the percentage for each seems to change depending on the country you're importing from. But it might be that China and America are both 0% on toys > figures and dolls > animal or non-human. So it probably isn't worth worrying about.

www.dutycalculator.com/popular-import-items/import-duty-and-taxes-for-toys/

[kayevcee]

30 quid fine for importing Unite Menasor from HLJ. £5.50 extra for using EMS shipping, as that has to go through the Farce instead of Royal Mail.

Also just had to send this message to an eBay seller:

"I bought a Unique Toys Siegfried and Alberich from you three weeks ago. I see that you have left eBay, and that your last few feedbacks before leaving claimed that you had either sent empty boxes or nothing at all. If you have an explanation, please let me know. Otherwise I will assume my items are not coming and open a case with eBay to claim my money back."

Not the best homecoming.

-Nick

[blueshift]

Yowza. Good luck Nick, it sounds an open and shut case though so hopefully getting your money back won't be a problem!