Customs

[Dolt]

I ordered a item from Ebay last Friday. When I checked today why the order didn't arrive, I was told it may be something to do with customs.
What will happen, will I have to pay duty on the item?

[joko]

if its come from abroad it usually takes a lot longer than a week...

[Dolt]

I ordered from the UK, (I'm in Ireland) I also ordered an item from Hong-Knog and had it 3 days later.

[vallaw]

Who did you check with? If it was supplier, are you sure they are UK based?

[sandyRoe]

I often get parcels from Eire. Customs never seen to bother with them.

[Buenchico]

If the item is coming from within the EU then (unless Excise Duty is involved - which basically means booze or tobacco) there will be no customs charges.

If the item is coming from outside of the EU and it doesn't have the proper 'CN22' customs declaration form attached to it, it can be impounded by HMRC. Otherwise . . .

If the item is coming from outside of the EU and is valued at less than £18 then you'll also normally avoid charges (but it could be briefly delayed for inspection by Parcelforce Worldwide staff, who carry out the inspection of packages on behalf of HMRC).

If the item is coming from outside of the EU and is valued at more than £18 you'll probably receive a bill which must be paid before the item can be delivered. (Certain items, such as books, can be imported without attracting charges, irrespective of their value)

It's impossible to tell you how much you might have to pay without knowing both the type of item and its value. Import Duty has to be calculated first. Some items are only taxed at 1 or 2 per cent, or not at all. Others, such as cotton-based goods from the USA, can be taxed at 27%. Then VAT (at 20%) has to be added on. (VAT is charged on the cost of the item, on the carriage charges and on the Import Duty - yes, that really is a tax on a tax!) After that, a further £8 'examination fee' is added on to your bill.

For an example, see my post here:
http://www.theanswerb...2.html#answer-6233769

Chris

[Buenchico]

Your secondary post wasn't there when I started typing.

Because Ireland and the UK are both within the EU, there are no routine customs inspections (or associated charges) involved in making 'cross border' purchases.

Chris

[Dolt]

Vallaw, I checked whit the seller, I did say they were UK based? Hang on I'll put up the link.

[Dolt]

But what about herbal drugs Chris are they excemp from duty?

http://cgi.ebay.ie/30...a254c9f#ht_2035wt_901

[Buenchico]

Hmm, that might be a bit tricky Dolt.

I'm no expert on Irish law but, while googling for information to answer your earlier post about those tablets, I remember seeing 'Not for sale to customers in the Irish Republic' somewhere. That, together with the results of googling for an Irish supplier, seems to suggest that your government only permits Irish residents to purchase those tablets from a pharmacy. It's just possible that your postal service might have some form of inspection in place, in order to prevent the importation of items which your government only wants people to be able to get through pharmacies. I'd actually find that rather surprising. (The UK and Ireland have an 'open border' agreement in place. There would seem to be nothing to prevent you, or any other Irish citizen, from travelling to Belfast or Derry to buy those tablets in any supermarket or health store, and then taking them back to the Republic). However it's certainly not impossible that such postal examinations might take place.

Chris

[Buenchico]

PS: If your government does carry out such postal examinations, EU law prohibits them from charging duty. They can either allow the tablets through (free of all charges) or seize them (without paying you any compensation) as 'prohibited items'.

[Dolt]

Chris, I didn't notice the.... 'Not for sale to customers in the Irish Republic' On the site, (I don't read small print)
It seems the Irish government is taking a lot of tablets off the shelves here, they even took the herbal tablet St. John's wort off the shelves.
I could travel to Northern Ireland, but it just seems like a bit of a trek.
I'm just worried about the ones I bought on E ay!

[Dolt]

Thanks Chris, you've being a great help.

[Buenchico]

If you're concerned that your package might have been seized by Irish customs staff, email [email protected] or phone [phone].

[Dolt]

Chris, I thought customs had to get in touch with me, ???????

[Buenchico]

If you were importing 'permitted' items from outside of the EU, customs would get in touch with you by either sending you an invoice for payment (and then sending you your package) or by getting the postman to demand payment before handing over that package.

But it seems possible that your package may have been treated as 'prohibited' under Irish law (in the same way that guns, heroin or child pornography would be, irrespective of the country which those items were sent from). In which case your package will have been seized. If you'd actually have been trying to import guns, heroin or child pornography, customs would also 'contact you' by sending a team of police officers to break down your door but they obviously wouldn't bother with such action for simply trying to get hold of a few herbal sleeping tablets. I was suggesting that you should ask them about whether they might have seized your tablets (so that you can check that the eBay trader isn't simply trying to mislead you).

[Dolt]

Jesus Chris, "guns, heroin, child pornography," ,,all I wanted to buy was a a bit of stress relief.

[bednobs]

the problem being of course, that if you contact them to ask them if they've seized your banned items, they will be alerted that you have been trying to buy banned items!

[Dolt]

I just want to let you know i received my order in the post today.

[Dolt]

Thanks for all your help guys.

[mrs.chappie]

Pleased to hear it, Dolt.