Fedex sending me a �35 bill for buying something from japan

[justasking]

Hi i bought something off ebay a while back and payed alot of money on the p&p but now i have recieved a bill from fedex telling me to pay �35 on top of that. But i would like to know where i can find information on (international charges?) because im now scared to buy from international sellers incase i get more �35 bills etc.

[buildersmate]

Its presumably the import duty, which varies according to the product you buy and where it came from.

[Catso]

Plus Fedex's charges for doing the customs/importation documentation.

Really, if you use Fedex., DHL and such like AND your stuff is over the limit (about �18, I think) you WILL get stung like this. These companies will always put the shipment through the proper procedures.

Use the country of origin's standard postal service and you will often get through customs 'unmolested'.

But, when buying abroad, no matter how shipped, you have to be prepared to pay your dues!

[Buenchico]

(2-part post):

The easiest way to explain the system is with a 'worked example'. For the purposes of this example, I'll assume that the item is sent through the post but the same rules apply to Fedex packages:

Let's assume that you purchase goods, worth �100, from any country outside of the EU . (With a few exceptions, such as tobacco and alcohol, you can buy what you like from within the EU, without paying any charges).

Unless the goods are subject to excise duty (such as tobacco products or alcohol), the first thing the customs people work out is Customs Duty. This varies widely depending upon the nature of the goods. For example it's only 2% on MP3 players without a radio built-in but 10% on MP3 players with a radio.

If the Customs Duty comes to less than �7, it's waived. For the purposes of this example, I'll assume that you're importing clothing, most of which carries a 12% rate of duty. So, that's �12 to be paid.

[Buenchico]

The next thing the customs staff work out is Import VAT. This is charged on the same things which carry VAT in the shops and at the same rate, 17.5%, but VAT is not charged on goods with a value of less than �18. VAT is charged on the aggregate value (including Customs Duty) of the package. So the VAT is 17.5% of �112 = �19.60

That brings the total you've got to pay to �31.60. However, there's also a Customs Examination Fee to be paid. This fee is waived when there is no Customs Duty or Import VAT to be paid. The fee is �8.

So, when the postman calls (or when Fedex bill you), your total bill will be �39.60

In general, it's best to avoid purchases over �18 from non-EU countries unless you're certain that you won't get stung for Import Duty and/or VAT. Full information can be found here:
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebAp p/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_page Label=pageTravel_ShowContent&propertyType=docu ment&resetCT=true&id=HMCE_CL_001454

Chris

[dougsinnott]

All these sellers tell you on their sites that there could be import taxes,etc.,although sometimes it not all that obvious.
I bought a new camera recently,£100 cheaper than my local camera shop,and even after paying £24 duty,it's still a good buy.
You just have to be very careful,especially re some inflated postal charges,and sometimes small items aren't liable for duty,(less than £17 I think) and get through,but bigger things won't.
It's roughly £8 per every £100 charged as a guide.