customs charge for nails..nightmare!

[SammiG]

Hi peeps,
I have ordered nail tips and some adhesive from the USA to the value of $300.
It was on a 3-5 day delivery and I have just been sent a letter from my local Parcelforce depot that they want £106 customs charge. I'm really confused...the lady on the phone at the couriers say that it was purely because the goods were insured up to $800. If I asked the supplier to supply a commercial invoice, they may reduce it.Is that right? I've been directed to customs who are always engaged as I would like to know the rate of duty on nail tips!! If I got the supplier to send in individual packages via normal air mail, will this happen??? Soz ... just had to get my moan in. has anyone else had this issue? It seems stupid to pay £106 on $300 worth of stuff. It's worse still as it is sitting in Milton Keynes and I need it!

Sam XX

 

[buttonmoon]

i bought pair of skate shoes from us that cost me incl.delivery about £100

i was charged a customs charge of about £20 or £27

was gutted but payed!
x

 

[bimbogeri]

You do have to pay customs duties (VAT) on anything that comes into the UK... sometimes it is pot luck if they ask you to pay as they obviously don't check everything, but if it's a $300 order then I'm guessing it was quite a big box! http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageImport_FAQs&propertyType=document&columns=1&id=HMCE_PROD_008654#P36_4802

You will have to check with Parcelforce or customs as to what rate they are charging you at, although I think these rates may well be on the customs website.
I think it is VAT at 17.5% and orders over a certain amount will also incurr import duties, and the parcel will have a Parcelforce clearance charge.
The % you pay will be worked out on the value of the parcel, but it is possible you have been overcharged if the parcel is listed at a much higher value than it us (which I suspect as $300 is about £170 so to have a charge of the virtually the same amount is quite high!).

If you can prove that the actual value of the parcel is lower than the amount they have used to calculate duty then they ought to lower it, as they are charging you on the incorrect amount, although I can't say for sure.
Only customs can answer that question I'm afraid. Do you have a copy of the invoice for the parcel (bear in mind that customs is calculated on the value INC shipping costs) you can send to them?

 

[SammiG]

Thanks guys! Still trying to get through to customs.... with no luck. I'm going to see if the supplier can send me a commercial invoice. That might help but to be honest, the amount of time I've spent on this is driving me mad - I could be doing nails and making money! ! ! It's all a learning experience. I'll just have to make sure it doesn't happen next time... that they put $300 rather than $800 on the package!

S. XX

 

[FlybyNight]

I bought a box of nail tips from the usa and they came in a padded bag, $3.69 postage on the front and a green customs label saying commercial product. I just got them in the normal post, no customs duty. I do know that if you order from stores like Abercrombie etc you get wallopped for customs duty. 17.5% is the norm I think!! Better to order separate boxes next time maybe!!

 

[geeg]

Sometimes you get away with it and legally you shouldn't!

When you avoid customs and excise duty you are illegally importing goods from abroad.

Why not just support your UK distributors who DO pay the customs and excise duty levied on them ... get your products on time ... start making some money ... charge accordingly. No one looses and everyone wins.

 

[amyuk]

Geeg is right, we have some fab stores and sites in the UK! Saves you money. If you like different coloured tips or air brushed ones check out http://www.atyourfingertips.org.uk/ available throught the links on here also. This site is run by Sue, and she has this talent of finding the best products and will also get them too you in a couple of days of ordering, provided she has them in stock.

HTH in some small, insignificant way
Amy

 

[bimbogeri]

Out of interest, does the term 'import' and import duty cover all items bought from abroad, or just ones brought in for business/commercial use?
Like, it I got a friend in the US to send me over some stuff that you can only get over there (say a toy for one of my cousins or something), would that have to be declared as an import?
Likewise if it is only for business goods, is there a lower limit you have to meet before you declare it, or is it any amount?
Just interested as last year I had a friend send over a few dolls that my cousin wanted before they came out over here.. it wasn't a gift, we paid for them, so should that be declared?
Tried to work it out on the customs website but couldn't figure it out... I couldn't find clear distinctions or guidelines for importing vs 'shopping on the internet' (their term).
Any ideas?

 

[Sarwaa]

I have a feeling that anything with a value of over £27 that isn't a gift can be charged tax on entry to the country. Plus don't forget the post offices charge for opening the parcel Sometimes you are lucky and sometimes you are not but we should all be paying these charges really since that is the law.

Sarah

 

[angel fingers]

Out of interest, does the term 'import' and import duty cover all items bought from abroad, or just ones brought in for business/commercial use?
Like, it I got a friend in the US to send me over some stuff that you can only get over there (say a toy for one of my cousins or something), would that have to be declared as an import?
Likewise if it is only for business goods, is there a lower limit you have to meet before you declare it, or is it any amount?
Just interested as last year I had a friend send over a few dolls that my cousin wanted before they came out over here.. it wasn't a gift, we paid for them, so should that be declared?
Tried to work it out on the customs website but couldn't figure it out... I couldn't find clear distinctions or guidelines for importing vs 'shopping on the internet' (their term).
Any ideas?

any thing we send for from another country is classed as an import, it doesnt have to be for business purposes. i think if it comes from within the eec, there are less or no taxes to pay though. half the time it depends on how your product has been described as to what you pay becauase there are different charges for different types of goods. personally i think its a bloody cheek that the government make us pay taxes on spending the wages we have already been taxed on. in my experience if its a small package that comes through the regular post, you get away with the tax, but if it comes via a special carrier such as federal express etc. you do pay duty.

 

[ladybgemini]

I am just starting out and have looked into buying from a company in America that are so cheap it's untrue. I have tried some of their products from E-bay and they are good.

My start up order was $1197 which is about £688. This included an airbrushing system with compresser and a metal case packed with nail art stuff and a years worth of products, (i do silks) and lots of luxury things that i wouldn't buy here.

I got in touch with them re shipping and this was another £180. OK, its a lot but wait. Customs gave me the classification codes and rates of duty as the items came under different rates. Nail Tips are at 1.7% + VAT btw. The £180 includes the dangerous chemical charge and it would be on a 2 day shipping with Fed-Ex

I added it all up and it still came to under £1000. I then priced up the same items in small quantities from the distibuter over in the UK and it came to a whopping £1700. This was for smaller amouts of acetone, non actone, barbicide, activator etc. They were in gallons from USA and only 500ml bottles in UK.

The quality is good, it all works and they do some fantastic things, am I mad to buy from USA?

 

[geeg]

To be honest, I do not think your comparison is fair as you are only comparing your prices to 1 distributor in the UK. There are many distributors of US goods in the UK but we also have our own UK manufacturers of these type of goods that are produced in the UK so prices are much cheaper.

I used to distribute a line of airbrushing equipment in the UK that did come form the USA and the startup price and kit was much cheaper than your quoted price of 1700 pounds. You can't generalize about these things without a fair comparison. Though you are happy and that is the main thing but there are other choices available.

 

[ladybgemini]

To be honest, I do not think your comparison is fair as you are only comparing your prices to 1 distributor in the UK. There are many distributors of US goods in the UK but we also have our own UK manufacturers of these type of goods that are produced in the UK so prices are much cheaper.

I used to distribute a line of airbrushing equipment in the UK that did come form the USA and the startup price and kit was much cheaper than your quoted price of 1700 pounds. You can't generalize about these things without a fair comparison. Though you are happy and that is the main thing but there are other choices available.

Fair Comments but i was referring to the actual distibutor for the products from the company I was looking at in the USA, not different products from different companies. The £1700 included more than the compressor, a years worth of products at least, silk, adhesive, tips etc etc. I think we must have got a bit mixed up there.

I have not found another distributor of this brand in the UK yet. Believe me I have bought lots and lots of UK products, (product junkie, unfortunately), more than from the US, I just wondered for reducing start up costs if it was worth going to the USA for them.

For a comparison in price I bought Activator spray in the UK at £10.95 for 50ml. I bought the US one at £10.99 for 8oz. The US one was bought through the distributer so obviously not at US prices but the company from the US charge about $23 (£13) for 32oz of this. Then there is duty at 6.5%, VAT and shipping on to but is still a competitive price.

If there are any UK sites out there that I can get them from cheaply, I will buy in bulk to get discounts, then please please let me know as I have looked everywhere on uk sites for items. Maybe I am looking in the wrong places.

 

[Little Angel]

Hi

OK i can see both gigi's point of view and lady's i would say yes i agree there are some good British produced and reasonably priced suppliers but then there is also the tempting prices from the USA.

Personally i do both i have my UK suppliers then i also buy certain things from the states. I do find my UK suppliers very good and they have some great offers, i am very business minded and i know the cost prices and the profits of every single retail item i sell like wise the professional products i use.

As for duty etc its a chance you take i am afraid but if you budget it for it before you order you will know whether the costs out weigh ordering direct from your UK supplier.

i don't think your mad your just like anyone else you want to make a profit and we all like a bargain.

But then again from the other side if we always buy from other sources our UK suppliers wont be making any money and so..........the circle comes about.

Oops i have waffled on.

 

[gracy]

anything over £18 uk should have VAT charged on it by customs and sometimes more delivery cost also, if the box is small then it may fly through customs with no holdup.

i buy stuff from all over the world (not nails related) mostly small stuff, but when it is a big order i always for my own peace of mind add on 17.5% vat on all the costs then decide if i want it badly enough.
if they have checked your order in customs it usually takes a while, they wont deliver it, they will send a card for you to pay a bill at your local depot, then its yours.
HTH, dawn