Buying and Selling models to/from Europe

[Guest Jack Benson]

Just received some items from Germany that were bought on eBay. The initial cost was post free and the seller removed the Mehtwertsteuer from the eBay invoice (20%) I was provided with a DPD tracking number and they arrived four days after ordering with absolutely no interference from the UK. 

 

StaySafe

[Andymsa]

I have found that instead of waiting for the vat charge letter if you notice the parcel is held up somewhere in customs , give parcel force a call to obtain the reference number so you can pay online. They don’t put the reference number if a charge is due on the tracking info. This can shaved at least a week off the delivery last time I paid it, as the charge letter came three weeks afterwards.

 

[brushman47544]

Portugal has decided to stop everything arriving from outside the EU instead of stopping them randomly as it did before the new EU rules in July, so I gather has around ten times more packages to process with the same number of staff. The process is easy as its all done on-line but the delay with Customs is currently weeks...

[brushman47544]

Portugal has decided to stop everything arriving from outside the EU instead of stopping them randomly as it did before the new EU rules in July, so I gather has around ten times more packages to process with the same number of staff. The process is easy as its all done on-line but the delay with Customs is currently weeks...

[etendam]

Just got a notification from Paypal that they will add an additional transaction fee on all PayPal transactions between the UK and EU (or EU and UK) of 1.29 % from Sept 7th. Looks like they want to earn more from the Brexit.

 

Ed

[Neils WRX]

"We are introducing an additional service fee of 1.29% for some international commercial transactions between the EEA and the UK.

We are changing the additional percentage-based fees for international commercial transactions as well as simplifying our market/region country classifications for these fees. The fees are changing from the rates shown in the current User Agreement to the new rates that will be shown on the updated Merchant Fee page that will publish on or after September 7, 2021, as we mention below."

 

Not heard about this before :-(

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

[etendam]

On 06/09/2021 at 13:13, brushman47544 said:

Portugal has decided to stop everything arriving from outside the EU instead of stopping them randomly as it did before the new EU rules in July, so I gather has around ten times more packages to process with the same number of staff. The process is easy as its all done on-line but the delay with Customs is currently weeks...

France did the same for Toys (and books) as of the new CE regulations from July. If you want to ship items from outside the EU that are classified as Toys (depending on the HS numbers) you will notice that these aren't allowed anymore. To me it looks like several EU countries are protecting the internal market and use an appropriate reason.

 

Ed

[bbishop]

Thanks to Mike for information about the BOR 286 form.  Bill

[SimonBoulton]

On 05/09/2021 at 13:27, Jack Benson said:

Just received some items from Germany that were bought on eBay. The initial cost was post free and the seller removed the Mehtwertsteuer from the eBay invoice (20%) I was provided with a DPD tracking number and they arrived four days after ordering with absolutely no interference from the UK. 

 

StaySafe

 

Jack, was the item under £135 or above? I recently purchased a loco from Germany via eBay. eBay added the VAT and it arrived without any additional charges but I noticed that there didn't appear to be anything on the parcel to say the VAT had been paid 

[etendam]

1 hour ago, SimonBoulton said:

 

Jack, was the item under £135 or above? I recently purchased a loco from Germany via eBay. eBay added the VAT and it arrived without any additional charges but I noticed that there didn't appear to be anything on the parcel to say the VAT had been paid 

Normally you will have the Ebay VAT number on the parcel but with some carriers you can also do it electronically. If a seller forgets to mention it (some don't even know that they should mention it !) then it is possible that you get an invoice later and you have to reclaim the double VAT at the UK customs.

 

Ed

[SimonBoulton]

Cheers Ed, that’s what I was thinking, whilst it was okay this time, if they start checking all the parcels under £135, then there’s a risk we might start getting lots of double charging 

[Geep7]

Just done an order from El Taller de Modelista in Spain, my first since the end of last year, will be interesting to see how it goes. Will let you all know.

[Cor-onGRT4]

Yesterday early in the morning 8.25 , I received my shipment from Kernow.

Two days after I did the online payment of the VAT and handling fee.

 

The order was an amount of 141,64 pound, according Dutch customs € 166,28 that's a little lower than the exchange rate with creditcard € 169,00,

I payed for.

 

So the Dutch VAT was € 34,92 plus handling fee € 10,00, a total of € 44,92 , a little lower than the € 45,50 I calculated.

The Dutch customes don't charge VAT on the shipping cost, all my orders from this year, non of them was charged VAT on the shipping cost.

I don't know how much the couriers are charge I only get shipments from Hattons by DPD, but all is payed for by Hattons.

Till now everything goes very well.

 

[irishmail]

An post at it again!   This time it is some crafting supplies that SWMBO ordered from England, the company are registered and charge the Irish VAT @ 23% on orders.  Like me with my Hatton's orders she had a text message and email from An post to pay customs charges,

she phoned the company she ordered from and advised her to pay it and email them the receipt and they would refund the cost, similar to what Hatton's do, she got the refund straight away, but now have to wait over a week now before An post decide to deliver the parcel.

 

[SimonBoulton]

On 11/09/2021 at 13:36, Geep7 said:

Just done an order from El Taller de Modelista in Spain, my first since the end of last year, will be interesting to see how it goes. Will let you all know.

 

Parcel Force seem to have got their act together pretty well now. If it's less than £135, it'll just get delivered and if above that, you'll receive a letter telling you that you need to pay VAT plus a £12 handling fee. You can do that online and arrange next day delivery 

[Geep7]

17 minutes ago, SimonBoulton said:

If it's less than £135, it'll just get delivered and if above that, you'll receive a letter telling you that you need to pay VAT plus a £12 handling fee.

That's interesting to know, thank you, as my delivery is coming via Parcel Force. Just wondering though, do you know if the £135 includes the postage charges?

[Andy Hayter]

Delivery charges (postage) should be included in the "value" of an item for assessing VAT.

[irishmail]

A week after paying the customs charges still no parcel!  An post are just using Brexit as an excuse to make money charging €3.50 for every parcel. Would not be surprised if there profits increase this year.  An post customer service is a complete waste of time they just fob you off with some feeble excuse.  Fourth parcel that has had this problem,  Will have to investigate taking this further. Just not good enough, they are quick to take your money but not  honouring their delivery agreement.

Edited September 17, 2021 by irishmail
corrected spelling

[Geep7]

My package arrived this afternoon. No extra charges or anything. Must have just scraped in under the £135 limit. I very much doubt my next order will be so lucky, I don't think anyone does an HO or OO EMU with sound below £135....

[SimonBoulton]

4 hours ago, Geep7 said:

My package arrived this afternoon. No extra charges or anything. Must have just scraped in under the £135 limit. I very much doubt my next order will be so lucky, I don't think anyone does an HO or OO EMU with sound below £135....

 

It’s a funny conundrum now as some of the diesels without sound will be below that but the ones with will definitely be above, makes the factory sound an expensive addition. 

[SimonBoulton]

On 17/09/2021 at 13:06, Geep7 said:

That's interesting to know, thank you, as my delivery is coming via Parcel Force. Just wondering though, do you know if the £135 includes the postage charges?

 

I believe the £135 does not include the postage and packing, so if the goods ordered was say £130 and then you were charged £10 postage, you’d still be below the £135 for paying extra charges

 

”How much extra you could be charged depends on the total value of your order, also known as the ‘consignment value’, it also depends on the firm you’ve bought from. The ‘consignment value’ is the price of the goods excluding shipping and handling costs“ 

 

“

Import VAT on parcels sold to the UK – Post Brexit

New rules have been introduced which apply to businesses making distance sales of goods to the UK following Brexit. These new rules apply to all packages worth GBP 135 or less (the current GBP 15 VAT and duty exemption will also cease to apply) where the seller is not currently VAT registered and makes UK supplies in any 12-month period of under the UK GBP 70,000 distance sales VAT registration requirement.

The new rules will apply immediately following Brexit and registrations should be put in place as soon as possible in anticipation of this.

If you are based outside the UK and sell parcels to UK buyers worth £135 or less, you must pay import VAT.Parcels include letters, packages, packets and any other article that could be sent by post, even if they are sent by different methods.

To pay import VAT you can either:

register with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to report and pay the import VAT due yourself

pay a parcel operator that offers a service to pay import VAT to HMRC on your behalf

Who should register?

You can register to pay import VAT if you:

are based outside the UK - this includes the EU, outside of the EU and the Channel Islands

intend to sell goods worth £135 or less (not including shipping, insurance and incidental costs) to UK buyers after Brexit

choose to pay the import VAT yourself and not to a parcel operator

You can register with HMRC before you need to start paying import VAT on parcels.

HMRC may refuse to register you if they have evidence that you have not met registration rules“

Edited September 18, 2021 by SimonBoulton

[irishmail]

On 17/09/2021 at 15:35, irishmail said:

A week after paying the customs charges still no parcel!  An post are just using Brexit as an excuse to make money charging €3.50 for every parcel. Would not be surprised if there profits increase this year.  An post customer service is a complete waste of time they just fob you off with some feeble excuse.  Fourth parcel that has had this problem,  Will have to investigate taking this further. Just not good enough, they are quick to take your money but not  honouring their delivery agreement.

After no delivery's today I contacted An post customer services by live chat (eventually) to ask what has happened to the parcel. They told me that it is now being returned to the sender despite paying the additional VAT!  An post are right con artist.

 

Quote from the live chat earlier:-

Gerard 10:36
"This item was scanned as send for delivery on the 10th however it was then =scanned to be processed for return to
sender on the 16th, I would advise that you contact the Ecomm team on ecommchargequery@anpost.com and
they will be able to clarify what is happening with this item."

Have emailed this Ecomm team but so far no reply. 

 

It seems to be a common problem with An post having looked at their facebook and trust pilot reviews.

https://www.facebook.com/AnPost

https://ie.trustpilot.com/review/www.anpost.ie

 

It seems that Royal Mail or whoever is shipping are applying the correct labelling but Anpost can not be asked to read the codes or information correctly. 

 

Is this just a problem in Ireland or is anyone else in the EU having similar problems with their postal service?

[Andy Hayter]

So far the only "problem" I have had is not being charged when I should have been.  Thank you La Poste/French Customs.

 

Sorry no comfort for you.  It does seem however that there is more than a little confusion around.

[irishmail]

Update

Had one of two parcels from Hatton's delivered this morning (both shipped at same time).   Still no response from Ecomm about the other parcel (for SHMBO) which Anpost have decided to send back to sender, Who told them to as we certainly did not?

 

Chatting to our postie this morning, apparently  the latest thing is Anpost/customs will not release or dispatch any parcels until the VAT/Custom's charges have been paid on the whole batch or consignment. , seems that they are getting in a right mess with it and maybe why some items are being set back despite the VAT/charges being paid!

 

Why can they just not send the parcel out once you have paid.   

 

Quote from the receipt of the VAT we paid on 10th September.   "We will now deliver your item to the below address:"   

Edited September 21, 2021 by irishmail

[irishmail]

Avoid using Anpost is sending items to and from Ireland.  They are now a complete sham!

 

Anpost is now a complete joke!   Just checked on progress of package sent from my Brother in law from England, now its being sent back.   Track says 'we could not deliver your post. We will try to return to sender'!!!   

1.  Why could they not deliver?  they have not even tried.

2. What do they mean by 'We will try to return it to sender'

 

the following copied & pasted from Anpost tracking info.

21 September 2021 22:42

We could not deliver your post. We will try to return it to the sender.

20 September 2021 13:19

Your delivery has been sorted DUBLIN MAIL CENTRE, DUBLIN 12

20 September 2021 13:18

We have your post in DUBLIN MAIL CENTRE, DUBLIN 12

20 September 2021 13:17

Your delivery was received by An Post in DUBLIN MAIL CENTRE, DUBLIN 12