Official Customs, Duties, and International Shipping Questions and Stories Thread

[OzzyJones]



Any Britons here?

I just moved to the UK and I want to do some online shopping, but I don't know how strict the Customs is in this country.
I read somewhere that the customs limit for importing goods from outside EU is £15. 

Do you ever get hit by the customs in the UK?

If the goods are shipped by anything other than the national postage carrier (Royal mail/Parcel force making final delivery) you'll almost certainly get hit with VAT at the very least. Additional taxes apply over a certain value then the inevitable handling fees are added which appear to just be plucked out of their ass. Royal mail is hit and miss but the higher the value the more likely you are to be charged.
This site is pretty accurate and gives you 10 free calculations http://www.dutycalculator.com

 

[travvvvv]

Ordered Cabourn jacket for ≈$260 from End. Shipped FedEx and got a $28 customs bill about 2 weeks later.

 

[mysterymeatpete]

Has anyone in the US ordered from re-porter and gotten hit with customs?

 

[ibringdoom98]

I ordered something in February ($330, I believe) and never got hit with anything.

 

[sneet]

I have an item on yahoo japan I'd like to bid on. Thing is, total looks like it's going to be $210 with the proxy charges, the actual item only $150. Anybody know if/how much the customs charge would be on this to US?

 

[notwithit]



If the goods are shipped by anything other than the national postage carrier (Royal mail/Parcel force making final delivery) you'll almost certainly get hit with VAT at the very least. Additional taxes apply over a certain value then the inevitable handling fees are added which appear to just be plucked out of their ass. Royal mail is hit and miss but the higher the value the more likely you are to be charged.
This site is pretty accurate and gives you 10 free calculations http://www.dutycalculator.com

Thanks for posting this. I just bought some boots for ~ $640 off of ebay from a UK seller, and they're being shipped DHL. Looks like I might be paying ~ $100 if they charge brokerage fees on tops of customs.

Totally didn't occur to me until I received the shipping notice.

 

[Urthwhyte]

How has the gov't shutdown affected US customs processing of packages? I had a package shipped from Japan via EMS last Friday. It arrived at the ISC in Chicago on the following day and the tracking hasn't updated since. Here is the last update:

Inbound Into Customs​

September 28, 2013 , 11:30 am

Processed Through Sort Facility​

ISC CHICAGO IL (USPS)



Any ideas? My previous packages from Japan have all cleared within the same day, so I am a bit worried.

I think the government problems are affecting delivery through customs. I've had a package sitting in San Francisco for over a week sent from the UK...grr.

Having the same issue with a package from Toronto - have you two had any update?

 

[ibringdoom98]

No update. I'm going to my post office tomorrow to see what they can do and I've also asked FromJapan to initiate a trace on their end. It's been a little over 2 weeks in customs for me now.

 

[Urthwhyte]

Apparently much of the CBP is furloughed, so USPS can't get to it Slightly odd since my DHL package came through fine from the UK just this last week. Might be a difference of freight v. air?

 

[ibringdoom98]

I'm guessing DHL uses their own customs broker so they can avoid situations like this.

 

[NaTionS]



Thanks for posting this. I just bought some boots for ~ $640 off of ebay from a UK seller, and they're being shipped DHL. Looks like I might be paying ~ $100 if they charge brokerage fees on tops of customs.

Totally didn't occur to me until I received the shipping notice.

You're the one that beat me on those Guidis from the LNCC auction??!!

FWIW I bought something from one of their past auctions and didn't get hit with duties. Was about $400, also DHL.

 

[Urthwhyte]

I've never been hit with customs with DHL or a national postal carrier, even on packages declared over $1k, fwiw.

 

[bosatlbwi]

if you buy a MIUSA item from rakuten jp will you get hit by customs? anyway to avoid it?

 

[ibringdoom98]

Apparently much of the CBP is furloughed, so USPS can't get to it Slightly odd since my DHL package came through fine from the UK just this last week. Might be a difference of freight v. air?

My package from Japan cleared customs just now. Took 17 days. I guess your package will clear customs eventually.

 

[Urthwhyte]

probably going to be traveling when it comes now. At least it means they're not completely shut down. Thanks for letting me know and glad to hear you finally got your package!