[FAQ] Customs and Import Duties - Page 9

Boink! · 04-02-2005, 13:01

Thanks, :-] I'll gie your letter a try, as I've just been caught with Dream On boxset. Worth a punt, eh?

Guest 1950 · 04-02-2005, 18:30

Can't hurt to try.

Guest 1950 · 19-02-2005, 11:57

I wrote to H.M Customs & Excise on 24/01/2005, got a reply from them on 03/02/2005, and got the refund cheque from them on 12/02/2005.

I wrote to Royal Mail on 08/02/2005 and got their portion of the refund (�8) today (19/02/2005) . Took them just under 2 weeks to process.

Floop · 19-02-2005, 16:45

Nice one!!!

Doll · 22-02-2005, 22:23

I sent a letter to Mount Pleasant last week and got a letter back today confirming I will be receiving a cheque in the next few days. Just got to contact Royal Mail now to see if I can get the handling fees back too.

Guest 1950 · 22-02-2005, 23:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doll

I sent a letter to Mount Pleasant last week and got a letter back today confirming I will be receiving a cheque in the next few days. Just got to contact Royal Mail now to see if I can get the handling fees back too.

I spoke to someone first who confirmed it would be ok. Write to the address I mentioned in my post and include all the info I did. You should get your refund.

I've edited my original post to include my letter to RM as well.

It's here: http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/s...&postcount=160

Hope this helps.

Guest 20972 · 24-02-2005, 00:36

I want to collect some of the �22 customs charged me for my Nintendo DS from DVD soon when they has their �57 membership price. Could anyone tell me what category a handheld console would come under from a duty point of view? It was declared as a DVD at $249 value so would have been taxed (duty) at 3.5%. I notice computers/palm handhelds are free but I assume it wouldn't come under this category?

Price I paid was around $139 so I should easily be able to get a few quid back.

Guest 993 · 24-02-2005, 01:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by bozman

I want to collect some of the �22 customs charged me for my Nintendo DS from DVD soon when they has their �57 membership price. Could anyone tell me what category a handheld console would come under from a duty point of view? It was declared as a DVD at $249 value so would have been taxed (duty) at 3.5%. I notice computers/palm handhelds are free but I assume it wouldn't come under this category?

You'd have to ring HMC&E really and find out the commodity code unless someone here knows for sure. The guide to common items is an indication but there might be something specific for games consoles. It could come under a player (12%) or MP3 player(2% so long as there's no radio, otherwise 10%), but it's hard to tell. Might be palm-held so free, but if it has a calculator feature that makes it 3.7%

Quote:

Price I paid was around $139 so I should easily be able to get a few quid back.

Price you paid does not necessarily mean HMC&E will take that value. You've got a chance of arguing your case, but they could just say it was valued at $249 so that's the value, or they could easily say they know the real value and use their value.

HMC&E are very aware of the value of certain popular items at the moment. Nintendo DS's are one of those items. Other one's they're onto are iPods of any form even through ebay sales where declared values are "dubious".

P.S. An interesting note on HMC&E's site now regarding when you get charged with Internet imports...

Quote:

If you purchase goods through the Internet you should be aware that Customs duty and VAT will be payable, as follows:

* Customs duty - if the amount of duty is �7 and over and
* Import VAT - if the value of the goods is �18 and over.

So this means surely that you won't get charged duty on DVD imports unless you spend over �200? ! (as at 3.5% you'd only get to �7 duty at �200 value)

Obviously you'll still get charged VAT if the value is over �18, but this would make things a lot better for reducing our bills?

Is this new?

Paul Moran · 25-02-2005, 12:22

Wrote to HMC&E on 21 Feb about charges on 26 Jan, 31 Jan and 4 Feb, on 3 packages marked with "before discount" values. Received their reply today, agreeing to refund the HMC&E element. Now to write to Royal Mail!

Many thanks to 8-] and others for blazing the trail on this one. I recall that other posters (on the DVD Soon thread) had been arguing that the charges had to be assessed on the "before discount" price, or that HMC&E would not make refunds even if the declared value was too high. Good job you didn't take any notice of them!

Guest 1406 · 09-03-2005, 10:56

if i am ordering a box set from amazon usa for �150 how much do you think i will send up paying ?

SimonI · 09-03-2005, 12:13

If it is DVDs, then you will pay 17.5% VAT and 3.5% import duties, on the total price including shipping, plus a �4 post office admin fee; so it would work out at about �35.

Guest 24319 · 09-03-2005, 23:34

A few questions regarding DVD Soon.

I have read that some people have claimed back the customs charges and RM handling fee for packages that are incorrectly charged. When you contact customs, what exactly do you say - that DVD Soon run a membership scheme whereby the list price is lower for members than the declared amount hence wanting a refund.

What proof do you need to supply as I only have the PDF's from the DVD Soon website and the jiffy. (I pay for my fees via franking labels so do not have a receipt or cheque stub for the payment).

On the current promotion we get an extra 10% via the Voucher TIMESMA05. Regarding items that are over the customs limit, but where I am entitled to a partial refund, will customs take into consideration the voucher too? Or, will they claim that the voucher constitutes a form of payment and base the fee and refund amount on the membership price only?

The reason why I am asking is to see if it is worth cancelling some orders that had a greater membership discount (20%) but are now cheaper with the new discount structure (I am Gold) and the voucher combined (works out to 12% membership plus 10% discount = 22%)? I could save myself $6 by re-ordering the PSP but think it will may cost me more on customs by doing so.

Thank you

Paul Moran · 10-03-2005, 01:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by HugoMorse

A few questions regarding DVD Soon....

For standard letters, have a look at post 160 in this thread. I sent screen prints of the orders (from "MY Account"), instead of Adobe invoice prints, and HMC&E were happy to accept them.

Guest 24319 · 10-03-2005, 07:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Moran

For standard letters, have a look at post 160 in this thread. I sent screen prints of the orders (from "MY Account"), instead of Adobe invoice prints, and HMC&E were happy to accept them.

Thank you, that is a great help.

areyou able to answer my other questions too

jockosjungle · 10-03-2005, 07:48

I don't understand how it will cost you more customs and if it does you can claim them back. Downside is it will put you at the back of the queue for your PSP

Rik

Guest 24319 · 10-03-2005, 07:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbullivant

I don't understand how it will cost you more customs and if it does you can claim them back. Downside is it will put you at the back of the queue for your PSP

Rik

It is the second point that I have been thinking about a lot.

Guest 17129 · 12-03-2005, 19:37

I've just had a problem with DHL they sent me an invoice for payment for customs however they made a mistake and charged me the incorrect amount as they charged me in US dollars rather than HK dollars, any one got any advice on what I can do.

Floop · 12-03-2005, 20:09

Yes. Write back to them enclosing your own invoice, levying an 'inconvenience fee' which you charge to anyone who inconveniences you, based upon a rate of say, �15.00 / per hour of inconvenience caused, thus effectively cancelling out anything they claim you owe them.

Make sure you remind them that the inconvenience fee has been set in line with European Union guidelines for such fees and that you would like a cheque to be sent to you within 28 days.

Guest 24319 · 14-03-2005, 07:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Floop

Yes. Write back to them enclosing your own invoice, levying an 'inconvenience fee' which you charge to anyone who inconveniences you, based upon a rate of say, �15.00 / per hour of inconvenience caused, thus effectively cancelling out anything they claim you owe them.

Make sure you remind them that the inconvenience fee has been set in line with European Union guidelines for such fees and that you would like a cheque to be sent to you within 28 days.

You can put it, but it will not mean anything unless DHL state in their Terms and Conditions that they accept fees incurred by the recepient of the package. If you went to court on this, it would cost you so much money only for you to loose hands down. Don't even bother putting it and make more constructive comments instead. If this would work, then the Banks would be bankrupt from having to pay out loads of fees on all the things they make mistakes on.

Floop · 14-03-2005, 20:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by HugoMorse

You can put it, but it will not mean anything unless DHL state in their Terms and Conditions that they accept fees incurred by the recepient of the package. If you went to court on this, it would cost you so much money only for you to loose hands down. Don't even bother putting it and make more constructive comments instead. If this would work, then the Banks would be bankrupt from having to pay out loads of fees on all the things they make mistakes on.

Worked for me.