Import charges from outside the EU

[HyHy]

54 minutes ago, sixgun said:

If i understand the number of coins you got and the total cost it is more than 8%.

You bought THREE coins for about £2000. The coins were sent individually and Fedex is asking for £155 per parcel [coin]. So the total demanded is 3 x £155. This is £465 ÷ £2000 = 23.25%.

I would not pay them anything. 

Here is a comment Pete posted, this is not the post i was thinking about but it covers the point where he say you tell the courier you will clear the parcels with HMRC, you do not require their services. They do not know the correct codes so they cannot clear them properly anyway.

 

The thing is FedEx would charge 20 quid of handling fees on each if I remembered correctly so it would be the standard 20% being slapped on. @Platinumskies may I know what did the seller fill in on the declaration sheet? If the seller declared the wrong duty code I wouldn't think they would entertain you on the matter.

[Platinumskies]

I've been on the phone to them and the guy I spoke to is sorting it out for me I think it was an error

[Platinumskies]

28 minutes ago, HyHy said:

The thing is FedEx would charge 20 quid of handling fees on each if I remembered correctly so it would be the standard 20% being slapped on. @Platinumskies may I know what did the seller fill in on the declaration sheet? If the seller declared the wrong duty code I wouldn't think they would entertain you on the matter.

Numismatic tools I think

[augur]

1 hour ago, mr-dead said:

I've had a few 1kg gold bars shipped from canada.

I love how casual you make it sound.

But good to know; the next time I import a few 1g bars I can check with you the customs declaration ☺️ 

[Markh]

2 hours ago, mr-dead said:

Ive had a few 1kg gold bars shipped from canada.

No import or handling fees to be paid just a custom declaration form stating its investment grade gold

I hope you negotiated free shipping with insurance too.

Sarc off

[Xander]

6 hours ago, Platinumskies said:

Hi all I've just bought 3 gold 1/4oz coins from Japan they are collectible coin the person I got them from sent them in three packages because of insurance and I got a message from FedEx saying I have to pay £155 on each package the coins cost me about £2000 so is there any way round paying that or to reduce it thanks

According to UK contract law, if there is no prior contract/ agreement for the charges then you are not obliged to pay them. The same would apply to them if it was the other way round. Email them telling them that.

[Oldun]

This thread should be made a sticky. Or at least the relevant parts.

[Sovereign]

Here is how much i had to pay for

2x $5 indian head quarter eagle(NGC ms61)

total value $963.94 

 

[SovTracker]

The issue is often not quoting the right HS Tariff Number or HS Commodity Code.
I bought a Cheap Gold Sovereign from America through EBay.
I messaged the seller to Quote - Gold Sovereign - HS Commodity Code 7118.90.0000.
My package got caught up in Customs and Parcel Force wanted £60.43 (20% of the declared value) for the Customs Charge and £8.00 handling fee.
I paid to get my coin released and when I got the package I checked the labels. USPS in America don't give enough space for computer generated labels but Gold was mentioned and the code 711890.

I went online and got the Customs Duty Form BOR286, filled in the form, sent the labels on the parcel plus my Paypal payment proof, complete with my message to the seller which was on the Paypal payment.
I waited about 4 weeks and got a cheque from Customs for the whole £68.43 including fee and a letter of apology.
HM Customs aren't always the only problem, its twofold...
1. Insufficient or inaccurate details on the Customs Label
2. Inexperienced Customs staff

So before you buy, go to the seller and agree what to say. So sellers say on their listings "we declare the full value blah, blah...

If they won't mark the Customs Label exactly as you tell them (is. The right way), then my advice is steer clear.

Get the code right and all should be OK - in the end - but you may have to pay up first!

I've got another one to pay just now which I will pay tomorrow - this time the charge is 5%, so I'll happily pay and check the labels and no doubt submit another BOR286.

Only the 2nd time in 5 years I've been charged - both this year, both from the USA and both sent correctly (well unless my latest seller hasn't filled in the form correctly!

[metallica73]

On 9/28/2017 at 11:13, Sovereign said:

Here is how much i had to pay for

2x $5 indian head quarter eagle(NGC ms61)

total value $963.94 

 

 

 

Yeah, they've got that completely wrong. I bought a slabbed double eagle from Apmex and paid no VAT at all - infact UPS rang me to let me know all I had to do was sign their form saying I was taking delivery of 'Investment Gold' and there would be no VAT to pay.

[Sovereign]

32 minutes ago, metallica73 said:

no VAT to pay.

I should claimed it back ? 

[metallica73]

49 minutes ago, Sovereign said:

I should claimed it back ? 

Definitely IMO, but I don't know how easy that is considering they've identified your item wrongly on the customs form.

As per HMRC

2.1 What is investment gold?

Investment gold is:

(a) gold of a purity not less than 995 thousandths that is in the form of a bar, or a wafer, of a weight accepted by the bullion markets.

or

(b) a gold coin minted after 1800 that:

• is of a purity of not less than 900 thousandths
• is, or has been, legal tender in its country of origin, and
• is of a description of coin that is normally sold at a price that does not exceed 180 per cent of the open market value of the gold contained in the coin

Always get your seller to label as investment gold if it meets the above criteria - it appears they charged you at 5%