Veem
Member
Posts: 12,006
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Post by Veem on Feb 1, 2022 15:29:33 GMT 1
I wanted some horsey stuff unavailable in France but I could source in the UK. Not heavy - only 3.5kg for all 4. So I had it delivered to my SIL as I've done in the past, for her to send on to me. Delivery within the UK was free and it arrived on time, but in an incredibly big box. It should have fitted in a 40x40x40 box, but arrived in an 80x60x50 box with an inordinate amount of filler packing!
They consulted Parcel2go who recommended Parcel Force or DHL. The quote from PF was £261 and from DHL £126. Eyewatering prices.
So SIL cut the box down to size doing away with over 4/5 of empty space and all the filler and tried again. This time with so much of the box and all the filler gone, it weighed under half its original weight. Lo and behold Parcel Force quoted £23.48 - a massive 'saving' of over 90%.
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Post by limousinlady on Feb 1, 2022 16:34:14 GMT 1
Will you have to pay customs duty on that? I am wary about ordering anything from the UK now. DiL sent us a parcel for Xmas, £26 duty/collection charge on top of what she had already paid in postage. She filled in the customs form, marked as gift, but didnt check the regs. and put a value of £50, so attracting duty and collection charge. £20 of the value was an Amazon voucher  . |
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Nifty
Member
Posts: 5,015
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Post by Nifty on Feb 1, 2022 16:37:48 GMT 1
What else can you expect with a name like Manuka ?
( Man U.K. a ?)
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Veem
Member
Posts: 12,006
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Post by Veem on Feb 1, 2022 16:52:18 GMT 1
Even if duty is payable, I need what's coming, so will have to pay up and lump it.....
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exile
Member
Massif Central
Posts: 2,685
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Post by exile on Feb 1, 2022 17:41:07 GMT 1
Can we please try and be a bit disciplined when referring to import charges.
In most cases this will be VAT plus a collection charge. According to the French customs site VAT is due on imports from the first euro. In practice I have seen quite a few examples where this has not been applied.
For some specific items there may be duty to pay, then VAT and then the collection charge.
If we always refer to these import charges as duty it can create misunderstandings.
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Aardvark
Non-gamer
Living in soggy 22 and still wondering what's going on.
Posts: 2,172
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Post by Aardvark on Feb 1, 2022 18:09:25 GMT 1
Call it what you like. Its still a pain in the wallet.
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Veem
Member
Posts: 12,006
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Post by Veem on Feb 1, 2022 18:32:04 GMT 1
It's not as if we always know what the charges are, so I don't see the point in you asking us to be more disciplined. I had a parcel delivered when the post lady just told me I had to pay 30€, but she didn't tell me whether it was VAT, duty or just how much her calendar was ...........
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Post by cleoj on Feb 1, 2022 19:52:32 GMT 1
Could it not be split down then sent www.royalmail.com/sending/international Click on 'more info' for the one you want and it has max size and price. Max weight is 2kg. Unless I'm having a brainfart, which I do, often!! |
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Veem
Member
Posts: 12,006
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Post by Veem on Feb 1, 2022 20:11:02 GMT 1
Could it not be split down then sent www.royalmail.com/sending/international Click on 'more info' for the one you want and it has max size and price. Max weight is 2kg. Unless I'm having a brainfart, which I do, often!! Thanks for the link Cleo. In fact the items were round feed buckets 40x18, so splitting them would have exceeded the 90 limit of L+W+H despite meeting the under 2kg weight limit. Stacked inside each other they were less than 40x40x40 and posted together cost less. Whether there will be something to pay when they arrive remains to be seen. We've had parcels delivered with no extra charges and there seems to be neither rhyme nor reason. |
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Post by Dominic Best on Feb 1, 2022 20:28:30 GMT 1
Call it what you like. Its still a pain in the wallet. I got a motorbike chain-oiler from Amazon which although I ordered it from amazon.fr was supplied and sent from amazon.co.uk. It was sent with French TVA paid and a nasty looking delivery charge. The good news was that the bottom line was about £15 less than exactly the same item ordered from amazon.co.uk with free delivery to a UK address. It was a nice surprise. |
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Post by pcpa on Feb 1, 2022 21:06:53 GMT 1
I bought some cheap cupboard handles for the caravan from Amazon.fr, as the expected delivery was over a week I assumed they were coming from China and indeed they were, its a very small package probably a Jiffy bag as they were delivered to my friends BàL in their absence yesterday where the caravan is at present.
The parcel has had a right old journey!
lundi 31 janvier
10:24
Livré
jeudi 27 janvier
16:16
En cours de livraison vers le point de retrait
Luxembourg Airport Sorting Centre,
mercredi 26 janvier
17:00
Colis transféré à un autre transporteur pour livraison
HEATHROW,
15:00
Début du dédouanement
HEATHROW,
dimanche 23 janvier
4:55
Scan de départ
ShaTian,
2:30
Colis reçu par le transporteur
ShaTian,
samedi 22 janvier
Le colis a été expédié.
China to the UK to Luxembourg to France, good luck to anyone trying to calculate import duties on that!
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Post by cleoj on Feb 1, 2022 23:17:03 GMT 1
Thanks for the link Cleo. In fact the items were round feed buckets 40x18, so splitting them would have exceeded the 90 limit of L+W+H despite meeting the under 2kg weight limit. Stacked inside each other they were less than 40x40x40 and posted together cost less. Whether there will be something to pay when they arrive remains to be seen. We've had parcels delivered with no extra charges and there seems to be neither rhyme nor reason. You're welcome, Veem. Hopefully there won't be anything more to pay, but as you say, seems there's no rhyme nor reason. |
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Post by Crystal on Feb 2, 2022 0:24:39 GMT 1
Veem, the next time you need feed buckets, please let me know - We get them free from a local farmer. The supplement he feeds to his sheep comes in what we know as 'feed buckets' and he always has empty ones going spare - they come with a lid, which is handy for making up feeds in advance, or for soaking sugar beet, etc...but they are all the same colour, green.
Also, the plastic factory at l'Isle Jordain makes them - they are a slightly rubbery plastic, so don't break easily and they come in lots of different colours. They are often on special offer in the Intermarche, at about 3 euros each. I like them because they are fairly indestructable and each horse can have their own colour.
I must call in at the factory and ask if they sell direct..or would sell them without handles...because we always prise them off before using them anyway.
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Post by limousinlady on Feb 2, 2022 9:17:04 GMT 1
Can we please try and be a bit disciplined when referring to import charges.
In most cases this will be VAT plus a collection charge. According to the French customs site VAT is due on imports from the first euro. In practice I have seen quite a few examples where this has not been applied.
For some specific items there may be duty to pay, then VAT and then the collection charge.
If we always refer to these import charges as duty it can create misunderstandings.In my case, I can not be more specific. As stated, we received a 'gift'. The contents were not itemised and it is unlikely that the powers that be could determine how much tax to charge on each item especially as one was an Amazon voucher! All I know is that we had to pay a hefty sum for receiving this gift from the UK, where in my mind the customs declaration was filled out incorrectly and which had a small monetary value. |
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Veem
Member
Posts: 12,006
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Post by Veem on Feb 2, 2022 9:31:00 GMT 1
Veem, the next time you need feed buckets, please let me know - We get them free from a local farmer. The supplement he feeds to his sheep comes in what we know as 'feed buckets' and he always has empty ones going spare - they come with a lid, which is handy for making up feeds in advance, or for soaking sugar beet, etc...but they are all the same colour, green. Also, the plastic factory at l'Isle Jordain makes them - they are a slightly rubbery plastic, so don't break easily and they come in lots of different colours. They are often on special offer in the Intermarche, at about 3 euros each. I like them because they are fairly indestructable and each horse can have their own colour. I must call in at the factory and ask if they sell direct..or would sell them without handles...because we always prise them off before using them anyway. I think I know the supplement buckets you mean and if so, they have proved to be a bit flimsy for my two. Jakie is a bit rough with his and breaks them quite easily. Misha has had the habit since before I had him of biting the buckets when he's finished the meal and breaking them from the top down. The last ones I bought are some years old and perhaps the plastic has degraded rather. I think these new ones should last us .................. I don't know the L'Isle Jourdain ones though. I admit I do like the handles since I have to carry the buckets from the house to the paddock and it's just made easier by having handles. How's Lily doing? I see the Bordeaux jumping was cancelled - that's a shame. |
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