The rules have recently changed. Most major on line auction / shop sites now collect the VAT for the EU country where the package is delivered but some sellers are not directly in the system even though they sell through the platform. Typically Ebay use the GSP to cover shipping and taxes but some sellers are still shipping independently and those goods should attract VAT plus a charge from the company collecting the VAT on behalf of the delivery country. This has been progressive and probably in a coupe of years time all sellers will have to sell through the platforms' tax collection system.

The other change is that small value packages (from memory less than €42 in France) did not attract VAT charges that has now reduced to zero. So your low value batteries will now attract 20% VAT on the price plus the shipping. The 9€ is a collection fee from La Poste - although I do not understand their charges. I have been charged €8 at the door and offered by internet to pay 2€ and 3€ prior to delivery or respectively 8€ and 5€ at the door.

Historically I have been buying a lot of small items from China and never been hit for any charges at the door. If I'm up against extra charges without knowing what they will be (up front) I will stop buying stuff from outside the EU. Equally if I'm hit with an extra fee by the Poste for collecting extra money at the door it will no longer be cheaper to buy from abroad. Protectionism I guess.

From what I have read above and others experiences it seems that post the abolition of the €42 tax free limit the Douanes or government are allowing La Poste to charge a flat rate of €9 and then settle the TVA out of that, the TVA on my order would amount to €1.36, were they to ask me for €1.36 taxe and €9 for their admin charge that would be more honest but they are adamant (because they swallow what they are told) that the €9 is taxe douanière.

Were I asked to pay €1.36 on line to recieve the colis I would have done, having checked the order price did indeed include TVA to be paid in the EU but that could be a scam in itself.

So probably child labour was used to mine the lithium and other rare metals used in the fabrication of said batteries, probably in another sweatshop, they have travelled half way round the world to never get used and to end up in the bin.

I'm fairly confident that no-one in La Poste will have an 18 year old dumb phone to use them in.

La Poste needs all the help it can get, the volume of letters delivered must have dropped by over 95% and they may soon lose the only thing propping them up, delivering le publicité, but they wont be getting €9 from me for this package.

I have a couple of others in the system, I will wait and see what happens with them.

I reckon the Douanes look at the content and take a view on whether the recipient will accept being screwed out of €9 to recieve them, if not then they just send it through for delivery with no action.

They have already worked out that any parcel from the UK with a birthday card won't be refused for €9, exactly the view that they took with Hals Goodwood Revival tickets.

It might be that lithium batteries face that or another anti dumping duty and with the taxes on taxes could total a similar figure but the €9 seems to be the standard charge from La Poste.

I have a really good facteur here at the new place, we were discussing the package this morning, I reckon he might be amenable to losing future packages requiring payment, I will see him right with an étrenne this December.

etrenne is a new one on me. Google translates it as "bestowal". I still haven't a clue.

~Thanks for that.

Possibly some historical reference to a box containing a few farthings annually donated by the rich elite given to the starving poor. Doing no more good than salving their version of a conscience.