Import duties on Ebay purchase

[RrogerD]

Purchased a car part on Ebay (or rather my son did) which came from Poland. Item arrived followed a week later by a FedEx invoice asking for an extra £80 odd. What the heck!?

It turns out that in the small print under a separate tab of the advert, that buyer is responsible for import taxes. He hadn't seen that and, quite a sting. 25% kind of a sting!

I know everyone will say; "what do you expect with Brexit" etc but, just wondering if anyone has been able to find a solution to this? The additional terms aren't exactly jumping out at you in the advert. Yes, managed to find them once we knew to look.

Anyone with experience of this? What did you do?

Thanks

 

[CBW]

Unfortunately there’s not a lot you can do, and can’t really comment much, as I can’t see the advert. Ebay are usually fair in terms of opening a resolution, however, if it’s stated on the advert, then not a lot you can do. Don’t think it’s much to do with Brexit, although possibly makes it tougher. I have a tendency to look deep into stuff before ordering from lots of places.

 

[blup]

Anyone with experience of this? What did you do?

Before brexhit I ordered some clothing from the states, it was labelled clothing sample on the package, and as such was an exempt import. Subsequently, an order of router bits had tax added by the UK authorities, so these things are generally picked up. Vendors IME often mislead when they say import taxes are covered, you need to read the small print.

Unfortunately unless you illegally avoid import duties, or find some exemption, I don't believe there is anything you can do.

It is a consequence of brexhit, which we are told will take 50 years for all the benefits to bear fruit. But we have regained control, so some solace there.

Blup

 

[Justin Passing]

Have they got a mechanism yet for recovering your £80 if you sent it back? They didn't used to.

A way round it which I've used many times from the US, only twice from Europe, is to get a mate over there to buy it and check it, then ship it to you declared as broken, value £5, sort of thing. Adds to the shipping, obvs.

 

[SirGalahad]

Have they got a mechanism yet for recovering your £80 if you sent it back? They didn't used to.

A way round it which I've used many times from the US, only twice from Europe, is to get a mate over there to buy it and check it, then ship it to you declared as broken, value £5, sort of thing. Adds to the shipping, obvs.

Ah so tax dodger. Figures.

 

[Justin Passing]

Ah so tax dodger. Figures.

They're duties, not taxes, it's more like fraud. I break speed limits sometimes, too.

 

[SpecialK]

Get the sender to quote for DDP (delivery duty paid)

 

[SirGalahad]

They're duties, not taxes, it's theft.

What about VAT.

So you partake in this skulduggery.

 

[motorbiking]

Was the part new or second hand? How much was it?

 

[ellal]

Purchased a car part on Ebay (or rather my son did) which came from Poland. Item arrived followed a week later by a FedEx invoice asking for an extra £80 odd. What the heck!?

It's that 'brexit bonus'...

And to think an entire year's contribution to the EU was £108

 

[Dork Lard]

The fedex fee is for the import duty + an admin charge. If you refuse/fail to pay you lose any ebay protection.

If you pay & the part gets delivered you can return it under ebay's buyer guarantee. You can reclaim the duty from HMRC but fedex won't refund the admin fee.

You insinuate that the item arrived followed a week later by a fedex invoice? IME the parcel doesn't get released for delivery until the invoice is paid !

 

[RrogerD]

The fedex fee is for the import duty + an admin charge. If you refuse/fail to pay you lose any ebay protection.

If you pay & the part gets delivered you can return it under ebay's buyer guarantee. You can reclaim the duty from HMRC but fedex won't refund the admin fee.

You insinuate that the item arrived followed a week later by a fedex invoice? IME the parcel doesn't get released for delivery until the invoice is paid !

Yes, the part's all fitted now and then the FedEx letter arrived after.
You say, if not paid then lose Ebay protection. Sounds as though we have the choice? The Ebay protection isn't really worth bothering with, not for an additional £80.

 

[Dork Lard]

Yes, the part's all fitted now and then the FedEx letter arrived after.
You say, if not paid then lose Ebay protection. Sounds as though we have the choice? The Ebay protection isn't really worth bothering with, not for an additional £80.

Ebay have a very good, if often abused, "Money Back Guarantee" for buyers. If an item is sent by tracked/signed for postage then if the tracking shows you refused delivery (for whatever reason) then the MBG can be cancelled by the seller.

Ebays MBG gives me the confidence to buy almost anything off the site & I buy a LOT of motorcycle parts. Not so much as a seller, thanks to the MBG I don't sell anything over a £20 - £50 value unless it is collection only.

If an item does not arrive, raise a claim for Item Not Received (INR). Full money back if seller cannot provide tracking showing item delivered.

If an item is not as described (& this can mean many things) then raise a claim for Item Not As Described (INAD). Seller then decides whether thay want the item back by issuing a return postage label (no cost to you). If they don't want it back (economics) then they issue a full refund & you get to keep the item.

If you change your mind or just no longer want an item that has been delivered, then if it is a business seller you can return an item for refund but you pays the return postage (make sure it is tracked/signed for).

 

[motorbiking]

Its unusual to get a Bill after the fact.

VAT in Poland is 23%, 20% in the UK, so if the item was sold for export, thats a 3% saving on VAT

 

[RrogerD]

Its unusual to get a Bill after the fact.

VAT in Poland is 23%, 20% in the UK, so if the item was sold for export, thats a 3% saving on VAT

I think it is more the shock of having done the research, seen the price and paid it, received the item and then, being landed another 25% bill. In hindsight we did find the wording re us being charged for import fees but it took some finding, on a separate tab etc.