UK Customs Clearance Question

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
User avatar
gbbird
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 2849
Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 8:53 pm
CW-watches: 4
Location: Milton Keynes, UK

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by gbbird »

I once purchased a used guitar from the USA for around £750 and had to pay in the region of £90 customs and duty charges
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day

CW - C60 blue, C60 black orange, C600 tit, FLE13
Gerlach - Orp Sokol, P50, LuxSport. Ball Engineer
Omega Speedmaster. Oris Aquis
Longines Hydroconquest
Magrette - Regattare, DualTime, Moana
Craigy235
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 10:27 am

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by Craigy235 »

I am back after a short lie down in a dark room!!!

In answer to a few of the comments I am more than happy to pay my fare dues paying particular attention to the fare part!

In fairness it does seem to be straight forward in querying the fee. In light of this has anyone been through this process and if so do you pay the outstanding fee then query it or do you query then pay when it is reassessed?

Thanks in advance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User avatar
akirk
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3422
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 9:59 pm
CW-watches: 0

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by akirk »

I would query before paying - is there a contact phone number?

Alasdair
Tracking Christopher Ward watch prices on ebay globally at Watchroll
Tracking Bremont watch prices on ebay globally at Watchtrace
mibby
Forumgod
Forumgod
Posts: 841
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2014 3:13 pm
CW-watches: 4

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by mibby »

IME you pay or you don't get your package. Not aware of any appeal procedure.
CWL 2015 FLE, C8 Pilot, C80 Sector; C65 SC; Rolex (5); Omega (4); Tudor (2); Zenith; Breguet; Breitling; Seiko; Vostok (22); Strela; Poljot; Raketa; Sturmanskie; Sea-Gull (2); Universal; Oris; Roamer; Avia; Tissot
User avatar
akirk
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3422
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 9:59 pm
CW-watches: 0

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by akirk »

you can pay, get the goods, then request a refund if you believe you have paid too much - forms here:
https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

Alasdair
Tracking Christopher Ward watch prices on ebay globally at Watchroll
Tracking Bremont watch prices on ebay globally at Watchtrace
User avatar
rcherryuk
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3456
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2008 11:41 am
CW-watches: 8
LE-one: yes
LE-two: yes
LE-three: yes
LE-foura: yes
Location: Haarlem NL

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by rcherryuk »

It'sAliveJim wrote:
Craigy235 wrote:Just been informed I owe £150.39?????


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Why on earth did he declare a value of $650 when it was bought for $325? And I really don't get how customs have come up with £150 on a watch valued at most, £430? My reckoning is about £110, and that includes the Parcel Force fee, but it should have only been about £55 if the actual value had been declared :shock:

Something has gone seriously awry here :?

The most you should pay is about 25%, and that includes the UK postal handling fee. If it was sent via normal mail, this is about £8 (Royal Mail), if it was sent express, it's about £15 (Parcel Farce).
I think that's the insured value, I.e. What it will cost to replace it if lost in transit!

I believe the only solution is to pay and appeal stating the charges have been based on the insured value, not the actual value, and enclose copies of receipts/screenshots of paypal transaction etc.

Then hope the HMRC assessor isn't having a bad day :-)


Rob
Rob

Watches are like Dictionaries; the worst is better than none, and the best cannot be expected to go quite true.
Samuel Johnson
Craigy235
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 10:27 am

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by Craigy235 »

Yeah it must be the case but still seems extremely high even taken the higher values.

Hopefully they see sense cause otherwise this watch will go way beyond the realm of being affordable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User avatar
chester
Expert
Expert
Posts: 241
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2014 10:28 am
CW-watches: 7
Location: South Yorkshire - U.K.

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by chester »

The sender will have had to daclare a value on the item and you will have to pay 20% VAT on that value. The courier usually covers that charge (I'm not exactly sure how it works) and will not release the package to you until the fee and a handling charge have been paid. As others have pointed out the handling charge is usually about £15.
Craigy235
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 10:27 am

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by Craigy235 »

Spoke with customs today and been told that the sender marked the value as $1000. I spoke to him and it was done with the best of intentions.

My question now is do I pay the fee and attempt to claim it back or reject the parcel altogether?

Has anyone had any experience in querying custom charges?

Thanks in advance for your help.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User avatar
akirk
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3422
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 9:59 pm
CW-watches: 0

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by akirk »

did they not offer you the option to show evidence that the value is less?

otherwise, yes I believe that you need to pay the full amount and then reclaim the difference using the forms I linked to above...

Alasdair
Tracking Christopher Ward watch prices on ebay globally at Watchroll
Tracking Bremont watch prices on ebay globally at Watchtrace
Craigy235
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 10:27 am

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by Craigy235 »

Yeah actually they said they would hold the parcel for 21 days I think without charge whilst I query the charges; sorry that was a bit unclear.

My question really is how successful is the query process?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User avatar
akirk
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3422
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 9:59 pm
CW-watches: 0

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by akirk »

I would have thought that it is worth trying - just send them a bank statement / receipt showing the real value - maybe a letter from the seller showing the true value and see what happens - I have tended to find HMRC very helpful when there is no real issue and it is a matter of simply sorting out a mistake...

Alasdair
Tracking Christopher Ward watch prices on ebay globally at Watchroll
Tracking Bremont watch prices on ebay globally at Watchtrace
User avatar
craigski
Senior Guru
Senior Guru
Posts: 456
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:12 am
CW-watches: 2
Location: Guildford, UK

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by craigski »

Not sure of the specific history of this particular item, but if a watch is sold new in the UK VAT is paid when item was sold.

If that same item is then sold to a buyer second hand/used to an overseas seller (lets say USA), and then resold later by the US owner back to a different UK buyer, would VAT still be applicable on the item? Common sense would tell me that VAT was paid at point of sale when it was originally sold as new in the UK, so could there be a case if you can prove (original purchase receipt?) that no VAT would be liable when buying second hand from overseas for an item that was originally purchased in UK?
User avatar
akirk
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3422
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 9:59 pm
CW-watches: 0

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by akirk »

according to the HMRC website - they will still charge you VAT on a second-hand item...
in theory, at the point of exit from the country, VAT may be refundable, therefore at the point of entry / re-entry VAT is payable...

VAT can be payable on second-hand items in the UK as well - a lot can depend on the status of the seller... and the type of item

Alasdair
Tracking Christopher Ward watch prices on ebay globally at Watchroll
Tracking Bremont watch prices on ebay globally at Watchtrace
User avatar
craigski
Senior Guru
Senior Guru
Posts: 456
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:12 am
CW-watches: 2
Location: Guildford, UK

Re: UK Customs Clearance Question

Post by craigski »

Thanks Alasdair. Just trying to understand this a bit more, lets work through an example:

1) Craigski buys a CW watch new from CWL in the UK for £1000 + VAT (total £1,200)
2) Craigski sells the watch to Kip (in the US) as a private seller & buyer (neither are VAT registered) for £900, shipped from UK to US.
3) Alasdair then buys the same watch as a private buyer (not VAT registered) from Kip for £700, shipped back from US to UK

Am I correct in thinking that Alasdair would have to pay VAT & Admin charges on the £700 transaction in (3), even though Craigski has already paid the VAT in transaction (1)?

Could Craigski claim the £200 VAT back he paid in (1) even though he is not VAT registered?

It seems to me the HMRC are the only winners here, as they are taxing the same item twice :?

Apologies Craig235 for hi-jacking thread, could get confusing as there are 2 Craigs :D
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post