Customs & Excise

[BAZZER 10]

Not just Nottingham, but as a Nottinghamite I feel that I can vent my anger here:

What do you guys do about customs & excise ?

I’m in the U.K and just bought what was initially a bargain from the U.S.

I paid $45 (£29) for a watch. It now transpires that I have to pay an additional fee of almost £14 out of my pocket – to this stinking system. [over £5 Vat plus £8 Post Office – so called ‘handling fee’ !?]

As a retired & disabled private individual, I hadn’t realised what another rip-off scheme that our government were running.

A private individual colleague in the states wants to sell an item to a friend in the U.K. It has nothing to do with either government. The governments are not party to the financing, service, licensing, personal needs of the transaction – but they want to make me pay an extra £14 for doing bu99er all. This is on top of taxing all my monies before I even get it (actually I do agree on some sort of income tax – another story). That’s 50% of the value of the item !

Obviously the seller didn’t want to break the law by saying anything wrong on the customs slip,,,,, but this is a complete rip off IMHO.

,,,,,,,,,, right,,, I can breathe again now,,,,,,,,,

[ube 38]

Sounds a bit like wot my mate went through....as a boy his dad started him racing motox.....his dad backed him all the way and then when he was old enough his dad got him into road racing....he backed on this too untill my mate was spotted and there after sponsored.......Now my mate made it big time......his dad in the mean time ad hit tight times......So my mate wanted to sell his house to his dad......the house was worth £220,000 and he wanted to let his dad av it for £150,000(he wanted to give it to his dad but his dad is a very pround man and wouldnt have any of that!!).....But like magic the taxman turned up at bloody 8am in the morning....lol.....anyway they said no way are they going to let him do the deal with his dad at that price....when asked why the guy replied "we`re not happy with our cut on such a deal.....if you selll the house at that price we will bill you for the rest to make up for what we lost"...........

[rob237 89]

Not just the UK...

My son's Yamaha Wildstar 'bike has sat in my garage, on trickle charge, for four years.

His recent enquiries of the Thai authorities on import duty payable to his home came up with £9.800...double it's value!

Based on the premise that Yamaha have no Thai production, and they seek to protect their resident manufacturers.

Seems Muggins will carry on trickling, awaiting the fortnight of riding during his annual June visit...

Cheers

Robt P.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

A common trick is to use the term "second hand or used" on the form. To comply, all the seller needs to do, is remove the item from its packing, in the case of a watch, slip it on the wrist, then replace it in the package. No lies involved, and said equipment worth half now!!!

Friend of mine purchased a Kenwood ham radio for another mate who lives in Kirkby. The radio sells for half the UK price stateside, he unpacked the radio, put it on air for an hour, said gear is now "used equipment" and drew no UK import duty! No lies told and everone was happy!

[BAZZER 10]

If I read the data correctly - The Customs & Excise can still take their 'cut' - even on a gift / used / returned object depending on value ! Absolutely obscene.

I would be willing to lie through my teeth nowadays to get around this,,,, but that presents some problems:

The seller will not always comply (as in this case)

Any claim for recompense would be on the noted value (if say the £100 watch was being 'bought' for £17.50 [[£18 being the VaT step]] then if it went missing, you could only claim £17.50,,,, not the £100 !

It's all a bloody scam - that we put up with........ grrrrrrrr

it's no wonder that Joe (& Mrs) Bloggs take to underhand tactics.