Increased customs charges when receiving in UK from abroad - input needed re: US-UK & UK-US posting?

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**Kilkrazy**

alphaecho wrote:
Up until recently I'd only received a tax bill + Royal Mail handling on one of my Victoria Miniatures orders. That order was over £100 though. Other orders of anywhere between £20 and £60 had slipped through the net. My two most recent orders have both incurred extra costs. IDoes that mean I was lucky in the past or are the rules being more closely followed now? Who knows?

My plan will be just to make larger single orders less often. Paying the tax doesn't irk me as much as the Royal Mail handling fee. I'd rather pay one big fee plus one handling charge than incur multiples.

In my experience the system has become tighter and it is more common to be charged the fees. I assume this is because the government is desperate for taxes, but it may also be because of Royal Mail being privatised, getter more efficient at collecting the fees, or for fear of terrorism, or all of these causes.

It does make small orders very dicy. There is nothing worse than paying £13.50 of fees on a parcel worth under £20, as happened to me a few months ago.

**Stranger83**

What I've also noticed of late is a growing tendency to assume a 1-1 exchange rate. So if something is $80 then they charge VAT on £80 and not the more accurate £48.

Yet another reason why I now tend to ask international sellers to ship anything (not just minis) via a proper delivery company

**gothmog**

Greetings all! It's been a while.

In the good ole USA, we don't have to pay duties or fees for personal purchases shipped from over seas. God knows the govt taxes us enough, so I'm grateful for small favors. Of course, give it some time and they will probably start charging duties and fees.

**MrMoustaffa**

I'll be able to speak more when my package shows up, but I know shipping in general definitely seems to have gone up when I look at buying things from the UK.

**Mecha**

MrMoustaffa wrote:
I'll be able to speak more when my package shows up, but I know shipping in general definitely seems to have gone up when I look at buying things from the UK.

That parcel was SO heavy for its size with all those epic tanks - Id be surprised if they didnt check it.

**MrMoustaffa**

Mecha wrote:
MrMoustaffa wrote:
I'll be able to speak more when my package shows up, but I know shipping in general definitely seems to have gone up when I look at buying things from the UK.

That parcel was SO heavy for its size with all those epic tanks - Id be surprised if they didnt check it.

As long as the customs fees aren't epic I'll be happy