Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So, a little while back I got a Warhound Titan, but thanks to space limitations I was unable to take it with me from California where I live back to Scotland where I go to uni. I finally managed to convince my parents to send it to me, and to be safe we took out a $500 insurance policy on the parcel just to be safe...

Right now, according to tracking from the UK side, the package is being held up for some kind of 'charges' that they want me to pay. I was wondering if any of the British dakkaites could help enlighten me: a) is there some kind of additional tarriff/tax for bringing something worth more than x amount into the UK? and b) would I have to pay said fee considering the item I'm bringing back is a product manufactured by a British company in Britain?


Preemptive thanks all.

How did you send it/what service did you use? What did you classify the package as?

What organisation is holding the package in the UK?

Could be customs fee but you haven't given us any info except 'charges'.

How was it declared on the customs declaration that all international parcels should have on them?

Was the word "toy" used at all?

Or did you do the safe thing and call it "Scale model X"?

Toys attract import tarriffs. Often around 35%.
May or may not impinge on the allowance before taxes are payable.
Scale models do not.

Important difference.

I sent it from the US using the United States Postal Service, and it's currently being held by Parcel Force, which I guess is a contractor for Royal Mail....Unfortunately, the phrase 'charges' is all the information I have on the matter, the tracking on the UK side says it got to a local distribution center and is now 'Awaiting payment of charges'. Which is why I went to dakka to see if anyone else had had this issue.

I'm not sure what the actual customs declaration says, as it was my parents who filled it out. I'll check with them as soon as I can though.

It will be for a payment of customs charges and fees associated with paying them.

You are allowed to bring in about £160 of goods in your luggage. Parcels worth over £18 are often charged customs duties.

I had a nasty experience once when I bought a secondhand camera from the USA and got hit with about £100 of fees. I was unaware that the fees can be charged on secondhand items.

Before contacting Parcel Force you had better get the valuation of the kit from the Forge World site, as Parcel Force may have charged the customs fees based on the declared insurance value.

Ah, alright then. Thanks KK. I've got the receipt from Forge World here as well, so I'll show them that when I call them up later today.

I had this happen to me when I got my Zuzzy mat from the US. They held it up for about a week and I recieved a letter saying I needed to pay the fee's (This was parcel force as well). The place they were holding it was only a 10 minute drive from my house so I popped down there and queried it and they just gave it to me
I'm not saying it will be the same in your case, but its aways worth just checking with them first.

Called them and they want a £70.56 customs charge before they'll send it to me. x.X =Mutters under breath=

Ask them for a statement of the charges. You may be able to dispute them.

Already on it, they said they wan a Custome Form C3, a statement signed by the university saying that I actually study here, and a form they attached to the package. I'll still have to pay them the money, but they'll reimburse me once I get them those forms.

If you plan on sending/taking it back to the USA you can look at temporary import liecenses

Kilkrazy wrote:Ask them for a statement of the charges. You may be able to dispute them.

Considering that VAT on a warhound and weapons is £62 and they get to charge you a fee for customs clearance I don't see how he can dispute a charge of £70.

I'm wondering whether he can dispute it on the grounds that it is not a bought item or gift, it is his personal possession being shipped to him.

The Customs web page is not clear on the matter, but there is a help line.

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014&propertyType=document#P23_2088

This is the one that you're looking for:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/sending.htm

However, the conditions are pretty specific and the OP doesn't qualify. He needs to pursue the temporary importation line since he's going to re-export the item.

Good Job, Scott-S6!

Thats only if it was bought when he lived in UK, not shipped straight to american address, otherwise, VAT will have to go on.

Only thing that could be quibbled is retail value-which is not the same as brand new from forgeworld. You would have issues proving it though.

Scott-S6 wrote:This is the one that you're looking for:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/sending.htm

However, the conditions are pretty specific and the OP doesn't qualify. He needs to pursue the temporary importation line since he's going to re-export the item.

...While that may be the case, when I talked to Customs they basically told me I'd have to pay the fee, send them a form, and then they'd reimburse me for the costs. o.O

ChrisWWII wrote:

Scott-S6 wrote:This is the one that you're looking for:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/sending.htm

However, the conditions are pretty specific and the OP doesn't qualify. He needs to pursue the temporary importation line since he's going to re-export the item.

...While that may be the case, when I talked to Customs they basically told me I'd have to pay the fee, send them a form, and then they'd reimburse me for the costs. o.O

Exactly, once it's hit customs you have to pay and claim it back.

Ah, ok that makes sense then. Thanks guys, I've made the payment, and now I'm just waiting for the package to arrive so I can finish the claim form.