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Sun Oct 30, 2005 12:18 pm |
Hi
Last few orders from EDS have had huge crippling charges from Customs and also the PO, Parcel Force alone want £13.50 fo a clearance fee (ouch).
Is this happening to anyone else in the UK? Or does anyone have a way around this as it's not worth my while buying from EDS now.. sniffle, sniffle.
Help. |
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Mabsy
Moderator
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Posts: 9644
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Mon Oct 31, 2005 2:10 am |
The UK seems to be pretty strict on any overseas purchases - there have been posts about this before and it seems to be a luck thing. Sometimes you get hit and sometimes you don't. |
_________________ 45, NW20, combination skin |
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Mon Oct 31, 2005 4:28 am |
If the goods come to more than £18 then you are liable to customs charges. Customs have clamped down on packages recently and so you are more likely to get caught. If you place large orders from overseas then you stand a good chance of getting all those hefty charges from C&E and the Post Office. |
_________________ Pale, freckles, oily/combination, dehydrated. Hormonal break-outs. 30s, some fine lines appearing around the eyes. |
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Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:00 am |
it generally is hit and miss but more and more customs are charging as this usually happens at this time of year, the closer it gets to christmas, the more people order from overseas, the more customs want to get 'their' slice and the less likely your package will slip through the 'net'.
if you have a order worth more than £18 if it is in a small box it has a greater chance of getting through but unfortunately you should ALWAYS expect to pay customs charges and factor them in to the final cost. if you don't pay them then it becomes a bonus! |
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Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:23 am |
I know all about Customs, I'm asking if it is affecting anyone else in the UK as all my packages are being charged and have been for a while.
Just wondering if this is happening to anyone else?
Thanks |
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Mabsy
Moderator
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Posts: 9644
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Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:28 am |
sarahb wrote: |
I know all about Customs, I'm asking if it is affecting anyone else in the UK as all my packages are being charged and have been for a while.
Just wondering if this is happening to anyone else?
Thanks |
Well the answer would be "yes" - to some extent. As was said, this is hit and miss. You've gone through a stretch where all your parcels have been charged, some have had the same happen, some got away with a few and some got away with many. Do a search for the previous posts about customs and you can find out what's been happening to other people in the UK as well... |
_________________ 45, NW20, combination skin |
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Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:06 am |
Appreciate your reply Mabsy but I'm asking other UK members if they've had problems and been charged by the post office as well as Customs. |
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Mon Oct 31, 2005 8:46 am |
they both charge. If you check the label it directs you to the website where it explains something about even though customs stop the package it's the PO that open it since they're the carrier, so they have to be present when it's opened, searched, sealed...something along those lines |
_________________ Using. ADCE day & night |
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Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:54 am |
Toe wrote: |
If the goods come to more than £18 then you are liable to customs charges. Customs have clamped down on packages recently and so you are more likely to get caught. If you place large orders from overseas then you stand a good chance of getting all those hefty charges from C&E and the Post Office. |
Did you get caught on the VS bras and knickers I sent you? |
_________________ Über-oily,semi-sensitive, warm/fair-skinned redhead, 38...Will swap/shop for members outside U.S. and/or make homemade skincare products upon demand-PM me for details. |
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Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:56 am |
carekate wrote: |
Did you get caught on the VS bras and knickers I sent you? |
I think you might have me confused with somebody else. |
_________________ Pale, freckles, oily/combination, dehydrated. Hormonal break-outs. 30s, some fine lines appearing around the eyes. |
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Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:59 am |
My packages are not being opened, it's because the value on them is stated at actual price. I don't know why Parcel FArce charge so much.
Is this happening to anyone else in the UK? |
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Tue Nov 01, 2005 1:59 am |
carekate wrote: |
Toe wrote: |
If the goods come to more than £18 then you are liable to customs charges. Customs have clamped down on packages recently and so you are more likely to get caught. If you place large orders from overseas then you stand a good chance of getting all those hefty charges from C&E and the Post Office. |
Did you get caught on the VS bras and knickers I sent you? |
Toe- I think it was for me Nope, came through no problems at all |
_________________ Using. ADCE day & night |
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Tue Nov 01, 2005 5:10 am |
Why does it matter whether it is happening to other people or not? What will you do - ask customs back for your money if it didn't happen to others?
The reason why I stated what I did is because that is what the facts are. And it answers your question of does it happen to other users - sometimes yes, sometimes no. And as it is coming closer to Xmas more and more UK users will have this happening to them.
It is a fact of imports that you have to allow for customs and post office charges and factor them in to the final cost! And like I said, if it comes through and you don't have to pay them, then great! A bonus! |
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Tue Nov 01, 2005 8:57 am |
yusufosman wrote: |
Why does it matter whether it is happening to other people or not? What will you do - ask customs back for your money if it didn't happen to others?
The reason why I stated what I did is because that is what the facts are. And it answers your question of does it happen to other users - sometimes yes, sometimes no. And as it is coming closer to Xmas more and more UK users will have this happening to them.
It is a fact of imports that you have to allow for customs and post office charges and factor them in to the final cost! And like I said, if it comes through and you don't have to pay them, then great! A bonus! |
well it matters with regards to whether you will buy from site knowing you will have to pay £20.00 on top of the price you've already paid - that is bad for business and will put people off. It won't be a matter of chance if the way an item is shipped is altered so that every package gets stopped.
More to the point...what ever happened to free trade? Like most things labelled as free, there ain't no such thing. |
_________________ Using. ADCE day & night |
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Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:45 am |
eve i was reponding to sarahb
I know all about Customs, I'm asking if it is affecting anyone else in the UK as all my packages are being charged and have been for a while.
Just wondering if this is happening to anyone else?
Thanks
what i meant to sarahb was that why does it matter if it was happening to other people - as a UK citizen you should know UK trade laws. they state that you will pay taxes on items imported in to the country. therefore whether it has happened to other people or not doesn't matter. you can't claim your money back from customs. if it happens to you, then that is what is SUPPOSED to happen. if it doesn't then like i said it should be a bonus. and as i mentioned before, you should ALWAYS factor custom costs in to your final purchase price then you won't be disappointed.
free trade - there isn't such a thing! what free trade means is that we are free to trade with other countries if you want. not that we won't be charged for the priviledge.
that is bad for business and will put people off. - that is exactly what customs charges are for - to put you off buying from abroad, and encourage domestic sales! and as you see, that is exactly what they do!
i live in the UK too and i am affected by these charges when i order from EDS and i don't like it either! my point was is that it is a customs law
also it isn't just commercial products that are liable for taxes. EVEN GIFTS CAN INCUR taxes and don't assume that packages marked gifts will be free of tax. |
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Mabsy
Moderator
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Posts: 9644
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Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:55 am |
I think the differentiation here is that Sarah is talking about charges by Parcel Force rather than customs. If Parcel Force is a courier company then perhaps that includes customs fees? I'm not sure as I'm not from the UK and I'm not familiar with Parcel Force but from their website they look like couriers (??). However, I can tell you that couriers in Australia have a handling fee for getting the parcel through customs if customs decide to inspect it, but not otherwise. It might be best to call up Parcel Force and ask what the rules are. It might also be good to alert EDS to the situation IF it turns out that Parcel Force has a handling fee on ALL parcels it handles. |
_________________ 45, NW20, combination skin |
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Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:05 am |
yusufosman wrote: |
eve i was reponding to sarahb
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then I hope you'll understand that some have taken your response to be merely saying 'tough shit quit moaning'
as it is we pay over the odds for most of our goods in the UK, we get ripped off, anytime we look to save a few quid the doors get slammed.
It's just a shame that EDS has had to change it's shipping due to items being returned - I believe a poster stated that when they contacted them. I would be curious to note if this has affected sales. |
_________________ Using. ADCE day & night |
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Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:19 am |
i totally understand! we have less choice(than some), pay more for everything and it is getting increasingly difficult to save a few bob. i'm totally fuming about it. i was only trying to make people aware that you do have to pay customs and you do have to also pay a charge to either the post office or parcelforce to do the 'clearing' for you. what this means is that they pay customs the charge on your behalf, collect the parcel and store it, send you a card until you come to collect it. if i believe correct, post office always charges £4 if there is a customs charge, with parcelforce it costs either £13.50 or £8.
EDS did say they couldn't label items as gifts as they were being returned.
where do you live sarahb? i am wondering how you can avoid paying £13.50 and instead pay the more reasonable post office charge of £4. i don't know how customs decides whether to pass the parcel to post office or parcelforce, it could be by address, or size of package. did you place a large order? maybe that needs to be avoided.
sorry to everyone for sounding harsh! |
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Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:46 am |
Depressing in'it? I'm going to look at that Duchovny pic to make myself feel better |
_________________ Using. ADCE day & night |
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Wed Nov 02, 2005 5:41 am |
i'm going to play with my new PDA which is keeping me busy at work today |
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Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:12 am |
yusufosman
I asked if it was affecting anyone else because all my packages from EDS are being charged and maybe I'm paranoid but I wondered if they were looking out for packages to me, that was the reason, as simple as that!
Yes I realise I have to pay the fees, I'm not trying to get out of that, I just wondered if it was happening to other UK'ers then should I risk placing more orders when I'm going to be charged £20-£30 on top each time.
As to the difference in the clearance fees (as I stated in another post), if EDS send your items insured then they will go via Parcel FArce (a courier), who charge a standard £13.50 clearance fee (to accept your package). If EDS don't send them insured then they go via Royal Mail who charge £4 clearance fee.
EDS have to put the correct value on packages, but maybe it would be a good idea to request that they don't send them insured, then if they are stopped by Customs you 'only' pay the £4 clearance fee from Royal Mail (and the customs fee).
What does pee me off, is our limit. What can you buy for £18?? When was that limit set, (probably decades ago), it needs to be seriously revised. We have to pay over the top for everything as it is, for instance I want to buy my mum some Decleor Vitaroma Body cream for Christmas, it costs around £32 from EDS and retails for £52 in the UK??!?! £20 more??? Why?! Arrrrrgggh! |
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Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:29 am |
i really don't understand why the rule for commenrcial items is £18 and for gifts £36 - i mean what can you get for that much these days?! they do need to revise it!
i didn't realise EDS were sending all their orders insured delivery. it is putting me off ordering if i have to pay extra on top!
sob. sob. what are we to do?
i'm guess import laws are not on the govts priority list... |
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Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:33 am |
i have never really understood that actually, why everything is more expensive in the UK. i always presumed it was because there were fewer people in the UK say compared to the US, so as a market we pay more as the company will sell less here than compared to the states - smaller market and less competition on prices. but that doesn't make sense anymore on the international scene where customers know how much products cost elsewhere. it just makes the list of things that we are ripped off for in the UK more obscene. |
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Mabsy
Moderator
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Posts: 9644
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Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:53 pm |
I guess you need to consider what would happen if you ordered from a place (any place, not necessarily EDS) and your parcel got lost. Would you expect them to resend the items at their cost or would you just say "Oh, well, I'm just unlucky and my $200 order went missing". Sometimes orders are lost, or are delayed by the PO or customs, and then people complain (publically) about the company, the company resends the items at their cost, the customer then receives the resent order and a few weeks later their order that was held up by customs for some reason. I have seen this happen many times on the Internet - customers bagging all sorts of companies they ordered from because their order got delayed by the PO (which they didn't know at the time and which is difficult to find out because the parcel isn't trackable).
While I can appreciate the pain of having to pay extra for getting the insured parcels, I can 100% understand why companies are now making a move to sending items via insured trackable post. It seems to be one of those "damned if you do and damned if you don't" things. |
_________________ 45, NW20, combination skin |
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Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:45 pm |
I used to send my grandma in the UK parcels a lot...Whether they were registered or not she never got them. I think there's something fishy about their postal system. Even my registered money orders have gone missing. Now we have the bank wire her money electronically. |
_________________ Combination - dehyrdated, acne, sensitive, late 20's. |
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