mazandcol

I think it will only apply to second home owners, not all visitors.

Nothing to do with mixing menthe, but it would save a lot of faff if it was! 🙂

Thank you Dave, at least the price is a little better, maybe I'll have to bite the bullet if I want it. I still don't understand the problem and why the cost is so stupid (other than Fever Tree is overpriced). The 20cl bottles cost as much as I used to pay for a litre. What's happened. Thanks anyway.

Thanks anotherbanana, that's the right stuff, but what a price???? Over 11 euros a litre plus delivery. Ouch!!!! Thanks anyway, much appreciated

Soda Water has Bicarbonate of Soda in it, the other 'gassey' stuff is just pumped with CO2 - i.e. carbonated with carbon gas!

Good afternoon all, I've been buying Soda Water (proper soda water, NOT simply gassed water) online for quite a while now, as it's impossible to find in any shops round here. Tonic Water's freely available anywhere, but not Soda Water. However, I can no longer find it even online in France. One by one each supplier has stopped supplies! It's nowhere to be found. Anybody had the same problem? Has anybody got any idea why Soda Water has suddenly become a forbidden product, or even better does someone know a supplier...

Hi all, we've been away for a few days, so we haven't been keeping up with online 'stuff'. Just want to say thank you for all the replies/comments. We think the problem is obviously at both sides of the Channel - our daughter was definitely given bad/wring advice at the Post Office (a customs form should never have been filled in for a card - a home-made card at that) and why on earth the Douanes thought it worthy of 'inspection' AND to impose import tax is anybody's guess. We know all about the issues with products ordered online and choose suppliers accordingly, but this was never a 'product', it was never a 'purchase'. The point of the OP was just to highlight yet another variation in Post-Brexit beaurocracy. Same delivery, two items, both with customs declarations - one saying chocolate, the other saaying hand-made birthday card. Chocolate free, birthday card 20 euros?????

Thanks Dave exactly what I thought. Helpful to have your feedback. It looks as though there are problems at both sides of the Channel. My daughter was advised to fill in a Custom Form?!*

I'm writing to flag up a new problem with Customs Duty. At least it is to us, totally bizarre. Today I received a parcel for my birthday without any problem at all. No extra charge. At the same time the Post Lady delivered a card my daughter had made for me. I was asked to pay 20€ !!! Twenty euros for a small card which had been stopped [and searched 😊] at Customs. When I asked why 20 euros was required, of course I received a Gallic shrug. I realise it is not the fault of our very pleasant Post woman. Whose fault is it? Any ideas? Also, can I complain? Who makes these ridiculous decisions? Last year I was asked for €10 for a small book [another present]. Soo, now double the price for a card? Ridiculous. I would be very interested to know of anyone with similar problems eg the inconsistency and if they did anything about it. Thank you, Maz.

My wife has just spoken to our daughter in law in England. She has just had her colour palette done and Marie is interested in doing the same. We live in Lot et Garonne. Does anybody know of a Colour Consultant who does colour swatches for women?

Ahh, but at least it's a BLUE passport... 😄

Hi everybody and thanks for your comments. Yes, I was expecting the delivery and it is legit - they quoted the order, the sender etc etc - I was just surprised I was charged even though there was no tax due, so thanks for explaining Harnser. I have paid online and received a receipt via email, followed by a confirmation of delivery date. I always try to buy from French suppliers first (especially after Brexit) and I tried everywhere for ages but not available at all in France. I also tried to find different suppliers in UK, but they were the only ones who would send to France. Now I know if I ever used them again I need to add 8.50 to the price.

Good morning, I wasn't sure where to put this but have opted for 'Legal'. I am expecting something to be delivered from the UK. This morning I had a facture via email from Chronopost for paiement de droits et taxes of 8.50 euros. I went to pay online (because I want the item) but it stated clearly that there was '0' tax due but the 8.50 is the admin charge plus TVA. Has anyone else come across this - being charged simply for the admin of calculating that no tax is actually due?

Just a quick update... I bought an Amazon Firestick Lite (cheapest) and just installed ExpressVPN and all the UK players. Works great and relatively easy, just a couple of extra stages to click through, that's all. Thank you Lehaut

Thanks for that Lehaut, I'll have a go. I assume your Fire Stick is plugged directly into the TV and replaces the need for the PC/cable - is that correct? Do you know if that would affect my current Prime and Netflix apps? One other thought I had was to maybe look at an IPTV streaming service - anybody any experience of using one of those here in France? Thanks again Lehaut

We've been happily watching UK TV via Freesat for years, but recently the start of renovations on the chateau ruins opposite the house have resulted in scaffolding so complex and large (and on top of a 30+ meter cliff) that we have completely lost signal from the satellite. So I'm looking at internet options for UK TV. Unfortunately our TV is a Samsung and I cannot install a VPN directly, so today I tried using the Smart DNS facility to use Express VPN, but can't seem to get it to work at all - even worse it prevents Netflix and Prime Video apps from functioning. Has anybody here managed to use Express VPN on a Samsung TV and if so, how? Any other suggestions gratefully received as the restoration work will be ongoing until next April - which of course means May, or June or....

Hi Robson, this might help... https://www.impots.gouv.fr/international-particulier/questions/declaring-foreign-bank-accounts-and-life-insurance-policies-held Good luck

A personal favourite, and the shortest joke I've heard.... Venison's dear!

Latest update and a strange right hand/left hand example. today I received an email regarding my driving license renewal, saying to look at my account on ANTS. Sure enough there was a message saying I was missing a ID doc (I'd sent passport in May). They wanted a copy of my Titre de Sejour - they even quoted its number, the date it started and the date it expires (10 years). So they know I have one, and all the details - but I still have to supply a scan. Duh!!! I might add, we only received our cards on Tuesday afternoon, even though we applied last October.

Latest response from Book Depository: "It seems to be a glitch somewhere along the line. Our team is working with the service provider in order to get this issue resolved as soon as possible." So definitely UPS.

Perhaps UPS are! But I TRY to be generous and think it's just somebody in the office who doesn't understand the new rules. I don't think it's the driver - the same guy delivered a book from Book Depository last week sans 'Frais Annexe' - but you never know.

Thanks Norman, very useful links and as you say "the plot thickens". The paper the driver showed me with the amount due had no indication whatsoever regarding what it was for or how it was calculated - just 'Frais Annexe'... I've just had a reply from Book Depository and they're obviously having a bit of a problem here. They say that all local VAT and any import duty are paid by them and included in the final price at checkout. They say they are "currently working to resolve this issue" which means we're not the first. I have asked if UPS have given them a reason for the charge(s) - we'll see if I get any answer.

Norman, I don't think it can be the TVA for a couple of reasons. First, TVA at 20% would mean the book was worth 50 euros - which it clearly wasn't. Second, why did we receive a similar book, from the same supplier, last week (also after 01 July) without any extra fees? I've contacted the supplier about this and wait for their response.

Thanks very much for this Pomme. Very useful. Obviously it was a present so we didn't actually order the book, however, I'll email Book Depository and let them know that UPS tried to charge us on delivery (my wife declined to accept) and so they should ask what UPS are up to. As I said, we paid nothing extra last week.

My wife has just had a delivery by UPS - a birthday present from her sister in UK - and the courier wanted 10 euros for import fees. It was a book sent from The Book Depository. There was no customs stamp or form or any 'official' paperwork, just a computer printout from UPS stating that 'Frais Annexe' was due on delivery. She received a very similar present last week - also from The Book Depository - and didn't have anything to pay. Are UPS pulling a fast one here? We're interested to hear if anyone else has had similar experiences and/or inconsistencies. Looking on the Douane website for advice, it really isn't clear what you pay import on and what you don't - let alone how much. If anybody has knowledge on this fiasco, it would be very useful.