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Post Brexit import fees


mazandcol
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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.
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I think UPS are wrong.

You should contact Book Depository

From their web site

https://www.bookdepository.com/help/topic/HelpId/3/Which-countries-do-you-deliver-to#helpContent

Will I have to pay any extra fees to get my order in the EU?

The prices on our website and what you pay at checkout is the final price. You will not have to pay any additional charges or fees at delivery.
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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.

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Is it connected  to this change since the 1st July  about which I posted previously ?

TVA dans le e-commerce

À compter du 1er juillet 2021,

la TVA est due sur l'ensemble des envois importés de pays tiers à

destination de l'Union européenne, quelle que soit leur valeur.

Auparavant, les envois d'une valeur inférieure à 22 €

étaient exonérés. Par ailleurs, dans certains cas précis, les

plateformes qui facilitent des ventes en ligne de marchandises importées

de pays tiers sont désormais redevables de la TVA, indépendamment de la

valeur de l'envoi. La TVA n'est donc plus systématiquement exigée

auprès du client final lors de la livraison.

This is not the same a the customs duty which was already in place

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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.
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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.
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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.
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Book Depository are owned by Amazon. I think somehow they know all about taxes and import duties worldwide.

I suspect the problem will be with UPS thinking it is UK goods without any customs declaration so they are assuming something is still due.

From my limited experience of Amazon UK purchases this year, Amazon bulk ship, usually to Belgium or the Netherlands as the first delivery point with all taxes/duties paid. The bulk is then broken down into individual items and the individual items sent on from there as EU-originated goods, so no need for contents labels, etc.
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I tried to order a small folding version of my mobility scooter so it could go in the boot of a friend's car if we went out for the day.

Despite it being on Amazon.fr when I was about to pay it flashed up that it couldn't be delivered to a French address!

Not that impressed with Amazon after that.

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Norman wrote: I tried to order a small folding version of my mobility scooter so it could go in the boot of a friend's car if we went out for the day.

Despite it being on Amazon.fr when I was about to pay it flashed up that it couldn't be delivered to a French address!

Not that impressed with Amazon after that.

That sounds as though it was another company using the Amazon Marketplace rather than Amazon FR being responsible for supply and delivery.
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l have to say that my feeling / certainty is that the carriers like UPS & DHL are having a ‘field day’. Slap a €10 or €20 charge (strange isn’t it, how it’s always a round number of euros?) on to just about any delivery and most of the time ...... the recipient pays. Where that money ends up is anybody’s guess.

I’ve had this. UPS said they couldn’t deliver (wrong, we were here), then a posted invoice for €20. No possibility of contacting them - no phone no, no email address.

I quickly gave up - life is too short. Told Amazon and the cost of the product & carriage was refunded overnight. Where that consignment ended up is anybody’s guess. Not good, because we all pay for this nonsense in the end.

Brexit has of course given us all of these advantages.

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