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Post Brexit import experiences

Pandemic

One Too Many
Messages
1,503
Location
In The Flat Field
I just got hit for import duties from DHL. That didn’t happen with the LL or FL they sent last year, valued around the same price or more. I’m not complaining, the pound is so low it’s still a great deal - I just find the inconsistency strange.
 

Hh121

Banned
Messages
3,004
I just got hit for import duties from DHL. That didn’t happen with the LL or FL they sent last year, valued around the same price or more. I’m not complaining, the pound is so low it’s still a great deal - I just find the inconsistency strange.
I thought no tax under $800? How much is your import tax?
 

Canuck Panda

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,130
I just got hit for import duties from DHL. That didn’t happen with the LL or FL they sent last year, valued around the same price or more. I’m not complaining, the pound is so low it’s still a great deal - I just find the inconsistency strange.

How you like the Rockafella? Or are you just paying duties online first and still waiting for delivery? DHL does that. Sends an email/txt asking for money way before they even reach our shores.
 

Berton

New in Town
Messages
9

That's nothing. I had to pay €225 when I imported my LL Cyclone.
What? As far as I can see, DHL can do what it wishes.

In my case, I want to buy a pair of jeans in Aero Leather, the price is: £325 - £32.50 (discount code)= £292.50

Now, shipping costs:

£292.50+£22.50= £315

I'm in the EU, the unit of currency here is the euro. £315= €364.79

But Aero does not accept payment in euros.


Which currencies do you accept?
All monies paid to us are converted to Pounds Sterling (GBP).


Any customers wishing to pay in other currencies will ask their card supplier or bank to convert the money before payment. This may incur an admin charge and the value will of course be subject to fluctuating exchange rates.

My bank apply a foreign exchange fee on currency conversions (3%)= €10.94

In my country:

Import duties (2,5%)= €9.11
VAT (21%)= €76.60

For the moment,

€364.79 + €9.11 + €76.60= €450.5 + exchange fee= €461.44

High price but similar to what a UK customer would pay. I have no complaint.

The real problem is DHL with the Single Administrative Document (SAD) or (DAU), (DUA), depending on the country:

+€30, €50, €100, €200, €225? Whatever they want to charge? What guarantee does an Aero Leather customer have that DHL will not charge him/her abusively? I imagine there will be a solution.
 

willyto

One Too Many
Messages
1,616
Location
Barcelona
What? As far as I can see, DHL can do what it wishes.

In my case, I want to buy a pair of jeans in Aero Leather, the price is: £325 - £32.50 (discount code)= £292.50

Now, shipping costs:

£292.50+£22.50= £315

I'm in the EU, the unit of currency here is the euro. £315= €364.79

But Aero does not accept payment in euros.


Which currencies do you accept?
All monies paid to us are converted to Pounds Sterling (GBP).


Any customers wishing to pay in other currencies will ask their card supplier or bank to convert the money before payment. This may incur an admin charge and the value will of course be subject to fluctuating exchange rates.

My bank apply a foreign exchange fee on currency conversions (3%)= €10.94

In my country:

Import duties (2,5%)= €9.11
VAT (21%)= €76.60

For the moment,

€364.79 + €9.11 + €76.60= €450.5 + exchange fee= €461.44

High price but similar to what a UK customer would pay. I have no complaint.

The real problem is DHL with the Single Administrative Document (SAD) or (DAU), (DUA), depending on the country:

+€30, €50, €100, €200, €225? Whatever they want to charge? What guarantee does an Aero Leather customer have that DHL will not charge him/her abusively? I imagine there will be a solution.
I've always paid less with DHL than going through local customs and national courier.

Same with GSP from Ebay, always paid less and same with paying upfront taxes through a store located outside EU.

I recently made a purchase of 224 USD plus 25 USD shipping. And from the store I paid upfront 53 USD. so in total it's 300 USD. If I had received the package through regular courier and then doing payment through customs it would have been a tariff on the 249 USD and then taxes applied to that amount and then handling fees which would have been higher.

I recently received a Hat from Australia and I had to pay +40€ for something valued $150 so....
 

Berton

New in Town
Messages
9
VAT is high at 21%. In Canada it's 12% HST. And no duty from UK. DHL charges $35 flat fee for admin cost.

12% is already high, so 21% is EXTREMELY high.

I've always paid less with DHL than going through local customs and national courier.

Same with GSP from Ebay, always paid less and same with paying upfront taxes through a store located outside EU.

I recently made a purchase of 224 USD plus 25 USD shipping. And from the store I paid upfront 53 USD. so in total it's 300 USD. If I had received the package through regular courier and then doing payment through customs it would have been a tariff on the 249 USD and then taxes applied to that amount and then handling fees which would have been higher.

I recently received a Hat from Australia and I had to pay +40€ for something valued $150 so....

If you paid $40 for a $150 hat, that means for me it might be $120!!!!!!!! I was hoping that I would get the item cheaper at Aero Leathers than eBay but if DHL charges me more than €30 it will be impossible.

Perhaps any Aero member on this forum can shed some light on the subject. If they work with DHL they will know what this company usually charges.

Delivered Duty Paid (Incoterms DDP) or free shipping costs on orders over 150 euros, like in other UK stores, would help.
 

MrProper

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,839
Location
Europe
Perhaps any Aero member on this forum can shed some light on the subject. If they work with DHL they will know what this company usually charges.
With me it was always (whether from Aero, LL or 5*):
Calculation basis: value of goods + shipping costs.
Then if necessary + 4% customs duty (but only if the goods do not fall under any customs trade agreement)
And + 20% VAT
Handling fee from DHL was always 18 EUR + VAT.
 

Canuck Panda

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,130
Aero declares full value for calculation for VAT/Duty whatever taxes. So whatever the jacket is plus VAT on top of that. That's why I understand the big fuzz a while back about them charging the same price for UK and ROW.

Ebay will only work out cheaper if the seller is willing to undervalue or declare less and ships directly to you and not through the Ebay shipping program. There are some risks there.

VAT sucks big time! or any sale taxes. But I am not ready to move to Alberta where it goes from 10 degrees down to minus 30 overnight just for the zero sales tax.
 

Berton

New in Town
Messages
9
Take a look at this. It seems that DHL's abusive fees could be true:

Calgary mom accuses courier giant DHL of charging 'hidden fees'


Michelle Sinclair knew her son Aodhan only wanted one thing for this 10th birthday — a football jersey from his favourite team in Dublin, just like the one his dad owns.

So the Calgary mom ordered it online last month and paid $24 for shipment to Canada, using one of the biggest courier companies in the world — DHL, which operates in 220 countries and is known for its bright yellow planes and trucks with bold red lettering.

But two days later DHL emailed Sinclair, saying she had to pay another $23 before the package could be delivered to her door.

"My item is being held for ransom," Sinclair told Go Public. "It seems a little dirty … [to wait] until you have my package to tell me about all these hidden fees."

Sinclair is joining a growing chorus of people online who say DHL is using claims of "duty and taxes" to include extra charges that customers feel trapped into paying or risk losing their packages.

691 comments and some of them say similar things.
 

willyto

One Too Many
Messages
1,616
Location
Barcelona
Take a look at this. It seems that DHL's abusive fees could be true:

Calgary mom accuses courier giant DHL of charging 'hidden fees'


Michelle Sinclair knew her son Aodhan only wanted one thing for this 10th birthday — a football jersey from his favourite team in Dublin, just like the one his dad owns.

So the Calgary mom ordered it online last month and paid $24 for shipment to Canada, using one of the biggest courier companies in the world — DHL, which operates in 220 countries and is known for its bright yellow planes and trucks with bold red lettering.

But two days later DHL emailed Sinclair, saying she had to pay another $23 before the package could be delivered to her door.

"My item is being held for ransom," Sinclair told Go Public. "It seems a little dirty … [to wait] until you have my package to tell me about all these hidden fees."

Sinclair is joining a growing chorus of people online who say DHL is using claims of "duty and taxes" to include extra charges that customers feel trapped into paying or risk losing their packages.

691 comments and some of them say similar things.
Unfortunately that happens with any courier. They charge you for handling fees when the shipping is already paid for.
 

Blackadder

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,816
Location
China
Unfortunately that happens with any courier. They charge you for handling fees when the shipping is already paid for.
It happens to countries which require the courier to handle custom declaration and clearance for imports. The shipping AFAIK does not include that part.
For example, there is no import duty and sales tax where I live and yet the importer is required to submit a declaration within 14 days of receiving the imported goods to the Custom if they are around USD500 or over. The filing charge for the declaration is normally only a few cents and it is the recipient, not the courier who is obliged to make the declaration. So what DHL or Fedex do in my city is sometimes they deliver the package along with a reminder to the recipient that they have to file a custom declaration within 14 days. I have never been charged extra or any handling fee because the courier do not have to do any filing.
 

Canuck Panda

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,130
DHL is quite reliable for Canadian deliveries from both UK and US. They always asked for payment before the package even arrives in the country. By both email and txt. If you buy from Aero, once they shipped, you will get no less than 5 or 6 emails from DHL updating you automatically until the package is delivered.
 

Canuck Panda

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,130
It happens to countries which require the courier to handle custom declaration and clearance for imports. The shipping AFAIK does not include that part.
For example, there is no import duty and sales tax where I live and yet the importer is required to submit a declaration within 14 days of receiving the imported goods to the Custom if they are around USD500 or over. The filing charge for the declaration is normally only a few cents and it is the recipient, not the courier who is obliged to make the declaration. So what DHL or Fedex do in my city is sometimes they deliver the package along with a reminder to the recipient that they have to file a custom declaration within 14 days. I have never been charged extra because the courier do not have to do any filing.
I've been asked to do this by DHL before. Every year around holidays this happens. I get an email asking me to clear the customs myself. Basically a link to the DHL self declaration web site and key in a bunch of numbers. I forgot if I still have to pay the $35 admin fee or not. I figure it's just holiday season and they are short staffed so it becomes self serve.
There really isn't one better courier than the other. They all screw up one time or another. And sometimes I got stuck with a bad service rep. In those cases, just have to keep going at it until it gets settled. It always does.
 

Blackadder

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,816
Location
China
I've been asked to do this by DHL before. Every year around holidays this happens. I get an email asking me to clear the customs myself. Basically a link to the DHL self declaration web site and key in a bunch of numbers. I forgot if I still have to pay the $35 admin fee or not. I figure it's just holiday season and they are short staffed so it becomes self serve.
There really isn't one better courier than the other. They all screw up one time or another. And sometimes I got stuck with a bad service rep. In those cases, just have to keep going at it until it gets settled. It always does.
It is different here. As said there is no import duty so the declaration is not for clearing custom but more for Statistics. The courier would deliver the goods to me first. I would then file declaration. The notice from DHL is just a kind reminder not a prerequisite. You on the other hand I suppose have to make declaration, pay the duty and tax before the courier would deliver to you.
 

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