9 replies to this topic

[graphic]

Hi all,
Has anyone ordered equipment from the US and had it posted to the UK? I'm going to buy some wheels from www.sportaid.com and wondered if I'll be charged anything by customs. I don't pay VAT.

[graphic]

graphic, on Mar 29 2008, 02:23 PM, said:

Hi all,
Has anyone ordered equipment from the US and had it posted to the UK? I'm going to buy some wheels from www.sportaid.com and wondered if I'll be charged anything by customs. I don't pay VAT.

I've just searched the net and found that duty isn't payable if the item is marked "wheelchair parts - duty and V.A.T. not payable" and an exemption certificate is applied for before hand, or a refund can be claimed afterwards. I'll be phoning H.M.Customs on Monday to see how long it takes to receive a certificate.

I've answered my own question - clever me!

[silone74]

Hi again yes i order most of the wheelchair parts from the US and they are duty except if it states on the packaging that it is wheelchair parts it helps to ask the sender to write on the package the actual parts and that it is duty except this sometimes is egnored by customs and charges are placed but i have claimed back all cost if i had to pay any i have filled in the declaration form but still get charged some times,the customs officers are sometimes blind to the writing on the package and it helps to track the parcel and phone the depot before it has cleared customs and tell them what the package contains it will save alot of hassle in claiming the fees back.

Hope this helps abit

Silone74

[graphic]

silone74, on Mar 29 2008, 08:09 PM, said:

Hi again yes i order most of the wheelchair parts from the US and they are duty except if it states on the packaging that it is wheelchair parts it helps to ask the sender to write on the package the actual parts and that it is duty except this sometimes is egnored by customs and charges are placed but i have claimed back all cost if i had to pay any i have filled in the declaration form but still get charged some times,the customs officers are sometimes blind to the writing on the package and it helps to track the parcel and phone the depot before it has cleared customs and tell them what the package contains it will save alot of hassle in claiming the fees back.
Hope this helps abit
Silone74 :

Thanks Silone. I'm not quite sure what you mean about contacting the depot. Is that the point where the parcel enters the country or the local courier depot. Will tracking show which depot the parcel going to? Also, doyou have to return the declaration to H.M.customs before buying the stuff or could I go ahead and order now. It would be much easier if I can manage to avoid paying rather than claim it back afterwards.

[silone74]

Hi the depot for the parcel delivery agent when i order it normally is parcel force when you get the tracking number it will tell you when it has arrived in the country it will say held at customs they have officers posted at the depot to check postage,i filled the form in after i got my wheels they normally dont deliver until the duty is paid but the time i got the wheels they brought them to the door and asked for the cash i explained that i dont need to pay then he phoned his department gave me the wheels and i got the form in the post so just filled it in and sent it off i got a call from customs and they took my post code and name for future referance but i found it easier to phone the delivery depot when i have seen it arrive in the country to avoid the charges and they sort it from there.

Sounds comlpicated but its just a quick call, i will be ordering some parts next week from the US so will be on the phone as soon as they arrive in the UK well as soon as i get up and check LOL

Silone74

[graphic]

silone74, on Mar 29 2008, 09:28 PM, said:

Hi the depot for the parcel delivery agent when i order it normally is parcel force when you get the tracking number it will tell you when it has arrived in the country it will say held at customs they have officers posted at the depot to check postage,i filled the form in after i got my wheels they normally dont deliver until the duty is paid but the time i got the wheels they brought them to the door and asked for the cash i explained that i dont need to pay then he phoned his department gave me the wheels and i got the form in the post so just filled it in and sent it off i got a call from customs and they took my post code and name for future referance but i found it easier to phone the delivery depot when i have seen it arrive in the country to avoid the charges and they sort it from there.

Sounds comlpicated but its just a quick call, i will be ordering some parts next week from the US so will be on the phone as soon as they arrive in the UK well as soon as i get up and check LOL

Silone74

Thanks again Silone, you've made it sound quite straight forward...hopefully! I'm waiting to hear what postage charges are then I can order. After I've decided to go for yellow or black Spinergys that is

[russ1]

All you could possibly ever want to know about importing goods is in the official govt advice douument here

[graphic]

russ1, on Mar 30 2008, 06:27 PM, said:

All you could possibly ever want to know about importing goods is in the official govt advice douument here

Thanks russ1. I'd seen that document but I found the bits I wanted to know as clear as mud. I understood about filling in a declaration but didn't know whether I should notify them before ordering or afterwards, or whether I should send the declaration to the supplier or just give them a certificate number. It also wasn't clear as to where customs would be in this country. The way silone74 explained it makes it sound simple enough.

[russ1]

Technically if you want to import the stuff without paying tax then you need the certificate before the stuff is sent (HMRC email this to you so you can get it same day as you ring up for it) you then sent this to the supplier who then attaches it to the documantation (ideally writing on the outside of the package "Wheelchair parts exempt from duty and vat - exemption certificate number ...") that goes with the package and then it shouldn't get held up at the delivery agent but just gets delivered straight to you.

That's the long winded but technically correct way and the only 100% sure way to aviod paying the duty and vat (which can the be claimed back) and should (but may not) avoid any issue at the delivery agent.

In practice it's often easier to get the suppler to just write Wheelchair parts exempt from duty and vat on the packaging and then it'll often get straight through to you or you may have to go through the procedure Silone describes and either sort it out there and then or claim back the duty and vat after you pay it.

I've done both and the latter is definately easier (I've never had to interact with the delivery agent) but for high value items the former may be worth the bother.

[graphic]

Thanks Russ1, that explains the procedure very clearly ... why couldn't H.M.Customs have said it that way on their website? If I decide to just order new wheels I'll do it the simple way, but if I decide to go for a new chair I'll apply for a certificate first. I'm waiting for Sportaid to get back to me with an estimated build time for a chair before I commit.
Cheers, Clive

Edited by graphic, 31 March 2008 - 11:37 AM.