ordering from china and customs fees

[trigger happy]

I wouldn't mind ordering some airsoft bits on a well known auction site from china. How do you know if you will be charged custom fees?
I have heard about the seller marking the items as 'gifts' but will this stop it completely? or is it determined by the value, and size of your order?
Reason I'm asking, I have read that people have been charged over £30 for something that cost less than £15.

I have tried using the search tool, but everyone seems to have different opinion, so I thought I'd make this thread just to get a few more inputs.

[Fizzy]

Re: ordering from china and customs fees

I forget what the limit is now, but anything over ($50 springs to mind) is liable for customs charges. Marking as a gift, as well as been illegal, may make no difference at all. Also, not only will you pay VAT on the item(s) themselves, but they also charge you VAT on the shipping cost as well. Of course, it could just pass straight through customs, but no one can tell you whether it will or it won't, if it's over the value threshold

[Apurturesci]

Re: ordering from china and customs fees

Depends what the sender puts on the parcel it seems. I rarely get charged for stuff, as with no request from me most senders will declare it as either ultra-cheap or a gift. Only ever been charged for one gun actually.

[madwelshman]

Re: ordering from china and customs fees

there is no hard and fast answer, iirc anything with a value over £40 incurs tax, the annoying thing is, companies like parcel farce are now legally allowed to pay your tax to hmrc, then charge you for the privilege... so not only is there a tax to pay, but a "handling fee" to the parcel companies...

end of the day, we all pay taxes, keeps the country running, so if your saving money, buying from abroad, be prepared to pay the tax, having it marked as "gift" is illegal, and not only are you sourcing from outside the uk, choosing not to support local airsoft retailers, but your also contributing to the financial climate we're currently in....

[989lips]

Re: ordering from china and customs fees

Bought some gear recently and be very very careful at the moment from buying from HK with a value.

I bought $300 worth of kit and was charged £69 customs, vat and dreaded parcel force. Anything over £35 is subject to vat and anything over £50 to customs and vat. Anything of any value stopped by customs will be subject to the parcel force fee of £13.80!!!! You have no choice on this at all.

Another parcel last week cost me $109 for item and packing and customs charged me £38.76 in total with parcel force.

Somethings get through but my parcel was in customs for 5 weeks with me contacting HM Customs and excise myself to get it moving.... Everything is being stopped at the moment with any value and the "gift" idea does not work mate at all in near on 99%.

This is what I had on a letter sent with my parcel once I had paid all the nasty fees.

If your buying from HK which I do alot you have to factor in the charges and if they don't charge you then you put that down to luck tbh. Every item coming in is subject to Vat and customs over the magic amounts and has to be paid. I always factor this in as it has to be paid.

Steve

[dave38x]

Re: ordering from china and customs fees

I've paid VAT/tax on one order.

I've placed (in the last 3 months) 5 orders to the far east, all of them 60 quid or more, not a single one has been taxed :P

Madwelshman - well if those british stores could a) stock an actual decent range of kit (not just lots of guns) and b) sell items at a competitive price then i would.

But they dont. The stores that do sell things at competitive prices, I buy from. I can pretty much factor in postage in my head now, and if an item is say, 5% more than it would be from the far east after postage I'll get it. But if its over twice the price, which is more common, then I'll walk out.

[trigger happy]

Re: ordering from china and customs fees

Thanks for the replies so far. And in reply to madwelshman, I'd love to support zero one... but since almost everything I need, Is out of stock!!!!!

also, another example, to order two rubber magpuls, It would cost near enough £5 postage from zero one

[Fizzy]

Re: ordering from china and customs fees

Madwelshman - well if those british stores could a) stock an actual decent range of kit (not just lots of guns) and b) sell items at a competitive price then i would.

But they dont.

Of course, if we lived next door to China and our retailers didn't have to pay VAT then they might.

[989lips]

Re: ordering from china and customs fees

Think we are getting off topic here guys. The OP asked about customs fees and charges NOT about what zero one does or does not stock.

We live in a society where we each have a choice to where we buy our goods! Back to the point please guys :P (got there before anyone else did lol)

[dannyeprice23]

I order a lot of stuff from afar. Best thing to do is expect to pay it, if you do no bother, if not a bonus. If I can get it in the UK and its not stupidly much more expensive then is rather pay more to get it quicker, however a lot of aftermarket PTW parts are hard to find in the UK for example, so not got a choice sometimes if I want something specific.

[No Probs]

Watch out for FedEx! I got charged £85 tax on an order worth £130 from HK

[dave38x]

Re: ordering from china and customs fees

Of course, if we lived next door to China and our retailers didn't have to pay VAT then they might.

But the only way that some british shops can be arriving at some of the prices they have is if they paid a company to buy things at retail prices from far eastern stores. That is simply not the case.

I am aware that hobbies are more expensive the further one lives from the source of production, take for example Warhammer - it is produced in the UK, and by the time it has got to australia it is over twice as expensive. If some shops honestly do have to charge ridiculous cash for an item, why do other shops sometimes charge 30, 40 quid less? Are they buying direct? Or are they just trying to be competetive?

[989lips]

Re: ordering from china and customs fees

I order a lot of stuff from afar. Best thing to do is expect to pay it, if you do no bother, if not a bonus. If I can get it in the UK and its not stupidly much more expensive then is rather pay more to get it quicker, however a lot of aftermarket PTW parts are hard to find in the UK for example, so not got a choice sometimes if I want something specific.

This is why I buy from HK or the US for that matter as I specifically look for Noveske stuff that no one stocks in the UK.

[dazzer106]

Re: ordering from china and customs fees

I received a package ( no AEG's just parts) form HK 2 wks ago, order was for £75/80 incl P&P came within 6 days no fees and had toy parts writen on the label, also so odered many things form the said auction site and had no charges what so ever. Odered from US and was gobsmacked at cost of postage, order was for 2 M9 safety latches (little silver triangle and hook type thing sits in slide) and this cost me $30 parts where only $12 but again no fees.

[Mickydoos]

Re: ordering from china and customs fees

I never buy anything expensive from china and HK (nothing over £10) so have never been charged import tax. I usually stick to AEG parts, springs and the like.

Unfortunately it's a bit of a gamble whether HMRC decide to tax you as I've heard of things in the £100 region not being taxed. I would imagine the more you spend the more likely they are to take a gander and decide whether its taxable.