Buying From Us What's Going On With Customs Charges?

[Chicago]

do you know what other US dealers are doing, like funkyou or craigmoerer, do they declare full values? 

 

 

Hey guys- US record dealer here seeking some advice. We've recently been dealing with the problem concerning the big customs charges that our UK (and other) customers are being stuck with. The new automated ebay system is making it harder to get away with not declaring full values. We were wondering what some of the bigger US dealers are doing? Do you know from experience if other dealers are declaring full value? Does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks for the help! cheers

Edited March 6, 2013 by Chicago

[Dave Moore]

There are a number of threads on the forum disussing this issue. It's a problem for UK collectors for sure.  It has seen the bottom drop out of the cheaper 45 sales as well, not just the higher end items that attract the Customs interest. 

 

I'm sure you'll get a few replies....

 

Regards,

 

Dave

[Steve G]

Can we merge the other threads in, rather than duplicate....

[Dave Moore]

Can we merge the other threads in, rather than duplicate....

Will leave as a stand alone thread for now Steve as it's a US seller specifically asking advice and it may benefit from people offering him advice reference shipping ideas. I'll keep an eye on it and if it wanders we'll bundle them all up together. 

 

Regards,

Dave

[Timemarcheson]

I was a regular buyer of 45's from the US but have stopped buying since the postal charges went up. In the 2 months up to the increase I purchased about 40 records ranging from $5 to $150. Often these would be single items as I felt the postal charges were fair and reasonable. On all occasions the dealer declared the prices at a low level. I was never charged anything in terms of customs/duty etc. In an ideal world I would prefer to buy more than one item from a dealer to make the postage better value for money but the vagaries of the auction system make this difficult. Also there are not always other records that I want to buy. I am watching with interest to see what dealers are going to come up with, how are they going to entice buyers to part with their money, what incentives can they offer? Is bundling records, say in 2's, 3's or 4's for lower priced records an option? One US dealer regularly encloses a "freebie", at least you feel as if you are getting something for nothing and you can keep it or sell it on and maybe recoup the postal costs. At the end of the day I want to buy but there is a limit. Some imaginative marketing and incentivising may be required before I will be tempted to part with my money.

Good Luck

Frank

[Mr Smithy]

Hey guys- US record dealer here seeking some advice. We've recently been dealing with the problem concerning the big customs charges that our UK (and other) customers are being stuck with. The new automated ebay system is making it harder to get away with not declaring full values. We were wondering what some of the bigger US dealers are doing? Do you know from experience if other dealers are declaring full value? Does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks for the help! cheers

So far you're not forced to use EB system,if you're talking about their "Global Shipping Program " and until they make me I never will.

Stick with doing it by the one at a time customs form, you can mess around with that. Anything that puts another bunch of Jobsworths in the loop can't be good for anyone.

 

Some imaginative marketing and incentivising may be required before I will be tempted to part with my money.

The hooker makes the package all bumpy and tends to scream and whine, the pint spills when it goes through the sorter and causes label damage.

But I'm open to any other bright ideas. It sucks- we can't sell, you can't buy.

 

[Chicago]

Hey guys - thanks for the advice  do you know what other US dealers are doing, like funkyou or craigmoerer, do they declare full values? 

[Paul McKay]

No they don't. they manually fill in the customs forms.

[Dave West]

Got a package of 25 last month no problem seller put $10 on parcel, however been waiting now for 3 weeks on a parcel with 55 records in. Seller says he hasnt got a tracking number so cant find where it is. Should be able to get money back through paypal though.

The relevence of this to this thread is the smaller package,less weight therefore less cost, wasnt a problem. Think i read somewhere customs take postage costs into account and not just value of goods. $10 for 55 records seems a bit rediculous, so in future gonna buy in 10,s or thereabouts.

Dave

[Paul McKay]

I don't think that's the case Dave. You only get charged VAT on the postage if the value of the goods is over £15. Booksand mags are VAT free so not a problem.

[Mrtag]

Hey guys - thanks for the advice  do you know what other US dealers are doing, like funkyou or craigmoerer, do they declare full values? 

 No change with these sellers they still do manual shipping papers!! Regards John.

[Dave Pinch]

Hey guys - thanks for the advice  do you know what other US dealers are doing, like funkyou or craigmoerer, do they declare full values? 

i dont think they do..got one from craig moerer yesterday..no problem..awaiting a pack from funk you as wee speak..i have had a couple of expensive ones from the states and the 45`s have just been posted thru the door as they didnt have full value put on them....... what the usa postal service dont know wont hurt them i say

[Guest Garry Huxley]

Be careful folks and i quote "Walls have ears, Loose talk costs lives, Big brother is watching you."

[Simsy]

 Loose talk costs lives

 

I thought it more lips & ships? Anyway I'd be interested to know what Craig Moirer has to say on the situ. He a member here? I can't remember.

[kevinsoulman]

JUST GOT A PACKAGE OF 75 FROM THE US THE SELLER ALWAYS PUTS LOW COST ON THE FORM POSTED 25/2/13  RECEIVED TODAY NO PROBLEM

KEV

[Dave West]

My package of 55 arrived yesterday from the U.S. with a value of $5 ...haha, took 3 weeks to arrive and sticker on front was from Sweden customs. WTF

[Sebastian]

do you know what other US dealers are doing, like funkyou or craigmoerer, do they declare full values? 

 

 

Hey guys- US record dealer here seeking some advice. We've recently been dealing with the problem concerning the big customs charges that our UK (and other) customers are being stuck with. The new automated ebay system is making it harder to get away with not declaring full values. We were wondering what some of the bigger US dealers are doing? Do you know from experience if other dealers are declaring full value? Does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks for the help! cheers

 

None of the big sellers declare full values. It would hurt their business an awful lot.

 

Don't use the eBay "Global Shipping Program". It is the reason for all the customs problems as of late.

 

Check out this paragraph:

 

https://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/shipping-globally.html#buyer-charges

[Tiberius]

Don't use the eBay "Global Shipping Program". It is the reason for all the customs problems as of late.

I agree with your sentiment but the reason is not strictly true.

 

In the UK the "problems" are almost entirely due to HMRC and Royal Mail stepping up collection of import duty, vat etc., from a position of apparent virtual non collection in the fairly recent past, at least for vinyl.   Sad to say we had it too good.......I'll no doubt nostalgically tell the grandkids about it one day.

 

When you factor in Royal Mails £8 "handling charge" you can understand why folks on here are grumbling.  This has then coincided with USPS postal rates dramatic increase which has exacerbated the situation to meltdown point......ie. a couple of similar threads on here each week.

 

In most cases the "Global Shipping Program" will clearly add further cost to any purchase, thus it makes some sense for the US vendor, with international sales in mind, to steer clear of the service in order to make any potential purchase more attractive.  Strangely, it could possibly save a little money for the UK buyer in some circumstances.  As the duty/vat is paid up front, there should be no £8 "handling" fee to pay from Royal Mail (the couple of packages I have received were delivered by courier).  The actual cost savings still need to be worked out however, as ebay charges more than "actual" shipping cost for the service, + there may also be discrepancies in the duty/vat between "actual" payable and what ebay & partners levy during the payment stage.  In the 2 cases I have experienced I paid circa $4 more for shipping than actual, so $16 odd before adding duty.  Suffice to say any overall saving would be pretty small & for locations other than UK would most likely be nil, in fact just making the deal cost more.........not good.

 

I expect the "Global Shipping Program" will be the subject of threads of it's own in the very near future.

[Sebastian]

In the UK the "problems" are almost entirely due to HMRC and Royal Mail stepping up collection of import duty, vat etc.,

 

If all packages from the US had "Value: $5" on them there would be no duty to collect.

 

But with the "Global Shipping Program" the exact price of the won auction will be printed on the customs form as "Value".

 

Surely that is the biggest problem.

[Tiberius]

If all packages from the US had "Value: $5" on them there would be no duty to collect.

 

But with the "Global Shipping Program" the exact price of the won auction will be printed on the customs form as "Value".

 

Surely that is the biggest problem.

That's a big "if".

 

All packages have never had "Value $5" on them, and never will have (in the case of those not sent via "Global Shipping Program").  This program is very new, these threads regarding customs charges are not.  In the UK it's all down to what some on here have termed a "crackdown".....call it what you like.  The bodies responsible for collecting these duties have been far more alert over the last 12 months than they ever were, all of this prior to "Global Shipping Program", and this situation seems to be increasing.  Hence, your 45 with $25* on the CN22 now gets picked up in the UK where once it most likely did not.  (Edit: *$25 where not marked as "gift".)

 

As I am of a naturally slightly nervous disposition I will add the following statement "Dear HMRC I hearby declare that all of my overseas purchases have had import duty/vat paid in full where applicable."

 

What is clear is that with "Global Shipping Program" you pay the full import fees at the same time as you pay for the item....one upfront transaction.  So, as you indicated, they're based on exact final value.....no room for manoeuvre .

Edited March 8, 2013 by tiberius

[Sebastian]

What is clear is that with "Global Shipping Program" you pay the full import fees at the same time as you pay for the item....one upfront transaction.  So, as you indicated, they're based on exact final value.....no room for manoeuvre .

 

Unless you don't use the Global Shipping Program.

 

I can't fathom why anyone would want/need to use it.

 

I mean, you STILL have to go to the post office.

 

Why not just ship it to the direct location instead of shipping it off to an "international eBay hub" which THEN sends it on...

 

Oh well!

Edited March 8, 2013 by Sebastian

[Tiberius]

Unless you don't use the Global Shipping Program.

 

I can't fathom why anyone would want/need to use it.

 

I mean, you STILL have to go to the post office.

 

Why not just ship it to the direct location instead of shipping it off to an "international eBay hub" which THEN sends it on...

 

Oh well!

At least sellers currently have a choice.  Having said that, in the case of one of my purchases, the seller wasn't flexible around the shipping method, insisting on the "Global" option..........I consoled myself with the thought that at least there would be no £8 "handling fee" to find on arrival.

[John A]

I bought a record not long ago,don't think it came to more than $10 it was an LP so shipping was about $14, the seller used the GLOBAL thing and on checkout i was charged everything INCLUDING import/vat or whatever, Surely that shouldnt even been applicable on a 10 buck record? I had to pay,there seemed no way round it.

I won't buy off anyone using that service now. I felt robbed.

[St James]

I had been messaging US sellers to declare low value ($5) on customs forms.....which was working ok until last week when seller insisted that he used EBay print to put information on the package...hey presto £25 vat/handling bill! Would be nice to discreetly list "recommended" US sellers (if you know what I mean)...

Regards

Ric

[Mr Smithy]

Be careful folks and i quote "Walls have ears, Loose talk costs lives, Big brother is watching you."

 

Depending on who's reading this.
Other side of the coin. E bay related not relevent to private sales

Let's assume I was to put a lower value on it ( without being asked) on a consistent basis to prevent all your money being spent
on lavish funerals, that of course is something far too altruistic for someone like me to do.

Let's also assume that for the first time ever recently it was suggested that I would be thanked for it, just a simple e mail he said he would send if such a thing were to happen.

Now wouldn't that have been nice, such a little thing that wouldn't cost owt.

 

[Guest The Record Box]

do you know what other US dealers are doing, like funkyou or craigmoerer, do they declare full values? 

 

 

Hey guys- US record dealer here seeking some advice. We've recently been dealing with the problem concerning the big customs charges that our UK (and other) customers are being stuck with. The new automated ebay system is making it harder to get away with not declaring full values. We were wondering what some of the bigger US dealers are doing? Do you know from experience if other dealers are declaring full value? Does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks for the help! cheers

There is no way out anymore, I have stopped completely. After paying the high postage costs and customs it has really knocked the joy out of collecting. On top waiting also 6 weeks for the record to arrive.

[Guest Andy Kempster]

At least sellers currently have a choice.  Having said that, in the case of one of my purchases, the seller wasn't flexible around the shipping method, insisting on the "Global" option..........I consoled myself with the thought that at least there would be no £8 "handling fee" to find on arrival.

 

 

surely if the seller declares that they will be using the ebay global system then the ball is firmly in the buyers court to make the decision whether they buy from that seller or not. i'm no fan of the new system but unless i am missing the point then it must surely be a case of buyer beware, read the small print.

[Guest]

I bought a record from the USA this month for $57. 

 

Had to pay the new inflated postage charge and £18 in VAT and post office handling charge!!

 

It really makes me think if I should buy much from the States if the costs are going up like this!

[Guest The Record Box]

I bought a record from the USA this month for $57. 

 

Had to pay the new inflated postage charge and £18 in VAT and post office handling charge!!

 

It really makes me think if I should buy much from the States if the costs are going up like this!

Ouch I bet all this raised a smile on your face.

[Shsdave]

$42 postage USPS Priority Mail for 1 45 ? wtf ???????????????????

[Guest The Record Box]

$42 postage USPS Priority Mail for 1 45 ? wtf ???????????????????

Why did you accept?

[Guest julesp1905]

Paid $30 for priority mail the other day, got a tracking number, was posted in NY state on the 8th, took 3 days to get to the ISC in New York, 8 days on and still no record. No Record of it even leaving the States

 

And we think our Postal service is bad!

[Tiberius]

surely if the seller declares that they will be using the ebay global system then the ball is firmly in the buyers court to make the decision whether they buy from that seller or not. i'm no fan of the new system but unless i am missing the point then it must surely be a case of buyer beware, read the small print.

As you rightly say, the ball is in the buyers court as things stand.

I wrote, "At least sellers currently have a choice" and my point at the time was that US sellers can choose which shipping service to offer, but maybe in future, ebay, in their drive for yet more profit, could make it  more "attractive", if not compulsory, for those same sellers to use the Global Shipping Program.  My fear being that although the buyer can decide at the moment whether or not to purchase an item from a seller who uses the Global Shipping Program, ebay, in their wisdom, could potentially take the choice away by pushing sellers down the Global Shipping Program route.  Of course this may never happen.....who knows!

As a slight aside, naturally buying items where a seller is using the Global Shipping Program makes more sense in the case of "buy it now" goods, where the total costs can be seen and evaluated prior to purchase, rather than for auction items, where clearly the overall total cost, including any duty, vat etc, can't be worked out until after the winning bid and auction close.

[Shsdave]

Why did you accept?

 

Who said that I did ?

Edited April 22, 2013 by SHSDave

[Pomonkey]

Get yourselves a friend in the States and have records shipped to them to then forward onto you, I do this constantly for a fair few friends in Europe, not just avoids any risk of a seller putting a high customs value, if you buy a fair few records and have them bundled together the postage rates are way way more bearable, eg this weekend just sent a box of 65 records PRIORITY USPS to Europe - this includes tracking, plus is fast, usually there within a week - and postage was only $69.80, i.e. barely $1/record, the rates for regular, small packages are truly sky high now so this way is vastly better. 

[Marc Forrest]

to answer the initial question, no they dont. some others also dont. but over here in Germany that doesnt help avoiding customs in general anymore as they tend to handpick items despite their low declared value...explanation once given to me by customs "we dont know if that declaration is correct therefore we take the right to test". customs over here have become more and more a problem when you collect. one could say it grew congruent with the growth of the euro crisis...well, the German state has a ever growing thirst for fresh money influx to help bail out our fellow euro crisis countries..

this customs problem plus the recent price hike in the us postage rates. now this bloody global shipping programm. plus those "more money then sense ebay high bidders" makes one indeed loose interest in buying statewise.

[Guest randy]

Any records bought outside the EU over the value of £15 are subject to VAT and over £135 VAT & also Import duty. Most firms in US included the cost of postage in the total order value and so you end up apayinmg VAT on the postage,  always try and get the lowest value on the customs decleration unless it is going to interfere with your insurance.

 

The most gauling thing is the £8 handling charge that the Post Office applies. Before the new computerised system my old post man used to through the customs cards away.

 

Some one mentioned buying from Craig Moerer, my understanding is that Craig ships his record orders in bulk to europe I think Germany and then thay are forwarded on to you, check the post marks on them when they arrive. Not to give all my secrets away but when I have prevousely bought records in US and had them sent to Craig to forward on to me with my orther orders.

 

The recent postage increase in the US has virtually killed off buying any cheap records there unless you buy in bulk

[Tiberius]

I've returned to this thread to highlight an issue with ebays Global Shipping scheme.  I noticed, when posting previously on this thread, I was over charged for "import charges" under the Global Shipping by ebay/Pitney Bowes.  On investigation it appears they charge import duty whether or not it is actually due.  I have currently found records priced @ $3 + $15.92 shipping which, according to the ebay listing, will incur "import charges" of $4.37.  After the "import charges" amount in the listing it states "amount confirmed at checkout" but, in my experience, the "import charges" stated don't alter at checkout, so what you see in the listing is what you get charged.  Bear in mind that in the above example the total cost of the item + shipping equates to less than the UK's £15 threshold & therefore should not incur any charges from HMRC.  Hence ebay/Pitney Bowes should not be charging a penny for "import charges".

 

I've sent a message to ebay customer support but I'm not holding my breath for a positive response.

[Guest Gogs]

I've not bought much from the states, and those that i have (before price changes) the sellers always listed as a gift on the custom slips. Therefore i got no extra charges.

I don't know if this would still work, but the fear of these extra charges will definitely stop me buying from over-seas.

[Frankie Crocker]

Perhaps it's time to for all sellers and buyers to draw up a bi-lateral agreement that all records are worth $3 for the purpose of postage, and any other sums involved such as a 'Finders' Fees', do not enter postal charge calculations. Packets can be insured for high values on the grounds they contain items of nostalgic worth or irreplaceable family heirlooms of low intrinsic value. No collector begrudges the hardworking dealer their just reward, so I say, establish the 'Finders' Fee' as the payment for enterprise but keep the figure off the packet for mutual benefit!!!

[Mrtag]

Perhaps it's time to for all sellers and buyers to draw up a bi-lateral agreement that all records are worth $3 for the purpose of postage, and any other sums involved such as a 'Finders' Fees', do not enter postal charge calculations. Packets can be insured for high values on the grounds they contain items of nostalgic worth or irreplaceable family heirlooms of low intrinsic value. No collector begrudges the hardworking dealer their just reward, so I say, establish the 'Finders' Fee' as the payment for enterprise but keep the figure off the packet for mutual benefit!!!

 

This is a damn good idea!! because if it wasn't for the Northern Scene these record would be in dump bins outside junk shops @ 50c each or 3 for a dollar!! just take a look at the Pop and Country & Western records etc they dont command anything like the Soul scene 45's. Just my humble opinion mind!!

Edited June 16, 2013 by mrtag

[Dave Pinch]

Any records bought outside the EU over the value of £15 are subject to VAT and over £135 VAT & also Import duty. Most firms in US included the cost of postage in the total order value and so you end up apayinmg VAT on the postage,  always try and get the lowest value on the customs decleration unless it is going to interfere with your insurance.

 

The most gauling thing is the £8 handling charge that the Post Office applies. Before the new computerised system my old post man used to through the customs cards away.

 

Some one mentioned buying from Craig Moerer, my understanding is that Craig ships his record orders in bulk to europe I think Germany and then thay are forwarded on to you, check the post marks on them when they arrive. Not to give all my secrets away but when I have prevousely bought records in US and had them sent to Craig to forward on to me with my orther orders.

 

The recent postage increase in the US has virtually killed off buying any cheap records there unless you buy in bulk

this is true paul...but the package i received on this occasion was directly from craig.......the strangest thing that did happen tho was buying a 45 from moerer and a day later buying one from john manship..then both records arriving in the one parcel from john manship...never did look into whether moerer refunded my postage tho

[Guest randy]

Dave there is some form of relatinship between the John and Craig if you notice when Craig lists new records they nearly always turn up on Johns a few weeks later!!!

[Tiberius]

I just received a reply from ebay customer services in response to my question mentioned in post #38.  It reads -

 

Dear ------,

Thank you for contacting eBay about our Global Shipping Program. I understand that you'd like some information about the program’s import charges. I'm more than happy to explain this you.

The new Global Shipping program is the most reliable way for sellers to get items to international buyers.  It shows the buyer upfront all the costs of receiving the item, with no additional charges being requested from the post office.  This means that the appropriate duties and customs fees are paid before the item is shipped, and can be viewed in the order details page for the item.

When you buy an item through the Global Shipping Program, eBay will automatically let you know all the charges that are associated with the purchase.  This way you'll know about any customs charges and taxes. You'll be able to see the:

-- Item cost
-- Shipping total
-- Import fees (This includes applicable customs duties, taxes, and third-party brokerage)

You'll also be able to track your package until final delivery by selecting the universal tracking number (UPAAA00000) located in your My eBay Purchase History.  This universal tracking number will show your package location from the seller’s city to your delivery address.

How are the import charges calculated:

-- Import charges include any applicable customs duties, taxes, and customs brokerage fees. These charges are calculated based on a number of factors, including: the item price, total shipping price, shipping weight, package dimension, country of manufacture, and item classification.

How are import charges estimated when the purchase price isn’t known yet?

-- For Auction-style listings, members will see the cost based on the current bid; once a member decides to place their own bid, the import charges will then be based on their own maximum bid.

-- For best offers, buyers will see the cost based on the offer amount; when you send a counter-offer, it will then be based on the counter-offer amount; a final guaranteed landed cost will be shown at checkout.

Here’s more information about the Global Shipping Program:
https://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/shipping-globally.html

Here are the terms and conditions:
https://pages.ebay.com/shipping/globalshipping/buyer-tnc.html

I’m confident that this information is helpful and I’m glad that I was able to assist you today. Keep in mind that we’re always here to help you out with your transactions.

Thank you for choosing eBay. Have a great day!
 
Sincerely,

------.
eBay Customer Service

 

As you can see it's just a bog standard reply & doesn't answer the question as to why a record, listed "buy it now" by a US seller on ebay.com, with a total value much less than the UK £15 HMRC vat threshold, should incur any "import charges" under the Global Shipping Program.  I assume it falls under the title "customs brokerage fees" in the reply but have no easy way of knowing as, annoyingly, there's no way to directly reply to the message through my ebay messages.  Most likely just another way of ebay & partners raking in cash.  I for one will not be buying any more records where the seller insists on using this service.

 

(Edited typo)

Edited June 16, 2013 by tiberius

[Premium Stuff]

I got an item this morning.

 

Had charges to pay of £11.58 - £3.58 Import Duty and £8.00 Royal Mail Handling Fee.

 

The item was a used record but it didn't say 'used' on it.

 

The 'Merchandise' box was ticked.

 

The declared value in USD was $26.89. This was the item value only without shipping. I had also paid USD $10.00 shipping.

 

What was it that triggered the item charges? Surely can't have been the declared value - so it must have been the item description?

 

Anyone know please?

 

Cheers

 

Richard

[John Reed]

Richard, the charge might be VAT as you can get charged that as well.

[Premium Stuff]

Thanks John

 

Just wondering what triggered it though - something in the way the item was marked on the customs declaration.

 

I'm sure I will end up phoning Royal Mail/Customs, but I'm also trying to decide what to say to the seller 

 

Cheers

 

Richard

[Tiberius]

Resurrecting this old chestnut as I've recently noticed more and more US sellers listing on eBay.com appear to be specifying international shipping via the Global Shipping Program.  Purely from observation it would seem loads more sellers specify this service as standard.

 

So my question to any US sellers reading this is has this become a "default" setting when listing on eBay, to be opted out of rather than into perhaps?

 

I noticed one seller even made a comment in their listing to the effect of "I DO NOT USE EBAY'S GLOBAL SHIPPING PROGRAM", or similar wording.

 

Fair to say there are still plenty not using GSP but if the use of this service becomes more commonplace, compulsory even, it really is eBay ringing their own death knell as far as international sales from the US, not just for vinyl but many other goods.  Currently the typical $13 charge for a 45 is a lot to pay for shipping but under the Global Shipping Policy this bloats to somewhere around $17 + import charges.

 

As I said at the outset this is just an observation but I will be interested to hear the answer to my question.

[Shaun W]

I got an item this morning.

 

Had charges to pay of £11.58 - £3.58 Import Duty and £8.00 Royal Mail Handling Fee.

 

The item was a used record but it didn't say 'used' on it.

 

The 'Merchandise' box was ticked.

 

The declared value in USD was $26.89. This was the item value only without shipping. I had also paid USD $10.00 shipping.

 

What was it that triggered the item charges? Surely can't have been the declared value - so it must have been the item description?

 

Anyone know please?

 

Cheers

 

Richard

 

 

 

 

 

It is import  VAT    - £3.58 being 20% of £17.90  the GBP equIvalent  of US$ 26.89 - you need to ask sellers to declare a value less than $15.00 to avoid this.  I've asked seelers to do this recently and would say that about half are playing ball.

Shaun

 

All other goods

If you order or send purchased goods other than alcohol, tobacco, perfume and toilet water from a country outside the EU then you:

• don't have to pay Excise Duty
• may have to pay Customs Duty on goods with a value that exceeds £135
• will have to pay import VAT on goods with a value that exceeds £15

Note that on all goods from outside the EU, Customs Duty is waived if the amount of duty calculated is £9 or under.

 

 

 

[Mr Smithy]

Resurrecting this old chestnut as I've recently noticed more and more US sellers listing on eBay.com appear to be specifying international shipping via the Global Shipping Program.  Purely from observation it would seem loads more sellers specify this service as standard.

 

So my question to any US sellers reading this is has this become a "default" setting when listing on eBay, to be opted out of rather than into perhaps?

 

I noticed one seller even made a comment in their listing to the effect of "I DO NOT USE EBAY'S GLOBAL SHIPPING PROGRAM", or similar wording.

 

Fair to say there are still plenty not using GSP but if the use of this service becomes more commonplace, compulsory even, it really is eBay ringing their own death knell as far as international sales from the US, not just for vinyl but many other goods.  Currently the typical $13 charge for a 45 is a lot to pay for shipping but under the Global Shipping Policy this bloats to somewhere around $17 + import charges.

 

As I said at the outset this is just an observation but I will be interested to hear the answer to my question.

Not as far as I can see. It still seems to be an opt in.

I would never use it, regardless of cost, which is a good enough reason. If EBay initiated it and are running it it's got to be a total screw up, and when it goes pear shaped

you'd never get a straight answer.

I'll never become one, I don't use it enough but it may be connected to your Top Rated +ness, you have to jump through all kinds of hoops to get your 20% off.

Were they all TR+ sellers?