extreme duty charges from DHL when not shipping EU to EU.

[GriffDeLaGriff]

I know about the normal duty charge. Its usually 25% VAT plus the duty plus the charging.

Normally when I buy a jacket from Aero the extra cost is about $180 and that was from UPS.

Now this last jacket shipped with DHL. Luckily I ordered it before they raised the prices so the price was £500
The entire price including shipping that was drawn from my account was about $800

Yesterday I got a chock in the mail when looking at the bill from DHL. They want $370 for VAT, Duty and charges. !!

This is becoming redicilous, itsa almost 50% extra.
So a $800 jacket is gonna cost me $1170

This is really gonna hinder me from buying a jacket again. When I got my first jacket from Aero their prices was so low so the extra didnt really matter,
but now their prices is upped and the DHL prices is also uped so in total a new jacket might cost me as much as $1400 in total.


Is the prices from Aero including VAT or not? If it is, then they should be able to sell it to me without the VAT and that would help alot.

I have no problem paying for what I buy, and I understand the reasons behind Duty charges, but its ridiculous when there is no garment equal in the country I live. If there were, I would get it instead, but there isn't. I think Duty should only apply if there is a similar object made from the country you live in (so that the economy wont crash because everyone gets all their stuff abroad)

 

[ButteMT61]

Welcome to - nevermind. I was going to get political. You'll either have to buy used, or get creative.

 

[Tony B]

As you are outside the EU aero shouldnt have charged you VAT.

As far as I know it should have been 0% rated by them for VAT purposes (meaning a saving of 20% to you) as you were liable to pay VAT in your own country , NOT in the UK.

.

 

[Interbak]

GdlG,

You have the right idea. Duty is intended to protect the producers in the country from unfair imports. I suspect the issue here is DHL's "charges", the VAT and duty are set by the government. We have a similar issue with UPS here in Canada, $50.00 brokerage fee on any item, no matter what the value or size. $50.00 on a $1000.00 item is no big deal, but it sure puts a bite into a $20.00 item. I have never had anything but bad luck with DHL and refuse to use them for either personal or business shipping. They are slow, unreliable, and expensive.
Does your invoice have a break down of the charges?

 

[Tony B]

interbak is right aboutDHL as well , I gave up on them years ago and recently my neigbour bought something from china which I think cost about £15 but they charged him about £50 to collect the vat/import duty and their fee for doing so, ie, over 300% what the item cost in the first place.

I had a look at the HMRC site and they said no UK VAT should have been payed by you as your jacket was "to be consumed outside the EC Fiscal (VAT) area"...you are owed 20% of what the original purchase price was as you shouldn't have been charged VAT in this country.

Here is the quote from the hmrc site;

VAT is a tax levied on goods and services consumed in the EC. When goods are exported they are "consumed" outside the EC and to impose VAT on such goods would be contrary to the purpose of the tax

 

[GriffDeLaGriff]

Yeah. And I always thought shipping wasn't supposed to be inside the price but it is.

They say:
Duty 10.7% of the total price

Then they calculate Jacket + shipping + duty * 25%
Plus their charge.

It looks accurate, and their charge actually isn't that much (compared to others) I think they just calculate it
different then UPS. I think UPS basically takes 25% off the price of the jacket plus their charge and that's it.


I have never asked Aero about the VAT so I'm not implying its their fault.
I asked if anyone here know if the prices listed are with or without VAT.

 

[GriffDeLaGriff]

It says VAT: 0 on the invoice, but you cant be sure if its accurate.

I know I can just email them, but I don't want to bug them because I'm sure someone here knows how it is.

UK buyers, do you pay the price listed or do you add VAT?

 

[John Lever]

I think Aero prices are inclusive of VAT. Export customers should not pay UK taxes.

 

[Dav]

UK buyers, do you pay the price listed or do you add VAT?

When I bought my two jackets the price was exactly as listed on the website plus £12.50 shipping, no extra VAT was added.

 

[JakeHolman]

Yup, for UK buyers the VAT is already included in the list price. Looking at my last invoice for example the jacket was £475 as listed + £12.50 postage. Then beneath that it breaks it down as TOTAL = £487.50, Net total = £406.25, VAT = £81.25

For me, the last price hike put these jackets out of range at the moment except for the sales section.

 

[Dave E]

The UK prices will include UK VAT (at 20%), surely you should be able to reclaim that at least?

 

[tonypaj]

The only sensible way for you to keep buying jackets, if you want to keep the costs lower, is to have them shipped to a friend in the UK, or Sweden, or anywhere in the EU, in fact. They will then send it by a regular postal package to you. I get stuff sent to me that way from the US, if I'm not in a hurry and am in a position to bother the family there. There are times when I prefer paying the money...

 

[Doctor Damage]

Welcome to - nevermind. I was going to get political.

There's nothing political about customs duties, since all nations apply them to almost everything, and similarly there's nothing political about courier brokerage fees, which are almost universally higher than they should be. To think otherwise is to fall into rhetorical stereotypes. I wish that more retailers would wake up and either start insisting on fixed rates from couriers, or listen to their customers and use regular mail services, which are almost always the cheapest and most reliable way to get consumer goods shipped internationally.

 

[GriffDeLaGriff]

Then there is no more problem. I just ask them to sell my next jacket to me without VAT.
(i know it takes some paperwork but I´m sure they have people for that)


The problem with shipping to another country and then here is that my country is extreme. They will apply the VAT on the highest sum on the package, it doesnt matter if its a gift or if its a feather with a 5k insurance, its the highest number that they will charge. I have had real handmade gifts for me sent from California with an insurance and I had to pay to get it from the postoffice.

So someone would then have to send it to me with the risk of it being gone in the mail and then I have nothing to claim at all. The problem is also that you are *forced* to write whats inside the package and what its worth. Sure you could write "old clothes worth $10" but if someone opens the package then you are screwed. And also its the problem if it gets lost.

I actually had a close friend that bought something from ebay, and the customs called him and said he had to come to the office. They asked him how much is was worth and he said it was what was on the package, they didnt believe him, so they forced him to log into his ebay account to see how much he bought the thing for, and the most amusing of all is that right there was his message to the seller "please write a smaller amount on the package to avoid custom charges" LOL

 

[Equality 7-2521]

Then there is no more problem. I just ask them to sell my next jacket to me without VAT.
(i know it takes some paperwork but I´m sure they have people for that)


The problem with shipping to another country and then here is that my country is extreme. They will apply the VAT on the highest sum on the package, it doesnt matter if its a gift or if its a feather with a 5k insurance, its the highest number that they will charge. I have had real handmade gifts for me sent from California with an insurance and I had to pay to get it from the postoffice.

So someone would then have to send it to me with the risk of it being gone in the mail and then I have nothing to claim at all. The problem is also that you are *forced* to write whats inside the package and what its worth. Sure you could write "old clothes worth $10" but if someone opens the package then you are screwed. And also its the problem if it gets lost.

I actually had a close friend that bought something from ebay, and the customs called him and said he had to come to the office. They asked him how much is was worth and he said it was what was on the package, they didnt believe him, so they forced him to log into his ebay account to see how much he bought the thing for, and the most amusing of all is that right there was his message to the seller "please write a smaller amount on the package to avoid custom charges" LOL

That's a strange ordeal... the most I ever get is a letter stating that I need to show a receipt stating the value of the package. I've never been called or asked to come into any office.

I do agree that it's obscene how they take the highest value possible here.

For example if the item is 250$ and let's use the round number of 30% customs tax, it's 75$. Which at this moment is roughly 430kr. Instead though, they use the 75 value in kroners 750krs, not dollars making the sum 130$.

It's dishonest if you ask me. I still undervalue packages every time, some get through, some don't but better than paying full charges on each and every one.

 

[Aerojoe]

This month I ordered the Aero Bronco A-2, which is listed on their web 490 pounds. My invoice is 490 + shipping. I'm inside the EU and outside the UK. [huh]

 

[Tony B]

You should have 3 months to try to claim back the vat paid in the uk ,ask aero to file paperwork to that effect and you should get 20% of the cost of the jacket back, on a £500 jacket that means that the english tax man has £100 of your money that he isn't entitled to.

 

[Edward]

There's nothing political about customs duties, since all nations apply them to almost everything, and similarly there's nothing political about courier brokerage fees, which are almost universally higher than they should be. To think otherwise is to fall into rhetorical stereotypes. I wish that more retailers would wake up and either start insisting on fixed rates from couriers, or listen to their customers and use regular mail services, which are almost always the cheapest and most reliable way to get consumer goods shipped internationally.

Customs duties are tax. Tax is always political.... no matter everyone does it.

Most companies do get the arm in for "administration" fees when they have to deal with taxes at point of entry into the country. If Aero were open to holding the jacket for you for a bit, you'd likely be cheaper booking a budget return flight to Edinburgh, then heading out to Galashiels and picking it up in person. No kidding. Wear it on the return journey, take only carry-on luggage... boo the right flights and you'd be looking at a substantial saving.

You shouldn't be paying UK VAT. Ask Aero for a VAT receipt on this... I'm sure there's some way you should be able to claim the tax back.

This month I ordered the Aero Bronco A-2, which is listed on their web 490 pounds. My invoice is 490 + shipping. I'm inside the EU and outside the UK. [huh]

Inside the EU so you won't be charged any import taxes - I think, though, the deal there is you pay the VAT at source, i.e. the going rate at point of sale.

 

[Aerojoe]

You should have 3 months to try to claim back the vat paid in the uk ,ask aero to file paperwork to that effect and you should get 20% of the cost of the jacket back, on a £500 jacket that means that the english tax man has £100 of your money that he isn't entitled to.

Who do you have to claim to? Aero?

 

[John in Covina]

All I know is that's way too much money on top of the cost of the jacket being charged by people that had nothiing to do with its manufacture.

Just think of all the services you're getting for those taxes.