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M R
06-Nov-10, 03:35
Anyone know where i stand on this !

I bought a 2nd hand ECU for a car (from Ebay), I sent the ecu to Canada to have some work done on it and when it was sent back to me, I was charged £27 by customs.

Now i would hope that i can claim this back, but can anyone shed any light on this.

I have tried phoning them, but if there busy, their system just hangs up, most annoying.

theone
06-Nov-10, 03:49
I'm not sure in that particular situation.

If you're buying goods from overseas you have to pay tax, but in the case I would say you bought a service.

What did the customs declaration on the parcel say? If it was ticked "goods" then I can see why you've been charged. Maybe if you can prove to customs that you owned the part originally and bought it in the uk you can claim it back?

I little (dodgy) trick I use when buying things from over the atlantic on ebay etc is to ask the seller to declare the parcel as "warranty replacement parts". I've had a couple of parcels opened by customs but not been charged.

Good luck!

M R
06-Nov-10, 03:57
I can;t remember what the parcel said, but the fact is, as you have stated, i bought a service, rather than importing goods, i will get through to their helpdesk 1 day. Probably quicker doing via email.

Phill
06-Nov-10, 11:08
You will possibly pay vat & maybe duty on the work/service done in Canada.
Assuming you have paid the eu vat there should be not vat due on the reimported unitfrom Canada.

rob1
06-Nov-10, 12:30
I got screwed over by customs last year. I was out in the states and decided to send something home that I took over as hand luggage. What I sent home was something that was made in the UK and I paid VAT on. When I got home I had a letter saying that I had to pay £10 VAT and then a £8 handling fee to the royal mail for opening my stuff. I wrote a letter to customs enclosing a full recipt for what the goods were and explained the situation. They were having none of it and I had to pay up or the package would be sent back, which would have been my hotel!

I would be very suprised if you get even a penny back from custome, but I hope you have better luck than I did.

Leanne
06-Nov-10, 12:50
If you buy something abroad you are liable for import tax (regardless of whether it was originally made in the UK or not). One way some people get around it is so have the vendor mark the package 'gift'. This isn't exactly legal though...

highland red
06-Nov-10, 13:27
There are a couple of elements here that may be important. Firstly, if your goods came from outside the EU when you originally purchased them on Ebay, then import duty and import VAT are applicable if over a certain amount.

However, if you purchased them from within the EU (as in the UK etc), then no import duty would have been liable (as it not an import and is an acquisition from within the EU).

If you did originally purchase this from within the EU and THEN sent it to Canada to have some work done on it you should have used a Customs scheme called "outward processing relief".

This scheme allows UK companies, (and private individuals ) to use the scheme and claim the relief (sometimes the full amount or sometimes less).

If you can prove that you have met the conditions and have been charged in error then you may be able to reclaim using a Customs claim form.

You should go on The HMRC website and look for the Outward Processing Relief public notice 235. Don't panic when you see the contents: OPR is complicated but there is a simplified procedure for members of the public.

In your particular case it sounds like the company in Canada did not know about this relief and so when they have returned it to you it has been picked up and charged by HMRC (or the carrier on behalf of yourself) as a straight import.

Unless there is anything on the package to draw attention to the fact that it has been sent for repair etc then it may be picked up and duty and VAT levied.

It isn't a case (as one of our orgers suggests) of "being screwed over" as all countries have exactly the same import and tax issues, although the duty rates vary a lot from outside the EU.

Don't EVER get drawn into making a false declaration as to the contents, whether it is a "gift" or to the true valuation of the item, as this an offence and you may end up in trouble.

If I can be of any more help please PM me.

All the best.

M R
07-Nov-10, 14:50
Very informative Highland Red and Phill, thank you both for for your input and help on this matter.

Appreciated

orkneycadian
07-Nov-10, 15:05
Anytime we've sent anything abroad for repair, we have always made very sure that the package is labelled as "Equipment for repair" or the like for this very reason. Result = no charges to pay.

Hopefully you'll be able to retrospectively sort this out!

greener
07-Nov-10, 15:51
What is all the fuss about? if you can afford to buy a car from abroad surely £27.00 will not break the bank.

Geo
07-Nov-10, 16:14
There is no mention of buying a car from abroad.

greener
07-Nov-10, 16:28
Sorry my mistake tooooo much wine with lunch:D

smithp
07-Nov-10, 16:33
Import/export Tax is pretty common when posting good from or to the uk on ebay or other sites even for small items. Things that appear cheaper end up being the same price or more. There are ways round it (Not 100% reliable though) get the seller to mark items as gifts.
If you've already got a tax bill you better pay it or fake your own death!

Geo
07-Nov-10, 16:35
Items up to £18 are exempt.

M R
07-Nov-10, 18:10
I thought this thread was going to well. :lol:

I don't think there is anymore positive info to be added, so i will close it.

Thanks again.