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5 Apr, 2013
2013-4-5 5:59:51 PM UTC
Question for those in GB: has anyone actually completed a transaction and received an item using this service?

It seems to me, from the outside, that the "Import charges" could be a charge from the UK government, based on the value of the item being imported. When individuals ship to the UK, likely this import tax does not get reported or collected regularly or correctly, but with a professional shipping service, they likely have to have an agreement with the UK govt in place to rigorously collect every penny due.

I know that when I have shipped expensive books to the UK, the receiver sometimes has to pay the import tax before they can receive the package. I have no idea how often this has happened as usually I am not told.
5 Apr, 2013
2013-4-5 7:23:03 PM UTC
I've bought a book!! (--but haven't received it yet.) Ain't you been listening?

The UK's tax is managed by HMRC. Books are exempt from any import duty or VAT under their guidelines. I read the guidance fairly recently, after contesting a case; it involved VAT being levied on slipcases DM had posted over. Books are definitely exempt. It's possible something has changed very recently, but I don't think so; I think I'd have read (or someone else would have read) about it in some book-related newsletters, etc.

You may be right though; perhaps there's more to it than first appears...

BH
5 Apr, 2013
2013-4-5 7:30:38 PM UTC
Forgot to add: a properly declared USPS package, I would suggest, already is a professional shipping service. There is no way that every book I've ever bought from the US, in recent years, should in fact have had import tax levied against it, but slipped through. This is the whole point of the declaration on the front. If it said "book" it did not incur any tax/charge. I don't honestly think this has changed.

BH
5 Apr, 2013
2013-4-5 7:35:51 PM UTC
I have looked at this, it appears that ebay confirm to any country that you have ordered from, as a buyer you will not have to pay any import tax (or in the UK VAT on items delivered).

Sorry I struggle with ebays statement, they do not control Customs control
5 Apr, 2013
2013-4-5 7:36:30 PM UTC
Also, check the eBay brief:

The Global Postage Programme makes it easier for buyers in some countries outside the US to purchase items from US sellers. The seller sends the item to a global postage provider located in the US and the global postage provider sends the item to you. Using a global postage provider enables sellers to offer international postage at competitive rates and may allow items to be dispatched more quickly. In addition, your purchase is eligible for coverage through eBay Buyer Protection and PayPal Buyer Protection.

How, in the example I posted, is $18, on top of $17 normal postage, in any way competitive? That book you see, btw, is about the size of GA&U's FGoH; it's a tiny book, where you'd be paying $35+ to ship over. I don't get it...

BH
5 Apr, 2013
2013-4-5 7:39:33 PM UTC
And the rest of the "detail"!

When you purchase an item through the Global Postage Programme, you receive international tracking at no additional charge and pay any applicable import charges upfront. There are no additional charges at delivery. You'll see an estimate of the international postage charges and any import charges in the item listing. The final charges appear at checkout.

Import charges include certain fees, such as export classification, importation risk premium, and variance fees, which are assessed by the global postage provider as part of the services provided by the Global Postage Programme. These fees are in addition to the customs duties and taxes imposed by country tax and customs officials. For additional information about applicable fees, see the eBay Global Postage Programme Buyer Terms & Conditions.

Note: The charges that you are quoted in the item listing are not final until paid and may change - for example, if you change your delivery address during checkout or if the applicable import rules change before you complete your payment.

BH
5 Apr, 2013
2013-4-5 7:42:25 PM UTC
The most important statement is: "These fees are in addition to the customs duties and taxes imposed by country tax and customs officials.". These are fees levied by the company behind the "Global Postage Programme". Nothing to do with the UK HMRC.

BH
5 Apr, 2013
2013-4-5 7:48:14 PM UTC
The rest of the detail is even more worrying!

When you pay for the item through PayPal, you are authorising 2 payment transactions. The first payment goes to the seller and consists of the item cost and the domestic postage costs. The second payment goes to the global postage provider and consists of the international postage costs and any import charges.

After you've completed checkout, you can review these charges on the Order details page. The Order details page shows the total charges and the payment amounts to the seller and global postage provider.

Note: The Request total from the seller link is not available for Global Postage Programme purchases. You'll see the total, including postage, after you've purchased the item.

BH
5 Apr, 2013
2013-4-5 7:50:17 PM UTC
The long & short of it: you will not know the total, for sure, until the auction is finished & you have gone through checkout. At this point the final total will be revealed! Sounds great...

BH
5 Apr, 2013
2013-4-5 7:52:32 PM UTC
It sounds as though eBay have been taking lessons from Ryanair ...

- wellinghall
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