Brexit and shipping to EU
- Thread starter xxnick1975
- Start date
- Feedback
- View
I should hope Bike24 have, since they are another 'brand' of WiggleCRC.
Sadly it's the luck of the draw on customs/import charges, as they do not check every box. I had 3 sent and one arrived OK with no charges, the other 2 not so lucky. No courier service can avoid the Border Force scrutiny entirely.
Takingabreak
Dave Yates Fan
- Feedback
- View
I've just experienced a great service ordering from the EU into the UK. I ordered a M770 cassette from Bikester (who seem to be based in Stuttgart) on the 17th Feb. It has arrived this morning - 24th Feb via DPD. Maybe we are over the initial learning curve and things are on the up
It's entirely random action by the Border Force, not every parcel is inspected, especially if the declared value is low.
It has speeded up of late but that has more to do with staffing levels as covid recedes in veracity. If your item incurs charges, you have to wait until a letter arrives informing you and how to make payment. If you disagree with the charges, you can only argue via letter to the Border Force and don't expect a quick response. I just had to pay VAT on items that I'd bought in the UK but had taken to my appartment in Madrid, then decided to ship them back. Border Force just refused to accept that premise despite receipts produced. I'm not aware of a pre pay charges scheme as yet unless the seller has registered with HMRC.
So if your parcel isn't picked out, happy days. If it is, expect delays and VAT + IMPORT+HANDLING fees, depending on contents. Delays on your part could see the parcel returned to sender even if you are in a letter exchange with the Border Force.
I've had all of the above happen to my parcels in both directions between Madrid and Manchester.
It has speeded up of late but that has more to do with staffing levels as covid recedes in veracity. If your item incurs charges, you have to wait until a letter arrives informing you and how to make payment. If you disagree with the charges, you can only argue via letter to the Border Force and don't expect a quick response. I just had to pay VAT on items that I'd bought in the UK but had taken to my appartment in Madrid, then decided to ship them back. Border Force just refused to accept that premise despite receipts produced. I'm not aware of a pre pay charges scheme as yet unless the seller has registered with HMRC.
So if your parcel isn't picked out, happy days. If it is, expect delays and VAT + IMPORT+HANDLING fees, depending on contents. Delays on your part could see the parcel returned to sender even if you are in a letter exchange with the Border Force.
I've had all of the above happen to my parcels in both directions between Madrid and Manchester.
Last edited:
Time for a little update - poor @Imlach in DK had an incident with getting some made custom parts from @Mickeyspinn in the UK.
While it's a ball ache, working in this field for several years, I'm convinced there are glitches still in the system and possibly user input.
Hear me out - goods need to be valued at something "reasonable and at local market price" - anything else will raise eyebrows from any customs authority in any part of the world. Shipping "Gifts" constantly is also an eyebrow raiser. Believe me, even as a private importer and private exporter there will be statistics about this to combat fraud.
From my understanding at the moment, from the UK to EU demands some paper work which can be filled in still by pen paper (the CN23) and then Royal Mail copy it into a system to allow pre-clearance and an early heads up of anything suspect to a EU member state. Description of what is sent is crucial here. I received some chain rings from my brother from the UK to France and was amazed at the lack of paper work, and what paper there was, was sloppy scribble at best. I was actually amazed it got to me without fuss.
Now turn it around. France to the UK, I can not even put anything in the La Poste system at a local post office which is not bullet proof in terms of printed paper work and god knows how many bar codes. The pre-clearance process practically starts at the moment it is registered at the local post office, way before it is near to the UK - EU border. The UK sees expected goods arrival well up front and in due time. As for value of goods, a 1 kg parcel is already valued at about 20 € for transport alone which means goods can only be declared another 17 € max to avoid the receiver (importer) not paying duties and what not.
17 € really does not buy too much these days. It's worth noting that UK as still not fully implemented full import checks, and it is still a lottery as I have understood. The EU on the other hand made it fairly rigorous for business import transactions early on. Less so for personal items, and I think in part this why local customs in every member state seem to deal with it, rather than at the border.
It goes someone to explain why receiving from the EU to the UK is "working" and the other way "not working" for our little bike bits.
While it's a ball ache, working in this field for several years, I'm convinced there are glitches still in the system and possibly user input.
Hear me out - goods need to be valued at something "reasonable and at local market price" - anything else will raise eyebrows from any customs authority in any part of the world. Shipping "Gifts" constantly is also an eyebrow raiser. Believe me, even as a private importer and private exporter there will be statistics about this to combat fraud.
From my understanding at the moment, from the UK to EU demands some paper work which can be filled in still by pen paper (the CN23) and then Royal Mail copy it into a system to allow pre-clearance and an early heads up of anything suspect to a EU member state. Description of what is sent is crucial here. I received some chain rings from my brother from the UK to France and was amazed at the lack of paper work, and what paper there was, was sloppy scribble at best. I was actually amazed it got to me without fuss.
Now turn it around. France to the UK, I can not even put anything in the La Poste system at a local post office which is not bullet proof in terms of printed paper work and god knows how many bar codes. The pre-clearance process practically starts at the moment it is registered at the local post office, way before it is near to the UK - EU border. The UK sees expected goods arrival well up front and in due time. As for value of goods, a 1 kg parcel is already valued at about 20 € for transport alone which means goods can only be declared another 17 € max to avoid the receiver (importer) not paying duties and what not.
17 € really does not buy too much these days. It's worth noting that UK as still not fully implemented full import checks, and it is still a lottery as I have understood. The EU on the other hand made it fairly rigorous for business import transactions early on. Less so for personal items, and I think in part this why local customs in every member state seem to deal with it, rather than at the border.
It goes someone to explain why receiving from the EU to the UK is "working" and the other way "not working" for our little bike bits.
If only there was a way to resolve all of this and more...
Similar threads
