Has anyone in the UK made a purchase from the EU for more than £135?

Gav1967 · Feb 5, 2021

AlphaToOmega
So, let's say customs assume the declaration is incorrect. What happens next? An investigation? How, if the watch has been returned by a friend of 40 years, do the authorities prove otherwise? Especially, if the situation was in fact correct and proper.

I dont know the answer but I do know that customs often have far more reaching powers than the police. I suspect it would be up to you to prove otherwise not them. And they would probably confiscate until you did prove it or paid the relevant cost.

STANDY · Feb 5, 2021

AlphaToOmega
So, let's say customs assume the declaration is incorrect. What happens next? An investigation? How, if the watch has been returned by a friend of 40 years, do the authorities prove otherwise? Especially, if the situation was in fact correct and proper.

They would question or want a signed declaration from both parties on one of their forms ( that lay out the consequences of giving a false declaration ) and you would probably have to go to their office to lodge it.

They would send it back to sender if they are not satisfied before they would confiscate it so don’t worry.

AlphaToOmega · Feb 5, 2021

STANDY
They would question or want a signed declaration from both parties on one of their forms ( that lay out the consequences of giving a false declaration ) and you would probably have to go to their office to lodge it.

Which is all fine if the situation is true and correct.

STANDY · Feb 5, 2021

AlphaToOmega
Which is all fine if the situation is true and correct.

has this happened or is it hypothetical ?

AlphaToOmega · Feb 5, 2021

STANDY
has this happened or is it hypothetical ?

This situation is real, yes. A friend of 40 years borrowed a watch of mine for his Dad's funeral at the end of last year. He lives in Italy and flew into the UK to attend it. Because of circumstances and Covid, which I won't bore you with, he returned to Italy with the watch. He wishes to return it but because of Covid won't be flying back to the UK anytime soon.

STANDY · Feb 5, 2021

Send a email to UK customs and explain and ask what forms are needed. They are quite helpful believe it or not.

Being sort of in the game the easiest people to work with are the people that ask for help before hand and have the right paperwork. It’s the people that don’t do any homework first and get all hassles of filling out forms past tense.

Get the forms, fill them out and get your friend to put his form in with the parcel and it should be OK.

As said most customs officers Love correctly filled out forms as it means less work for them 😉

AlphaToOmega · Feb 5, 2021

STANDY
Send a email to UK customs and explain and ask what forms are needed. They are quite helpful believe it or not.

Being sort of in the game the easiest people to work with are the people that ask for help before hand and have the right paperwork. It’s the people that don’t do any homework first and get all hassles of filling out forms past tense.

Get the forms, fill them out and get your friend to put his form in with the parcel and it should be OK.

As said most customs officers Love correctly filled out forms as it means less work for them 😉

Thank you. I appreciate the advice.

STANDY · Feb 5, 2021

PS I would wait a few months for the Brexit stuff to work its way out with paperwork and that.

AlphaToOmega · Feb 5, 2021

STANDY
PS I would wait a few months for the Brexit stuff to work its way out with paperwork and that.

To avoid delays? Or something else?

STANDY · Feb 5, 2021

AlphaToOmega
To avoid delays? Or something else?

To make sure they have all the right paperwork transitioned to UK format after Brexit.
They wouldn’t have had everything sorted as you can see already. I bet they are getting hammered at the moment by importers and exporters. 😉

TimeODanaos · Feb 5, 2021

Evens yesterday.

1. Love-15

khanmu
There’s also now clearer guidance on the Govt web site for U.K. private buyers and sellers via Royal Mail or ParcelForce
https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...tice-143-a-guide-for-international-post-users
The principles apply to other couriers, though practice (what forms to use, when you pay charges eg before or after delivery) will differ.

Declaration on incoming package cunningly makes out the contents consist of three separately-valued items - case, movement, bracelet. The idea - not mine! - being to get the watch at least partly below some threshold or other. The guidance is pretty clear though - unless the parcel contains clearly separable packages for clearly identified different people, this trick does not work, and just makes you look like you're trying to pull something even when you aren't.

2. 15-all

STANDY
It’s obviously the 284292.00 is Yen and not Euro........

Package from Japan delivered by mail, no taxes. My theory is the handwritten valuations in yen may have bamboozled hard-pressed officers into thinking the contents had a value one-tenth of the real figure - maybe a karmic compensation for our Dutch friend's experience!

DJG2645 · Feb 8, 2021

I have made 2 purchases since Christmas; 1. A bespoke watch box from Portugal - delivered by Parcel force and 2. A new cordovan strap delivered by DHL so I am patiently waiting for the letters telling me what I owe. I knew both might end up with added costs but I was too excited to receive my new GM and felt both were important purchases (for the GM's well being not mine of course) 😗

SmithSJ · Feb 8, 2021

I agree with the idea of waiting given the chaos currently that they are trying to deal with. And then have clear proof of ownership in the UK before the guy took it to Italy - some invoice or a service receipt with serial no or something to identify the watch.

rootbeer7 · Feb 9, 2021

AlphaToOmega
This is a deadly serious question. What if a friend had borrowed a high value item when in the UK, forgotten to return it before travelling back to the EU. Once he is back in the EU he then returns the borrowed item. How does tax work then? This circumstance is neither a commercial transaction nor a gift so how do customs legislate for this situation?

I’ve read some of the answers, but I had a similar issue. Bought watch from European company with business in the uk. Paid a uk bank. Watch needed to be returned to EU as it wasn’t working properly (that’s another story). Before it went back DHL needed a commercial invoice from the company (stating zero purchase as it was a repair). Once this was sent to me watch was picked up and arrived within 24 hours.

Ness · Feb 21, 2021

You would be great to hear updates from those in the UK purchasing vintage watches from the EU?

Have transactions grounded to a halt?

rootbeer7 · Feb 21, 2021

I posted recently and have an update, but no resolution yet. My purchase was beginning of January.
Before I purchased from an international seller of watches (in effect an agent) I had them confirm in writing after a phone call that no additional taxes or charges will be paid on watches that are pre-owned. I paid in Pounds Sterling to their uk company, but they ship from Spain.
Watch arrives faulty and is returned immediately. It is 20 years old and in effect will be brought back to new with oem parts, so I’m ok with that (although should have been checked prior to shipping).
One week after the return, I receive a call & email from DHL stating I owe 20% vat (odd since had they claimed the charge before delivery I simply would have refused it and it would have been returned).
Luckily for me I proved the watch had been returned by them as the shipper and the seller once again confirmed they would be responsible if the charges stuck.
Once repaired, I don’t know how I’ll get it, but seller has once again confirmed I won’t pay a penny piece more and they will either cover the additional charges or refund me.
It’s a pain, but I can’t be the only one. I’ll keep updating as I hear.

bthUK · Mar 7, 2021

I think the £135 is a red herring.
I bought deployant clasps from on eBay for under £10, from China, and eBay added and collected VAT on the value. I bought an Invicta watch from Invicta europe for just over £100, and there was no VAT charged. I assume Invicta dealt with the VAT. Now I have bought dearer stuff from the US before, and customs have charged me 20% for the VAT. I thought there was duty on some watches, but I have never been charged duty, and never had a box opened. In my experience, UK customs look at the declaration on the package, and charge 20% of that, as import VAT.

slavedata · Mar 8, 2021

Re Customs and paperwork.
Many years ago I went on a made sales target trip to the far east. We all had lots of bonus and spent freely during our Singapore stopover. I had to buy an extra suitcase to get my haul back. When we came into Heathrow there was much discussion on the plane about using the red or green customs channel. My view was they know who is on a flight you would be mad not to declare. So I declared a Minolta camera and a Seiko for my wife and paid and got the green form. A colleague went green and never paid for his Canon camera and laughed at me as a sucker.
Six months later the guy went on holiday to Spain got stopped for the camera and had to pay duty plus a fine for attempted avoidance.
So I concur with the post above, ask in advance, get the right form and the customs are reasonable. Try to wing it and the most likely outcome is a fine or confiscation.

Has anyone in the UK made a purchase from the EU for more than £135?

Gav1967

STANDY

AlphaToOmega

STANDY

AlphaToOmega

STANDY

AlphaToOmega

STANDY

AlphaToOmega

STANDY

TimeODanaos

DJG2645

SmithSJ

rootbeer7

Ness

rootbeer7

bthUK

slavedata

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