Importing from Japan - Happy update!

[jacinabox]

First time buyer of a watch from a Japanese seller, I've got an EMS tracking number which shows it has left Japan bound for UK.

I know I'm likely to be hit for VAT and a possible handling charge from whoever picks up my package to deliver to me; so what happens and how am I advised of what to pay...a knock on my door and hand over a fistful of cash or some other way.

I've paid £630.00 and delivery was free. So it'll be a simple +20% of purchase cost + an unknown handling fee?

Advice appreciated :)

David

[MartinCRC]

If it is EMS then it will probably be handed over to Parcelforce once it gets to the UK and you can pretty much guarantee that you will get hit for the 20% VAT. They will add £13.50 handling charge on top of that so expect to hand over the thick end of £140. In the past, I've tended to track deliveries using international tracking and then Parcelforce once it lands in the UK and then gone to collect from the local depot, having agreed to do so over the phone. You should be able to pay the fee there and then.

Martin

[davidj54]

Can only speak for watches that I’ve ordered from Creation, shipped via DHL, but they notify you once it’s in the UK and ready for delivery, with a link to their website where you can pay the duty. Once they’ve confirmed payment received they schedule delivery and send another notification. That’s pretty much it.

[Toshk]

Parel Force charged me £25 admin fee.

[hughtrimble]

Really depends on the courier for the handling charge, and if they've prepaid any fees on your behalf to get it to you pronto.

Recently I had a delivery that required exact payment in cash upon delivery. Exact. Didn't have it, so back it went and I had to get the right change for their return visit! Very inefficient indeed.

[EmilA]

I had the pleasure of paying £64 to Parcelforce today for an Ignition Model R33 GTR that was £180. Prefer to pay a large fee for it

[WillHarris2306]

I've bought a couple of JDM watches and you'll just get a card through your letter box with details of how to pay online. Pay the tax and fees and it will be delivered probably next day.

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[PickleB]

Watch the detailed tracking information carefully. You should be able to determine when it leaves UK customs and enters the PF or RM (or other courier) delivery system. And then...

It sounds as though it'll be delivered by ParcelForce rather than Royal Mail. Have they given you a 'GB' reference yet (PF track & trace)?

Once it has cleared UK customs you should be able to pay on-line (link), as mentioned above, or by phone (03 448 004 466).

[jacinabox]

Thanks all for the advice, guess I just sit back and wait for the bill. Once in the UK, any idea how long it takes to be processed through customs - or whatever they're called. Speedy process or not...given that it's close to Christmas I'd expect it to take longer?

Looks like it will be ParcelForce picking up my package.

Parel Force charged me £25 admin fee.

That's at odds with PF's site info' - according to their guidance on charge's a "standard" package is £8.00 and the "express" package is £13.50 ??

I had the pleasure of paying £64 to Parcelforce today for an Ignition Model R33 GTR that was £180. Prefer to pay a large fee for it

Again the math doesn't quite work for that. £180 x 20% = £216 + handling fee of a max of £13.50 = £229.50 ?? Unless you've been charged a delivery cost from sender which is apparently taken into account when calculating charge? ie purchase cost + delivery/insurance cost. Or is it something to do with exchange rates?

Watch the detailed tracking information carefully. You should be able to determine when it leaves UK customs and enters the PF or RM (or other courier) delivery system. And then...

I can follow package on Japan Post and Parcel Force, so I guess I can get info' from PF tracking as it moves thro' system

David

[Toshk]

Parcel Force were very slow in September. Parcel stuck
In customs for a couple of weeks I think.

[PickleB]

Thanks all for the advice, guess I just sit back and wait for the bill. Once in the UK, any idea how long it takes to be processed through customs - or whatever they're called. Speedy process or not...given that it's close to Christmas I'd expect it to take longer?

Looks like it will be ParcelForce picking up my package.

That's at odds with PF's site info' - according to their guidance on charge's a "standard" package is £8.00 and the "express" package is £13.50 ??

Again the math doesn't quite work for that. £180 x 20% = £216 + handling fee of a max of £13.50 = £229.50 ?? Unless you've been charged a delivery cost from sender which is apparently taken into account when calculating charge? ie purchase cost + delivery/insurance cost. Or is it something to do with exchange rates?

I can follow package on Japan Post and Parcel Force, so I guess I can get info' from PF tracking as it moves thro' system

David

Just which guidance are you reading? See link for:

From the 5th November 2018, we are changing the import parcels customs fee from £11.25 to £12 for all import parcels below the contents value of £873 (equivalent to €1000). There is no change for high value goods over the threshold provided by HMRC and the UK Government (currently €1000/£873), where the custom fee is £25.00.

We will also make a charge if we have to hold your parcel whilst Customs process it, so we would recommend that you respond promptly to any queries from HMRC to avoid these charges. We will not levy a fee for the first 10 days, after 10 days however, storage fees will be charged. For more than 10 and up to 20 working days, - £5.50 per parcel. For each subsequent working day over 20 working days - £1.35 per parcel.

[mk1974]

I’ve just paid dhl £36 for a £106 seiko from creation,not sure what it’s for ,import costs,vat ,seems a lot on the initial purchase price



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[EmilA]

Again the math doesn't quite work for that. £180 x 20% = £216 + handling fee of a max of £13.50 = £229.50 ?? Unless you've been charged a delivery cost from sender which is apparently taken into account when calculating charge? ie purchase cost + delivery/insurance cost. Or is it something to do with exchange rates?

David

It doesn’t work to me either but since the letter to pay hasn’t come through to home in the UK, I called Parcelforce and paid it over the phone and I’ll look into the charge this weekend when I’m back. I looked on the parcelfore website but waiting to see their breakdown first.
I paid the shipping fee in advance too

[jacinabox]

Just which guidance are you reading? See link for:

From the 5th November 2018, we are changing the import parcels customs fee from £11.25 to £12 for all import parcels below the contents value of £873 (equivalent to €1000). There is no change for high value goods over the threshold provided by HMRC and the UK Government (currently €1000/£873), where the custom fee is £25.00.

We will also make a charge if we have to hold your parcel whilst Customs process it, so we would recommend that you respond promptly to any queries from HMRC to avoid these charges. We will not levy a fee for the first 10 days, after 10 days however, storage fees will be charged. For more than 10 and up to 20 working days, - £5.50 per parcel. For each subsequent working day over 20 working days - £1.35 per parcel.

Hmm, I just googled PF custom charges...I can't post a link using a Chrome book. Try this:

https://www.parcelforce.com/sites/de...20leaflets.pdf

It's not dated so not sure if it's current. Your link is perhaps more up to date...but £12.00 won't be too difficult to swallow. But it still doesn't work in with charges that some have had to pay?

David

Edit - just tried my link and it doesn't work, yet I've copied the link correctly from my google search :(

[DJDJ]

Do you not pay the VAT on the total cost of item + postage......would that make the calculations work?


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[Neilw3030]

Do you not pay the VAT on the total cost of item + postage......would that make the calculations work?


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Pretty sure you pay vat on insurance and postage as well, so even if it is shipping free there will still be a charge on postage for vat, robbing sods really.

[lughugger]

Pretty sure you pay vat on insurance and postage as well, so even if it is shipping free there will still be a charge on postage for vat, robbing sods really.

VAT is paid on the (Cost Insurance & Freight value + any import duty payable)

[WillHarris2306]

Timescales seem to vary but my order from Creation Watches came door to door in about 5 days.

[jacinabox]

That was pretty painless!

Watch ordered from Japan 2 Dec and in my sticky mitts on the 10 Dec. Tracking was excellent via EMS and ParcelForce. No waiting for the letter advising customs charges; my parcel was in the local ParcelForce depot last Sunday, so rang ParcelForce customer service who were really helpful, after a small wait they told me what the charges were and put me through to a payment line, money paid and was told the package would be ready to be collected immediately or delivered next day.

On a watch that cost me £630.00 after paypal conversion fee from Japan Yen, my VAT bill and handling charge was £137.00 of which £12.00 was PF's handling charge...can't work out the maths myself but a little less than I was expecting.

First time from buying abroad and the parcel reached me quicker than I expected or hoped for...watch is not bad either! :)

David

[peter2704]

Just paid DHL 18 quit on declared 39 ??? 7 import 11 handling

[Kingstepper]

That was pretty painless!

Watch ordered from Japan 2 Dec and in my sticky mitts on the 10 Dec. Tracking was excellent via EMS and ParcelForce. No waiting for the letter advising customs charges; my parcel was in the local ParcelForce depot last Sunday, so rang ParcelForce customer service who were really helpful, after a small wait they told me what the charges were and put me through to a payment line, money paid and was told the package would be ready to be collected immediately or delivered next day.

On a watch that cost me £630.00 after paypal conversion fee from Japan Yen, my VAT bill and handling charge was £137.00 of which £12.00 was PF's handling charge...can't work out the maths myself but a little less than I was expecting.

First time from buying abroad and the parcel reached me quicker than I expected or hoped for...watch is not bad either! :)

David

Good result though I always just go to depot and pay by card there. No need to pay over phone.

[Zephyr]

Great result David, pleased it arrived safely. ☺ Buying anymore Tuna's or is that it now?

[EmilA]

Your customs fee sticker placed on the box would give you a breakdown of the costs. About £40 of the £60ish charge I got was VAT charged at 20% of the value of the item.

[jacinabox]

Great result David, pleased it arrived safely. Buying anymore Tuna's or is that it now?

That might be it ...for now at least. Your old Tuna has become a firm favourite, especially with that wonderful Seiko bracelet!

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[Onelasttime]

Good result though I always just go to depot and pay by card there. No need to pay over phone.

I'd rather pay over the phone and have it delivered. Make them earn their £12.

[Kingstepper]

I'd rather pay over the phone and have it delivered. Make them earn their £12.

Depends on how near you are, how soon you'd like it and whether someone is at home the whole day!

[Onelasttime]

Depends on how near you are, how soon you'd like it and whether someone is at home the whole day!

Always delivered to work and arrives next day. Depot is miles away. I like to get something back for my £12.

[rodia77]

That was pretty painless!

Watch ordered from Japan 2 Dec and in my sticky mitts on the 10 Dec. Tracking was excellent via EMS and ParcelForce. No waiting for the letter advising customs charges; my parcel was in the local ParcelForce depot last Sunday, so rang ParcelForce customer service who were really helpful, after a small wait they told me what the charges were and put me through to a payment line, money paid and was told the package would be ready to be collected immediately or delivered next day.

On a watch that cost me £630.00 after paypal conversion fee from Japan Yen, my VAT bill and handling charge was £137.00 of which £12.00 was PF's handling charge...can't work out the maths myself but a little less than I was expecting.

First time from buying abroad and the parcel reached me quicker than I expected or hoped for...watch is not bad either! :)

David

Pix or it didn't happen. ;P

My last week's arrival from Osaka is saying hi.

[Zephyr]

That might be it ...for now at least. Your old Tuna has become a firm favourite, especially with that wonderful Seiko bracelet!

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Excellent 👍😀👍

[ziphos]

That's nice, which model is that and where did you get it from?

Thanks

[jacinabox]

Pix or it didn't happen. ;P

My last week's arrival from Osaka is saying hi.

It happened...and I'm more than happy. A little bit of guff in here:

https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...lue-just-right!

David

[jacinabox]

Always delivered to work and arrives next day. Depot is miles away. I like to get something back for my £12.

40 mile round trip for me - a few bob in petrol, but I'd sooner collect and remove one chance of it going astray!

David

[rodia77]

That's nice, which model is that and where did you get it from?

Thanks

Thanks, CB1070-56F, grabbed it from Japanese Amazon.

It happened...and I'm more than happy. A little bit of guff in here:

https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...lue-just-right!

David

Congrats.

[walkerwek1958]

40 mile round trip for me - a few bob in petrol, but I'd sooner collect and remove one chance of it going astray!

David

Exactly what I do when something's held in the parcelforce depot, why take additional risk? 24 mile round trip for me, I don`t mind that.

Local sorting office is only 5 miles round trip, I do that frequently when picking up watches sent for repair. Costs me around £1.30 in juice for my gas guzzler, but its worth it to avoid risk and hassle......maybe I should be adding it on to my bills!

Glad the deal worked out OK, it's always a relief when watches from overseas arrive. Back in the good old days when you got $2 = £1 I did a few deals from the States and they usually ducked under the customs radar, nowadays it's a totally different ball-game. It's frustrating when the watch you want is available at the other side of the world and not in UK or Europe (vintage watches!) but if you want the watch badly enough you have to take the opportunity and soak up the cost. If you're happy with the watch you soon forget how much you paid and whether it was good value or not.

[ziphos]

Thanks, CB1070-56F, grabbed it from Japanese Amazon.

Thank you.

[PDR]

The most annoying aspect for me is the time it takes parcelforce to send out the "ransom" notes.

I have been buying Malkoff Devices flashlights recently and getting hit for around £70 - £80 in charges which is bad enough.... but when (for example) your property is sat in the dept. on a Thursday morning and it takes until the following Monday or Tuesday for the ransom note to arrive... and then, once you pay, you have to wait til the following day for delivery, it is a bit much.

Customs know when they release your property what the charges are going to be so why can't they give you a link to a website so you can pay it and not waste however many days waiting for the ransom note via snail-mail?

I work in Liverpool and commute via train / Brompton bike (rather than drive my Wrangler JKU into work)... most parcels used to go to the South Liverpool Dept. which is easy to get to in my lunch hour.... whereas the Parcelfarce dept. is in the back of beyond and not practical to get to during the week.

[jacinabox]

The most annoying aspect for me is the time it takes parcelforce to send out the "ransom" notes.

I have been buying Malkoff Devices flashlights recently and getting hit for around £70 - £80 in charges which is bad enough.... but when (for example) your property is sat in the dept. on a Thursday morning and it takes until the following Monday or Tuesday for the ransom note to arrive... and then, once you pay, you have to wait til the following day for delivery, it is a bit much.

Customs know when they release your property what the charges are going to be so why can't they give you a link to a website so you can pay it and not waste however many days waiting for the ransom note via snail-mail?

I work in Liverpool and commute via train / Brompton bike (rather than drive my Wrangler JKU into work)... most parcels used to go to the South Liverpool Dept. which is easy to get to in my lunch hour.... whereas the Parcelfarce dept. is in the back of beyond and not practical to get to during the week.

I know what you mean about how long it takes for PF to send the letter advising charges. My package arrived in PF depot on Sunday and it was today that I received the charge's letter.

I watched, on PF's tracking, each step that was taken by my package. On the Saturday the tracking told me the package had cleared customs and charges had been raised. The next day, Sunday, it was in my local delivery depot.
Rather than wait for the letter, I called PF (very helpful) on Monday morning and they put me through to the payments section, just using my parcel tracking number they told me what the charges were. Paid and parcel was available for collection immediately or could be delivered next day.

Had I not done that I wouldn't have my package 5 days earlier!
You don't have to wait for the letter!

David

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[ponch10]

imminent trade deal with Japan would make things easier though, no?

[RickS]

imminent trade deal with Japan would make things easier though, no?

No. Trade deal may remove customs duties but you'd still have to pay the VAT.

[Tony]

imminent trade deal with Japan would make things easier though, no?

Hook, line and sinker.