Ebay is not for me

[GrumpyGregry]

I can't be arsed to tempt HMRC to go after me for conspiracy to defraud. I like my front door to remain in one piece at four o'clock in the morning. The sellers can scribble whatever they like on the custom's sticker. It's worked out fine so far.

But if the seller puts $10 on the label and you know the goods cost you $100 I think it is the case that you are meant to declare, and HMRC, and thus the taxpaying public in the UK, have been defrauded.

HMRC won't kick your doors in mind. They simply get their agents to make up some extraordinary random value and hold your goods hostage, in my case it was a pair of pedals, until you stump up the customs duty, vat, and handling charges on your apparently diamond encrusted platinum pedals, and then the onus is on you to prove the actual worth of the goods and claim back the excess spondolics you've shelled out. Which I reckon is fair enough.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

You are translating your experience, as a relatively normal citizen, onto Slomo who could easily be an international supervillain.

Sits, adjusting eye patch with gloved hand, whilst stroking albino cat...

 

[SD1]

But if the seller puts $10 on the label and you know the goods cost you $100 I think it is the case that you are meant to declare, and HMRC, and thus the taxpaying public in the UK, have been defrauded.

HMRC won't kick your doors in mind. They simply get their agents to make up some extraordinary random value and hold your goods hostage, in my case it was a pair of pedals, until you stump up the customs duty, vat, and handling charges on your apparently diamond encrusted platinum pedals, and then the onus is on you to prove the actual worth of the goods and claim back the excess spondolics you've shelled out. Which I reckon is fair enough.

I said the Chinese put $10 on even when it is way below that. If I pay £1.98 for a rear light they still put $10 on. Note I obviously didn't ask them to do that and clearly customs pay no notice at the vast amount of items with 10$ on.
If I paid $1,000 dollars for something and it was delivered to my door without me paying import duty how would I be at fault? It's the sender that's at fault, obviously.
Kick down the door? not very likely......unless they underestimated the import duty on Heroin!!

 

[SD1]

EBay 20% of today

Urgent. Ebay 20% off code (min £20) goes live at 4pm TODAY
We told you about the rumour in this week's email, now eBay has confirmed it. At 4pm today, eBay will release a special code for use at checkout to get 20% off at eBay.co.uk* - we'll post it here then so bookmark this page.

The code is only available for use until 10pm tonight (Thu 22 Oct). The minimum spend is £20 and you must pay by Paypal. The code works on buy-it-now and auction goods, though auctions need to end between 4pm and 10pm.

You can only use the code once per person, but you can use it on multiple items (you must check them out at the same time). The max discount’s £50, which would be for a £250 spend.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/ebay-protection#code


CUKFLASH is code use at checkout.

Got daughters birthday present. She wanted copper pans steel or aluminium inside. Tri-ply base. Got them brand new. On a buy it now or best offer. Price was about 60% of new price. Got another 10% of using best offer and then use code at checkout for 20% of final price.......sweet. Bought from China seller said will put $1 dollar on import deceleration!!!

 

[SD1]

in my case it was a pair of pedals, until you stump up the customs duty, vat, and handling charges on your apparently diamond encrusted platinum

Soooo you had them undervalued? And got caught?

 

[slowmotion]

You are translating your experience, as a relatively normal citizen, onto Slomo who could easily be an international supervillain.

Bah! Rumbled!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Soooo you had them undervalued? And got caught?

Not at all. iirc the sender put the right value, ie what I paid, on the docket.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

If I paid $1,000 dollars for something and it was delivered to my door without me paying import duty how would I be at fault? It's the sender that's at fault, obviously.

You may be right.

But I'm fairly sure you are wrong. The onus is on you to pay your taxes not on the sender.

I bear correction mind.

 

[slowmotion]

I bought some electronic components from the US a while ago, total value about $100. The VAT on the goods was the standard rate but the shipping charges had not been declared by the vendor. HMRC "estimated" them to be £100 and stuck me with the VAT accordingly. It was just a small jiffy bag. Fedex told me not to waste my breath arguing with them.

 

[SD1]

You may be right.

But I'm fairly sure you are wrong. The onus is on you to pay your taxes not on the sender.

I bear correction mind.

Agreed the onus is on me. But if they didn't put the right purchase price on, I would not know until it arrived. Then the onus would be on me to ring customs and tell them (assuming I knew the amount at which I am required to pay duty).
How many people would do that? On this site the vast majority would say they would....and they would be lying.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I bought some electronic components from the US a while ago, total value about $100. The VAT on the goods was the standard rate but the shipping charges had not been declared by the vendor. HMRC "estimated" them to be £100 and stuck me with the VAT accordingly. It was just a small jiffy bag. Fedex told me not to waste my breath arguing with them.

When that happened to me all I had to do was produce the ebay/paypal documentation which showed what the actually shipping charge was and I got refund.