Dubai Customs and Import Charges frequency of being charged?

[After_Shock]

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed certainly over the last 6 months the amount of stuff you get shipped in and being charged for it?

Id say the first 6 months of last year I never had a single package inspected nor got billed for it, the 3 months after that roughly 50% of everything I shipped in got targeted and since October every single package ive had come through has been hit by import charges.

Has anyone else noticed the same? Assuming they are either targeting it as a source of income or once you have a certain number of packages arrive your on a blacklist and get billed every time.

[After_Shock]

The stuff I normally order are either DVD's/CD's off amazon and the occasional home ware item, light bulbs for example, order the rare car part or cleaning items, cloths or specific polishes I need.

But regardless if I send from Amazon direct or through shop and ship, all comes to a personal name but at my work address but literally every single package in the last 3 months ish has been hit with duty.

Last package yesterday a clothes retailer in the UK had a sale on so ordered a few bits off them arrived through shop and ship nice 186dhs customs charge, last time ordered off the same retailer shop and ship needed emirates id copies amongst other things to even release them from customs!

Convinced im on some hit list lol

[After_Shock]

shirt said:

funny you mention this as i had a package of car parts come this morning via UPS with no duty to pay. this very rarely happens to me.

i always get charged via shop & ship and 90& of the time by dhl [my preferred carrier]. that said 90% of the time i'm buying bulky car parts! i wouldn't expect small packages to be taxed.

i have never been stopped/charged at the airport though even when i have had a suitcase full of parts/tools and picked out to have the bag scanned.

Glad its not just me then! Although saying that I don't order used parts as never really had the need to since moving here.

Think the only thing ive not been hit with customs on since September was a bag of sweets I ordered from the UK.

[After_Shock]

shirt said:

shop & ship is the worst tbh as you pay VAT, premium shipping and then import duties. only worth it on low value items imo.

Yeah agreed the lack of VAT saving is not much use, although Amazon if you take one of the offers as in 2 for 10quid or 3 for 17quid on blu rays for example even if you ship using them direct to UAE they don't knock the VAT off as its an offer item.

Do you have an account with DHL in a similar way that shop and ship works?

I only really use shop and ship for stuff I either need quick as it is cheaper than paying for quicker international delivery through amazon or for retailers that simply refuse to ship abroad, the clothes retailer or the sweet shop I use for example.

[After_Shock]

shirt said:

also, i shouldn't ask but thst sweetshop sounds interesting.....

Yeah its becoming a habbit, actually im out and need to order some more.

Kind of, well actually quite a lot miss traditional sweets from the UK, likes of the Haribo's that you get here don't scratch my itch so need some proper old school sweets every now and then!!

[After_Shock]

Refreshers:

http://www.treasureislandsweets.co.uk/search.php?s...

Tangfastics easier to find:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Haribo-Tangfastics-Bag-160...

Enjoy

[After_Shock]

Its supposed to be 5% of the invoice amount, however my last one was invoiced at 275 GBP and the charge I got was 186dhs, cant quite get that to 5% in my head for some reason.

[After_Shock]

dxbtiger said:

Indeed.

$300 invoice, charge is 180 AED.

Maybes the calculator at the customs office is on the blink.

[After_Shock]

Just had two packages delivered this morning, 1 direct from Paul Smith using FedEx and the other from Amazon using shop and ship, surprisingly neither had a customs charge slapped on it. Was expecting the worst on both! First time in months not had a charge, rather happy.