Been Charged Import Duty on an Ebay Return?
Been Charged Import Duty on an Ebay Return?
Author
Discussion

Ice White Socks

Original Poster:

73 posts

228 months

Monday 2nd July 2018
quotequote all
Bit of help please as I know I'll get more sense here than from the carriers customer support line!

Sold a bike frame to Australia- ended up as a disaster in a number of ways- mainly the buyer changing his mind and posting it back of his own volition!

I know have a £150 import duty bill from the forwarder for the delivery of the bike back to me. It looks like the carrier has paid HMRC and now want me to pay the customs for a transaction that happened without any involvement or approval from me.

What are my options? Ideally the one that needs the least input from me!

Cheers
IWS

djdest

6,542 posts

208 months

Monday 2nd July 2018
quotequote all
Simple, get the buyer to cover it as he sent it back without speaking first

bolide

582 posts

284 months

Tuesday 3rd July 2018
quotequote all
Did the buyer raise a case with eBay and did eBay authorise a return? If they did then the buyer can use an eBay label for postage or post it himself

If the buyer returned it without a return authorised by eBay I'd be tempted to refuse to accept it. It would then be (eventually) returned to the sender

I wouldn't expect eBay to be interested in helping to sort out the complications of VAT & import duty. The sender could have avoided the problem by providing paperwork saying the goods were being returned

Nick Froome

anonymous-user

84 months

Tuesday 3rd July 2018
quotequote all
I import a fare bit of stuff from Europe, if there is duty paid then the agent, DHL/post don't normally pay the duty until you authorize it, so check with them. Some can get the stuff cleared with the duty postponed until you pay it COD others send a notice and want money in advance of clearance, never know an agent pay the duty without being assured of reclaiming it.
Then talk to the them about the duty, normally you need proof of export, I've sent stuff to the UK for repair and when it comes back they stop it for import duty Ideally they want proof of posting out of country with a serial number etc, but if you have an invoice you can normally talk your way out of it, Talk to the agent, your not the first person this has happened to .

227bhp

10,203 posts

158 months

Tuesday 3rd July 2018
quotequote all
There is no import duty to pay on a return, the sender should have ticked the box labelled (unsurprisingly) 'Return'.