Import duty / tax payment

[VMITCHELL78]

Hi, I've just ordered from apohealth last week, and now received an email from DHL asking for import duty/tax payment of £86.55 for my shipment from BIENEN-APOTHEKE

I don't know if this is a well timed scam or of I need to pay! I'm down to my last 5 ampoules, so will pay if I have to!!

Just wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this, and make people aware it is too!

Thanks all

V x

[helvella]

The critical issue is the value of the order.

Under £135, and the company should have charged VAT at purchase time. That should arrive without further charges.

But if over £135, then you will accumulate VAT, the possibility of duty (if applicable), and customs clearance charges - all of which will be payable to the company (e.g. DHL).

It is often better to break an order in two that are under £135 than to hit £135.

[wedgewood in reply to helvella]

That’s useful information-Thanks !

[Nackapan]

That must've been s shock.My order from VersandApo charged VAT as part of the order.

The value was below 135

[VMITCHELL78]

Bummer, looks like I'll have to pay then as my order was €256. Wish I'd have done my homework as now cost quite a lot more.But hopefully this helps others on here not have the same thing happen to them.

[helvella in reply to VMITCHELL78]

I do try to let everyone know but mainly inhabit thyroid realms.

helvella - Personal Importation of Prescription-only Medicines

Details of the legal and cost issues that apply to personal importation of medicines.

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

[VMITCHELL78 in reply to helvella]

Thanks so much, I'm only getting a box of 100 for me and hubby, then thought I was being helpful offering to get my friends and family who need them theirs at the same time....won't be doing that again!!!

[luckymaria in reply to VMITCHELL78]

Thats an awful lot extra! Since you've ordered for other people friends and family, would it be fair to share the extra cost between you? 🤔 If they were to return the favour and order in bulk for you, they'd have to do the same next time?

[Nackapan in reply to VMITCHELL78]

Divide out the extra cost

[palmier]

I just had a similar problem. Decided to try adenosylcobalamin tablets and ordered one bottle from UK to Sweden for £22 plus £6 postage. It said on the order that Swedish VAT was included, but when it arrived in Sweden I was asked to pay corresponding to £11-12 for import tax and administration to Swedish Customs. I thought it might be a mistake but paid anyway so it wouldn't be delayed. Also, they seem to take a huge administrative fee for reevaluating, no matter what the outcome, so it's hardly worth it for such a small order.

So in the end it cost me £40 for 60 tablets. Didn't help me that the order was well below £135.

[helvella in reply to palmier]

I should have made it clear that my information was strictly for those in the UK importing goods.

Before the current scheme, we used to have to pay £8 for customs clearance if via UK's Royal Mail or more for other carriers.

[Nackapan in reply to palmier]

Goodness .😮‍💨Hope they effective for you .

[VMITCHELL78 in reply to Nackapan]

They are, and still only work out around 1.25 each, so still loads cheaper for me and hubby to SI x

[Beckburybelle]

I have ben paying more and more Duty and Tax lately and finding it difficult to get delivered to the UK. This is great information thank you.

[VMITCHELL78 in reply to Beckburybelle]

Might be cheaper soon to get a cheap flight to Germany and have a weekend away at the same time 😀

[Beckburybelle in reply to VMITCHELL78]

Agree

[Saoirse2016]

Check to make sure the email is genuinely from DHL ( and not by replying to it! Go to their site and compare the addresses). There are tons of scams telling people to pay a fee on parcels.

I was waiting for a parcel and got a text from An Post (the Irish postal service), telling me to pay a fee of some sort. It was a scam.

So check first before you send anyone any money!!!

[VMITCHELL78 in reply to Saoirse2016]

Yep, it was defo genuine, checked it out, but know what you mean about scams, nearly a daily occurrence! Gotta be careful! X

[Saoirse2016 in reply to VMITCHELL78]

I get texts several times a week telling me to pay a toll fee for some road, I don't have a car!!! As well as the fee owed on my credit card, or a fee for a parcel that's being held somewhere, emails too!

[rastusxxx]

Because of the effective tax free status of many shipments that are of low value, governments around the world are tightening up and turning the screws on shipping companies to collect tax that they have missed out on in the past. DHL are particularly compliant. Here in New Zealand they also charge a 70.00 "remote" fee for delivery to any rural address! Now that is a real scam! I now no longer use DHL. Getting products from China I now use Yanwen. Chinese suppliers also help by under declaring on the waybill. - not at my request though I might add, they just do it.