Customs Charge

[Ajane]

Hello all 😊.

I’m sure after all this time I should know this information, but I’ve just been charged £42.50 Customs charge for a shipment from Versandapo. Does anyone know if this is because of the quantity? I ordered 19x10 boxes.

[helvella]

Was the total cost over £135?

If so, it will have been treated as a commercial order and subject to the full panoply of duties and VAT.

helvella - Personal Importation of Prescription-only Medicines

Details of the legal and cost issues (e.g. customs, VAT, etc., that apply to personal importation of medicines to the UK.

Last updated 20/01/2025

Link to blog:

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

[Ajane in reply to helvella]

Thanks Helvella - really useful info!

[wedgewood]

Yes , since we Brexited and no longer belong to the single market we have to pay duty on purchases over £135.00 , and that includes the delivery charges . Also Royal Mail charges £8.00 for administration ! ( Same applies the other way round from U.K. to mainland Europe . It’s another advantage we have from Brexit .

I’m really sorry that you weren't aware of this . A bitter pill to swallow.

Best wishes .

[Ajane in reply to wedgewood]

Thank you Wedgewood - I’ll know for next time! 😊

[FlipperTD in reply to wedgewood]

We never really knew where all the £££ we fed into the EU went. We never actually voted to enter the 'EU' either. Needless to say, they won't forgive us either. As for the 'Royal Mail', have you seen how much it costs to send a postcard?! 😒

[Ajane in reply to FlipperTD]

Yes, outrageous 😖. Hey ho - I’ll not make the same mistake twice!

[helvella in reply to FlipperTD]

I grew up with:

2½d for a postcard, unsealed envelope or 'printer matter'. (That is very close to one penny.)

3d for ordinary letters.

I've never kept up with stamp prices since then!

[FlipperTD in reply to helvella]

That's the best way...

[MorningMist in reply to FlipperTD]

There was a referendum in 1975 about whether to continue membership which was 67% in favour. My first vote!

[FlipperTD in reply to MorningMist]

Meant to say, yes, I remember that, and I voted FOR it, although I wasn't entirely convinced. Looking back, I think I was right to be unconvinced.

[Bellabab in reply to FlipperTD]

Our contribution to the EU helped less affluent countries to build their economies. We did effectively vote to join as it was in Manifesto's. What we did not do is vote to leave as the High Court found that the Advisory Referendum had no democratic legitimacy. It also made it easier to import our medicines here.

[FlipperTD in reply to Bellabab]

It's easy to get bogged down in semantics, but my recollection is we voted to stay in the EEC. The EU came along later, with the 'United States of Europe', single currency, Schengen Treaty etc, but given the nature of the changes that were introduced, it would have been nice to have been asked. I know that's not how a Parliamentary Democracy works, and I don't propose that it should be that way either. As for Manifestos, well, they often need handling with great care. However, 'we are where we are' and some believe that we were only allowed a vote on 'stay in or leave?' because the assumption was that we'd all clamour and beg to stay in. Then we got David Camperon's response. 'Right-oh, I'm off!'

[Bellabab in reply to FlipperTD]

The EU is not a United States of Europe as each member state retains its sovereignty and can even leave if it is daft enough to do so.

[FlipperTD in reply to Bellabab]

You're right of course, and it's a joke. But the EU isn't the EEC either. Retaining sovereignty is key, but how much of that had to be surrendered to the ridiculous 'Mobile European Parliament'? It's a good idea in principle, but isn't perfect, which is why I was more than happy to vote 'out'. That leaves us being handled by people who have been elected in this country, whereas the EU isn't quite like that.

[MoKayD]

I'm in the US and I just reordered my B12 (it comes from Canada). I stocked up because I wasn't sure how the tariffs, our idiot orange president is putting in place, would affect the cost.

[FlipperTD in reply to MoKayD]

Oh, it's all getting very silly, isn't it? Good luck.

[MoKayD in reply to FlipperTD]

If you pray, pray for us.

[wedgewood in reply to MoKayD]

We suffer with you for the misfortune of the orange president .

[FlipperTD]

I remember 1975, and the referendum. However, that was the EEC. 'The Common Market'. The EU [European Union] was something else entirely, and we didn't have a say in that. They never gave us chance to vote on that, as we might have found out more of what they were planning.

[Catman1]

yeah it’s right unfortunately. Not far off uk prices now with it added 🥲

[Elijahhawk]

Please keep the political commentary out of this forum.

[Littlelodge123 in reply to Elijahhawk]

I agree. It’s everywhere and we don’t need the stress here …

[Fox123]

If you write to the Customs office- address will be on the label on package- explaining that the contents are for your own personal medicinal needs, they should give you a refund. I get a refund for my Armour ( thyroid meds) that I buy from the US.

[Ajane in reply to Fox123]

Oh that is brilliant info Fox123. Thank you ☺️

[wedgewood in reply to Fox123]

But do you order more or less than £135 ( including delivery charges ) worth of items ?

[Fox123 in reply to wedgewood]

I order over £1000 worth of meds to save on postage fees etc.