Customs and Border Force have confiscated my Armour

[Redditch]

I ordered my Armour recently and received a letter from the Border Force telling me that if an import is over £875.00 in value then I need an import licence and I needed to fill in an 11 page form.

No more pay the VAT to the postie then?

Has anyone had to do this? Will I get my drugs or should I order smaller amounts and cut my losses?

Thanks

[trelemorele]

Was your order over 800 quid?

[Redditch in reply to trelemorele]

Yep over £1,100

[RedApple Administrator]

The 'pay the VAT to the postie' is certainly how it usually works and I'm pretty confident nothing has changed with that. I think the problem here is the very high value (presumably in excess of the 875GBP you've mentioned), which is not typical for medications for personal use. Most people probably can't even afford to spend out that much money in one go, and would split it into several small orders. Border Force probably think you're buying them to sell on or something. I guess you'll have to prove somehow that this amount of Armour really is only for your own use.

[Redditch in reply to RedApple]

I have emailed them and it really is personal use, it's just darned expensive. I will call on Tuesday

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Page 33 of this:

legislation.gov.uk/uksi/201...

clearly shows the exemption for personal import of medicines for the members of a household.

This link:

gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abro...

explains the various limits. However, above £135 for non-gifts or £630 for gifts, the goods are subject to duty (depending on classification). Armour is regarded as an animal product so far as I am aware. I do not know the applicable rate of duty.

On the basis that confiscated goods are usually destroyed, I think you have no option but to jump whatever fences HMRC put in your way. Call them and ask for help - years ago I did that and found the people I dealt with very informed and willing to assist. (Be prepared to have a very long phone call.) Ask about appeals procedures. Prepare evidence that it is exclusively for you (and members of your household, if that is the case). In particular make sure that they are aware that you are going through whatever processes and that they MUST NOT destroy the goods.

[Redditch in reply to helvella]

I will call them on Tuesday. It's personal use. Two and three quarter grains a day

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Redditch]

Don't think for one moment that I was doubting you!

I have been unable to locate any specific limit such as appears to be being applied. Indeed, I suspect that some expensive medicines could cost more than that for a one week supply!

[Redditch in reply to helvella]

Luckily my £1100 will do me for nearly a year, provided they hand it over, that is.

[SilverAvocado]

I can't remember where I read it, but I believe personal use is defined as about 3 months supply. My understanding is that we only have the right to import these things on the basis of personal use.

As a result I try to keep mine to a plausible 3 month supply. Although of course what do they know? I take 7 grain per day! But of course personally I like to have 6 months plus in the house.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to SilverAvocado]

I do believe that is true. For the United States of America. (Even then how that is defined and calculated is open to interpretation.)

I have never yet managed to find a limit (in terms of numbers, months, value or anything else) for the UK.

[SilverAvocado in reply to helvella]

Thanks Helvella, I knew I'd got it into my head somewhere.

The UK system seems very vague and frustrating. I don't understand why we can't pay our customs charges in advance in some way!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to SilverAvocado]

There is a mechanism which allows companies outside the EU to charge the VAT before sending the product - but it doesn't seem to work very well. Not sure where the blame lies for that! And it does need to foreign company to have gone through all the processes of setting it all up.

[SilverAvocado in reply to helvella]

I could even imagine a system where the customer reported to a govt agency that they had bought the item, paid the charge, and gave identifying features that would allow the item to be spotted as it went through customs.

I had to rearrange a delivery with DPD recently, which meant I had to download their app. I found that just by knowing my name and address, they were able to call up all the parcels I've had in the past few years, including the date and time they were delivered, and who had signed for them!

I'd love to think the customs process was as organised as this