Beware when ordering vits from USA

[mouldylocks]

Just received a package from iHerb, value £55, and charged £22 Duty and VAT!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

That's correct. When ordering from outside the EU and the total of the goods is more than £15 then VAT at the current rate on the total order including postage is payable plus Royal Mail's (or courier's) handling fee of £8. Customs Duty isn't charged on anything under £135.

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

It's often not worth buying from the US by the time the postage is taken into account and the possible charges added. If it's a US product then there are suppliers in the UK that sell them, it's much less hassle and might not cost much more.

[mouldylocks in reply to SeasideSusie]

I ordered from iHerb because they were the only suppliers I could find that sold 'Cal/Mag/Vit D3, with Vitamin K2' combined (fuzzy old brain needs all the help it can get). Even so, VAT at the standard rate of 20% should only be £11 and I paid the postage upfront. Oh well, you live and learn........

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to mouldylocks]

Is it Natures Plus? You can get that from Amazon UK amazon.co.uk/Natures-Plus-V...

But why are you taking one with Calcium? Have you had calcium tested and are deficient? If not we shouldn't take calcium supplements. D3 raises calcium levels as it aids absorption of calcium from food as I explained in my reply to your thread a couple of weeks ago.

If you are taking that supplement then the serving size is 4 tablets which gives 1200mg calcium which is 120% of the RDA and only 1000iu D3 and it was suggested that with your Vit D level you needed 5000iu at the moment.

[mouldylocks in reply to SeasideSusie]

Oh, bloody hell! Back to the drawing (ordering) board - thanks again Susie......

[Kitten44]

Shouldn't you have been charged just £19? (Vat at £11, handling fee at £8)

If you don't mind me asking, how long did it get for your order to arrive in the UK? I want to order something from them, but off on hols in a week, don't want to risk it arriving while I'm away...

Thanks!

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Kitten44]

Am guessing the extra is because VAT is also payable on the carriage charge. So VAT will be calculated on combined total of goods plus carriage. Additionally, the exchange rate may have varied between paying for the order and it arriving at UK customs (vat is calculated on the declared USD value, not the GBP value paid at the time of purchase).

[mouldylocks in reply to RedApple]

I've sent the package back, but iHerb are telling me that the return cost 'can exceed the value of the package' (£58!!!) We shall see......

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Kitten44]

Kitten44, I would not order until you're back from hols. Time for orders to arrive can vary from one week to three or more weeks. There's no guarantees unless you pay an exorbitant carriage charge for expedited delivery!

[Kitten44 in reply to RedApple]

Thanks, Red Apple, I shall wait then. Cheers!

[Venus77]

You can buy goods from the USA without incurring any additional charges as long as the total value of the goods does not exceed £15. If you exceed the £15 cut off (even by a penny) then you will have to pay extra to receive your parcel. Hope this helps