eBay Import Duty Charges

[Graham_UK]

Hi all, I just bought a couple of fairly low priced Filecards (One was £7 the other was £16) from the US, I noticed there was a sign underneath the shipping cost that said about paying import duty as part of the sellers price via a third party company. When it came to check out it's trying to charge me on items below the UK threshold (Under £15) for a total of about £26, I also noticed an iteresting fact that if your buying any collectables that are "Paper" they are void from customs charges! so I now have a bill of about $65 when it should have been more like $40. I've contacted the seller twice with no response! any ideas??

[Chopper]

Negative feedback and cancel the transaction. If you are going to sell overseas you have to know what is required.

[The Baron]

Yep, shipping items as 'printed papers' internationally is much cheaper. It works for magazines and books too, I recently discovered.

[Graham_UK]

Negative feedback and cancel the transaction. If you are going to sell overseas you have to know what is required.

I just contacted eBay, apparently there's a new scheme on eBay.com that allows sellers to charge at checkout the customs charge, this way it's already been paid when it comes into the UK. Unfortunately the seller listed the cards under "Action Figures" so the charge has been generated. If he'd listed it under the Collectables-Papergoods, there wouldn't have been an issue. I don't like neg feedback as I've bought from the guy before but you're right in that it's now turned it into my problem

[The Baron]

I'd insist he cancel and relist - if he listed it incorrectly under the wrong category, it's his problem. But be friendly and understanding, it's not reasonable to pay that amount to ship a piece of cardboard.

[Chopper]

Says me that just paid 4 pounds 50 for 77p in stamps.

I'd go with Jim's idea if you want to keep him happy.

[Graham_UK]

Just a follow on from yesterday's question, the seller is working with me to sort the issue so fingers crossed it'll be sorted.

[Dark Horse]

Just ask him for a partial refund.

[Graham_UK]

I thought I'd add this to my post rather than start a new thread.

Has anyone else noticed more and more US members join up to what is called the "Global Postage Programme"?.

It's basically a new way of sellers shipping items from eBay.com without having the hasstle of buyers refusing an item, the buyer is force to pay at "Checkout". The only issue I see is that the ammount seems higher than if it were charged by UK customs. Suddenly I'm finding that I can't buy anymore:-(

[ODB]

Yep I've just noticed it as well. Its wrong as many Toys from the 80s can and should be classed under HRMC code 9705000090 which limits the duty and VAT to 5% (including 5%), not to mention that the charges Ebay levy include a host of private charges that Ebay and their partners charge.

Yet again Ebay have shown that they have not thought something through and are leaving themselves open yet again. If we could just get a competitor to least give them a kick up the arse.