UK buyer leaving expensive item in UK customs. Is this the start of a scam?

[asteroider]

Hi all.

Have been a member for over 20 years but this is only the second thing I have sold.

Is a high value antique item sold to the UK for $1999.

Seller was aware prior to buying that they would be liable for VAT and import duties and had no qualms with that. I send Auspost international express and it has been sitting in UK customs for two weeks now.

(HS cose "9706 9000 00", "antique")

Initially buyer did not respond to my queries, but after repeated emails says they are in communication and  'proving they are not a dealer' to uk customs.  Seems a bit odd. Almost like they are deliberately trying to delay delivery.

I am starting to wonder if this is a scam and at some point they will simply claim 'not delivered', then get a refund, then pay the customs duties and get the item delivered also.

Is there a way for me to terminate the Auspost international express parcel delivery and get it returned to me if she lodges a non-delivery refund claim?

[sugar249 · Accepted solution]

It could be right,  UK customs do have different rules for private buyers and dealers,  I can't remember  what,  but remember a very good friend from over there going through the same hurdles, as she had purchased a few items over the years, and they were starting to think for resale.  But she just liked old ''junk''.  edit, junk a technical term,  it was an in joke between us,  not having a go at your item.

[asteroider]

What a bureaucracy! Imagine all the hours, storage and people involved for maybe a few extra pounds of duty.  The cost of the program would outweigh the financial benefits.

The VAT is outrageous but they could just do it at checkout like in Aus. It's the variable duty that clags up the system.

Thanks. I am still a little concerned. I mean: how can one 'prove' one is NOT a dealer?   They go through all your bank records and check for companies in your name for every single postage item?

It still feels like a scam. But maybe the scam I am sensing is the UK government customs regime itself.

(sorry about errors in original post... no edit or delete feature I could find.)

[domino-710]

You get a few minutess to edit - where the date and time are on the right of your post - there is a downward arrow - click on it - it will show ' edit reply '.

After a few minutes that choice will disappear.

[gutterpunkz05]

So the UK system is not all that different to Australian Imports.

High value items IE: >$1000.   all have  GST and duties (if any), plus charges  added at the Border,not checkout, and the importer will need to declare a reason for import  IE: Resale,

[imastawka]

I'll address the elephant in the room.

Have you fully signed up and been verified for Managed Payments?

If not, then you won't get paid at all - the money has nowhere to go.

Read this link please -

Registering as a seller | eBay

[padi*0409]

Another elephant Stawks, they've "sold" that item twice as well - double lot of fees maybe ?

[siddieswans]

Many years ago, before eBay collected VAT on the invoice, a buyer contacted me in high dudgeon because UK customs were accusing him of being a dealer, rather than an “enthusiastic collector”. According to him, the dozens of parcels they had tracked to his address indicated to them that he was a dealer buying for re-sale, and so they wanted to charge him the higher rate of customs duty. He was incensed, but when I checked his Feedback it was obvious that on eBay alone he was buying a LOT of parcels – in fact he admitted he had bought multiples of my item, which was obviously cheap to buy here in Oz but very saleable in UK. (Various colour types and shapes of Onoto bakelite travelling ink wells.)

Anyway he completely spat the dummy – there was no way he was going to pay the extra tax, so he left the item there. In due course it was returned to me with the label “collection refused” (or something like that.) So long as you have a return address that is what will happen to your parcel IF the buyer refuses it – I simply don’t understand why people will bite off their nose to spite their face. In the explanation I think it says the parcel will be returned to you by the cheapest method; it has happened to me 4 times (I think) in 20 years; once by sea which took forever, but the other times by airmail.

[sugar249]

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@asteroider wrote:

What a bureaucracy! Imagine all the hours, storage and people involved for maybe a few extra pounds of duty.  The cost of the program would outweigh the financial benefits.

The VAT is outrageous but they could just do it at checkout like in Aus. It's the variable duty that clags up the system.

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Well yes that is an option, but than they would charge everyone the higher rate.  Would you like to be responsible for that suggestion.

And why should it be Ebays issue to sort a solution,  its a buyer  and UK custos issue, they should sort it

[asteroider]

Do not impugn me. You do not know me or the circumstances.

I sold that item for $2700 and could not find her address in Royal mail and she did not reply to a query wrt that so cancelled the sale and refunded. She asked me to relist which I did on condition the address was corrected in Ebay prior, which she did.

Then discovered all the hassle involved in Australia exporting anything over $2000 so I told her I would sell it to her for 1999 to avoid having to pay to get yet another government ID to get an export permit.