Customs charges on Amazon item

Perzival · 17-07-2023 8:35pm #1

I recently ordered an item from Amazon UK and used AddressPal with An Post for the first time. The Amazon retailer I purchased from would not ship to Ireland so the AddressPal option was chosen for this reason. Now that the item is with An Post, the customs charges are being applied and this includes import duty (quite small) and VAT, which is a very large charge. I am aware that anything imported from outside the EU is subject to customs but I’ve a number of questions in relation to this.

I understand that most Amazon affiliates will already include these charges in the selling price. At least in the past, I’ve never actually ended up having to pay customs separately via An Post. So is this just a result of either going through AddressPal or being unlucky enough to have used an Amazon retailer who is not already adding these into the selling price?
My Amazon invoice already includes a VAT component. So is this VAT which is being paid in the UK? I’ve read elsewhere that in some cases, if you contact the retailer, they may refund the VAT but I’m highly sceptical of that.
An Post gives you the option of not paying the customs charges, and they will then return the item to sender. If this occurs, I wonder what then happens on the sender’s end. For example, could I choose to return the item via this option through Amazon, but actually have An Post return it by not paying the custom fees?

I’m just utterly confused by the whole thing as the item is now costing me nearly €300 more than I anticipated. I don’t know whether to choose the option to not pay the customs then I’ve no idea what happens once it has been returned to sender. I assume I could separately contact the retailer to advise them that the item is being returned due to unpaid customs.

Jim_Hodge · 17-07-2023 8:45pm

You didn't buy for delivery directly to Ireland so the seller had to charge UK VAT. You are subsequently importing the item to Ireland and must pay any customs and VAT as appropriate. If returned to sender you'll eventually get a refund when you contact Amazon.

mct1 · 17-07-2023 9:00pm

Unfortunately I think the problem is due to your choosing AddressPal for delivery. As far as the Amazon seller is concerned, they are posting the item to a UK address, so they have to include VAT in the cost. AddressPal will charge VAT and import duty (if applicable) on any item they send over to Ireland. Both the seller and AddressPal are doing the right thing from their perspective.

You could have tried to buy from the original seller outside of Amazon and asked them to exclude VAT before sending to you via AddressPal. I've done this before. It's too late now but might be useful in future.

I believe you will have to pay the customs this time. Because if you don't, my understanding is that the parcel will be returned to AddressPal, not to Amazon, and could be stuck in limbo. For an expensive item I wouldn't take the risk. I sympathise but unfortunately I think you will have to chalk this one down to experience.

Jim_Hodge · 17-07-2023 9:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120864350#Comment_120864350

That seller sending via addresspal excluding VAT was contrary to UK tax law. His portion of the transaction was still a sale within the UK.

Perzival · 17-07-2023 9:26pm

Thank you both for the helpful replies. It makes sense to me now, I don’t think I had considered the issue from the seller’s perspective, i.e. they are essentially making a sale within the UK and charging the VAT but it’s subsequently being imported by me and resulting in a second VAT charge to Revenue. I think I will contact An Post directly about the return to sender option and confirm whether it will go back to AddressPal or to the seller. If paying the customs is unavoidable then I won’t bother returning it.

mct1 · 17-07-2023 10:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120864415#Comment_120864415

You're right. Now that I think of it, AP wasn't used in the instance I mentioned - I must have had it sent direct.

Caranica · 17-07-2023 10:44pm

If using addresspal you also pay customs on the addresspal fee. In short, don't do it. You'll pay way over and above. Lesson learned I'm sure.

cap.in.hand. · 17-07-2023 11:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120864441#Comment_120864441

Addresspal uk I presume would charge you a hefty fee for sending it back to the sender from their base and that's if the sender's details were already on the package or you supply the information to them...very messy....it seems an post will not send package back to addresspal and say you should pay customs charge and accept delivery or if you refuse to pay customs charge, package will be disposed of by an post.

Del2005 · 18-07-2023 8:28am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120864441#Comment_120864441

You can't return it. It was delivered correctly , Amazon 3rd party seller -> Addresspal, and as it was B2B there's no consumer rights so the vendor has no obligation to refund as there's no fault with the item.

Pay the taxes and learn.

Perzival · 18-07-2023 6:04pm

So I contacted An Post today about this issue and they advised that the item will be returned directly to the seller, not to AddressPal. Amazon also allows returns up to 30 days after sale for any reason at all. So basically the item will be returned to the seller, customs will not be paid and a refund will be processed by Amazon. The only remaining complication is that the return from An Post won’t include the returns label for Amazon so this will need to be dealt with separately.

pat_sconce · 18-07-2023 8:47pm

You've two options

1. Try and find it on Amazon France or Germany

2. The UK seller might send to northern Ireland - send it to oohpod in Jonesboro and spin up to collect it.

Del2005 · 19-07-2023 8:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120867869#Comment_120867869

If there's no Amazon return label you won't get a refund, it'll be returned to Amazon but won't be processed.

Joziburg · 19-07-2023 8:13am

Ah remember the good aul days of parcel motel.

cap.in.hand. · 19-07-2023 11:58am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120869425#Comment_120869425

It would be same as refusing delivery I'd say and would be treated as such by Amazon

zell12 · 19-07-2023 12:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120869425#Comment_120869425

That's false. You can just mark 'return' on the package unopened to their Portlaoise address. I did this when I ordered a large item and a small parcel arrived

Perzival · 20-07-2023 7:55pm

Thankfully An Post actually got in touch with me separately to request the return label which is kind of going above and beyond. Quite impressed with how they’ve managed the whole process so far. In any case, I had got in touch with Amazon to advise them that the package might not have had a return label and they had no issue with that, they said they would just use the tracking number instead and that the customer service web chat would be saved for records as well.

You’ve been posting on this thread with seemingly all-knowing definitive answers, all of which have been proven wrong so far. Are you speaking from an experience you’ve had before or is just guessing on your part?

cap.in.hand. · 20-07-2023 8:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120876967#Comment_120876967

I personally think an post/addresspal provide a Great service but I don't think they would be publicising that they will send parcels back to original senders no problem for an post/ addresspal users especially on regular basis as that's not their remit.... maybe on exceptional cases like yours ..they did...they are accomodating you as it's you had a change of mind... I'd say it doesn't happen too often.

Customs charges on Amazon item

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