Customs Marking down packages to avoid Customs (illegal?)

The REAL problem is: insurance! If the real value is not written on your package, and if your doll is lost, insurance will refund you ONLY what's written on the custom note. It's up to you to decide: is it worth to take the risk?

 

Yes, this is illegal, and if you place insurance on the doll (which I ADVISE in case it gets lost, or go with a carrier that automaticly has insurance for lost packages) you can ONLY get insurance on the amoutn marked.

DON'T do it.

Customs is a grab bag for if they do or don't check it. Take the chance, and just be ready wiht the money if you don't luck out. That's what I'm doing.

 

It's very possible with UK Customs that they'll charge you extremely highly: my last boy (who arrived on Monday of this week) cost me £140 in Customs fees alone, so it's something you do need to be prepared for in the event that the sender declares full value on the box. Food for thought for when you make your decision, anyway.

 

Customs in the uk is very hit and miss some get caught and others dont...ive had 5 dolls and not one has had customs charges. One did get opened but didnt get charged. None of the dolls were marked down on the box. Id say dont get the seller to mark down but that is just my personal preference.

I do know that some companies regularly mark down their items and customs now knows this. Customs will then hold the item until you send them the payment invoice so that they can check how much you paid (luts stuff often gets caught by customs i think because of this).

My advice would be to save a little longer for the possibility of customs charges. If customs dont grab your doll then you have a nice little chunk of cash to spoil your doll with.

 

It really depends on how much customs charges in your country.

In the USA, they don't charge any customs. But in other countries, I've seen up to 200 extra dollars be charged on top.

I'd rather pay extra to get my doll safely, then mark it down for only 50 dollars, because like others said, if it gets lost thats as much as you can get back from insurance.

 

The search function is your friend. There's been several threads about Customs charges in the UK in the last few months...

Its something we all have to factor into our doll purchases I'm afraid. Like Rushlight said, its very hit and miss, there's a high chance you WONT get caught in customs but if you do and the doll is marked at full value then you need to be prepaired to pay £12 parcelfarce handling fees and then 17.5% of the total marked on the box.
I know it's an rather hefty extra expense to factor in but thems the breaks I'm afraid.

To answer your original question have some legal guff:

 

I suggest you check the Marketplace here and see if you can find a local seller of the doll you want, this way you don't have to order from overseas, nor worry about customs.

 

There are no agents in the uk for Dollfies, only DZ one that seems to me closed/away. I went in search of info about VAT and import fees when i read in the forum that someone was charged 90 quid to pick the doll up.
I'm very worried because i aldo can't afford fees and VAT, but now it's too late. To make it worse, the person who sold me the doll valued up the price i paid, which means that at leat 80 quid i'll be charged if i'm unlucky to get caught.

Customs in the UK are ridiculous, there are many online shoppers complaining about it... it's kinda ruining the online market really. But it is still in a lottery bases... you might pay, you might not. It's a risk.

It all depends on the product. For dolls you have to pay 4.5% in custom fees, then 17.5% (more of less, dunno how much is VAT now a days) of VAT on products over $400... at least last time i checked. So, it's about 20-25% of the value you paid... remember that shipping cost doesn't count. If you pay $1000 for it, you might have to pay up to 100 pounds in customs charges.

You might want to consider buying from EU agents. There are many french, german and Italian ones. They might be a bit more expensive but you will get the doll sooner and wont pay custom charges.

 

Seconding searching the marketplace for someone selling in the EU. DZs are quite popular, so you should be able to find one for sale quite quickly. You may even find one where the seller hasn't added on their own shipping/taxes they paid when they got the doll. Many sellers outside the EU will mark dolls down automatically (some even if you ask them not to!). If the doll is shipped by EMS, it is highly unlikely it would be lost (touch wood).

Technically it is illegal, but I for one am starting to see the taxes we pay on everything in this country as legal piracy!

 

Don't mark it down. It's VERY risky and yes it's illegal. If you want to have your doll safely arrive to your doorstep, follow what is right because it is the RIGHT thing to do. ^__^

 

It depends. If you really can face the risk - so try it. I did it twice, it went ok but I live close to Korea, much closer than you are.... think twice.

 

17.5%. Read my previous post, the quote is taken directly from the HMRC website. Dolls are obviously classed as toys which falls into the 'S' band of taxation, which is subject to VAT...which is 17.5% not 20+.

And I'm sorry but as far as I know customs fees have been charged like this on imported goods for a very very very very long time, It's hardly ruining the market. It's just an extra cost to factor into buying internationally. If you'd bought the item in a shop in the UK you still pay VAT so I fail to see how being charged VAT on imports is any different, except that more often than not you DON'T actually end up paying it.
If it hurts you that much to put aside an extra £80/100 after already managing to save £300 for a lump of resin then you should really stick to buying within the EU.

 

I have had 14 dolls, and countless high-value doll item packages pass through my home without customs charges. That could be just my impecable luck, but it may also give you some idea of how unlikely you are to get charged. Then again, I know people with give 5+ dolls who've been charged every time! x.x;

I do think customs is a very unfair tax. When you buy goods in the UK, you pay the tax for it there and then, but when you buy abroad, for a lot of online shopping you pay a VAT or tax to the shop, and then you pay it AGAIN at customs, which seems odd, as you already paid them your postage to get the item to you - but then they charge you again? What is that money paying for for you as an individual?

I'm sorry, no matter what anyone says you can't make it fair. The country did not procude the goods, why do they have the right to charge for it, expecially is the item is marked as a gift.

Customs really is a gamble you have to take. But at the very least you should ask the company to mark it as a gift, at least.

Personally, I think that EMS and Parcel force are very very safe companies to send parcels through, much safer than most postal services and the chances of them loosing your package is very low, so *personally* I'm fine with my packages being marked down. But it really is up to you which particular gamble you are willing to take.

 

I am in Canada so ours is a bit different. They charge customs on packages $20 value or more.

I have had a few sneak through but once I had someone mark a doll down to $15. Customs opened the package and didn't believe the value. They were going to destroy the doll and not send it back to the sender or to me. I was lucky that the seller found a receipt for a $15 doll of the type it was and said that she painted it for free.
Just as an extra kick that particular doll was damaged from customs. They must have dropped her because her paint was scuffed on a few places and since the value was only $15 I couldn't claim it on insurance.

After that I will never ask for things to be marked down..at least not for expensive items. For things that are say $25 I might ask it to be marked $19...

 

It is illegal and dangerous to have the price marked down. I personally wouldn't do it. If you live in a country that charges customs on your packages you need to weigh that fee in with the total cost. I know it might be a lot to swallow and I agree that it stinks, but that's how it is.

As a seller I will not mark prices down, even if the buyer demands it. I will not take the chance of getting into trouble with the law or having my products damaged/destroyed with no insurance to protect them.

 

WolfeClaw---I'm debating wether to ask Iple to mark my 2 Cocoris at standard price.
My mum was unhappy with the normal price, but the thought of another £140++ makes her mad.
Out of all your dolls, were they marked down or at full price?

 

Me too...I don't want it to be bad [ get caught/fined/ruined doll]