Originally Posted by Favorite Fabrics
Originally Posted by Mad Gertie
Hello btiny36,
I feel like ranting with you!!!!
A couple of months ago I ordered some Jinny Beyer fabrics, which I can't buy in England. I ordered $63 worth because My shipping would only be $8 ( an offer for July only! ).
When eventually 4 weeks later I received a card from our local post office informing me they couln't deliver my parcel untill I had paid the customs charge of £15 , about $22 !!!! To cut a long story short, it turned out that half of it was VAT and the other half was Royal Mail charges!! Needless to say , I won't do that again. Mad Gertie from Kent
I feel sorry for anyone in the UK that's importing fabric. You certainly do get hit with a lot of fees. Supposedly there is a way for you to act as your own customs broker and avoid some of the fees. If anyone reading this has tried that route, it would be interesting to know how that worked for you!
The only way I can think of to avoid such high vat and Royal Mail charges when things are being delivered here in the UK is to ask for the parcel to be sent as a 'Gift'. (Post and shipping included)
That said, it isn't honest, but neither is the true cost of the astronomical charges we get lumbered with by Her Majesty's Customs.