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Zavvi + Customs - WARNING

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  • 03-04-2014 11:12am
    #1
    ButtersSuki
    Registered Users Posts: 53,028 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi folks,

    More a warning than a Bargain Alert, have had my last 2 packages from Zavvi (both attempted deliveries were this morning to work) stopped by Customs looking for taxes, vat and fees totalling €16.52 on one item and €19.28 on another. Included in EACH of those is an "An Post Fee" of €6! So I just didn't accept them and they're gone back to Zavvi. Hope I get a refund!

    There was a number for customs on the docket so I rang it and spoke to a guy there who said that Zavvi are on their radar now as all packages are coming from Guernsey (so technically outside the EU) and therefore subject to VAT. Just something to add into your calculations form now on if you're considering purchasing from them.


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    #2
    Redlion
    Registered Users Posts: 794 ✭✭✭Redlion


    I got done for customs last year as well on a box set. However, that was always the risk when buying from Zavvi. If you only buy items priced under €22, you won't face customs and handling charges.


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    #3
    Appleblossom42
    Registered Users Posts: 533 ✭✭✭Appleblossom42


    ButtersSuki wrote: »
    all packages are coming from Guernsey (so technically outside the EU) and therefore subject to VAT.

    But isn't Guernsy part of the UK which is in the EU?


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    #4
    Rael
    Registered Users Posts: 617 ✭✭✭Rael


    Appleblossom42 wrote: »
    But isn't Guernsy part of the UK which is in the EU?


    This has been discussed on Boards multiple times before & isn't news.

    The Channel Islands are a Brtish Crown Protectorate. They are not part of the UK or the EU.

    Hence all packages from retailers such as Play, Zavvi, HMV & Ors are subject to inspection by Revenue & Customs.


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    #5
    firestarter51
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,382 ✭✭✭firestarter51


    it's part of the Channel Islands and is a British Crown Dependency, but not part of the UK.


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    #6
    fdevine
    Registered Users Posts: 2,947 ✭✭✭fdevine


    If your goods are valued at over €22 and are inspected you can expect to pay VAT & duty on the goods as well as the "postal charge", which means you're paying for Revenue to post it on to you after being intercepted.

    Revenue & Customs seem to go through phases of singling out certain sites and/or countries for various reasons.

    Slightly off topic, but, at one stage Revenue were intercepting Android tablets and seeking advice from Apple as to whether the home buttons infringed patents. I kid you not


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    #7
    Beano
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,357 ✭✭✭Beano


    fdevine wrote: »
    If your goods are valued at over €22 and are inspected you can expect to pay VAT & duty on the goods as well as the "postal charge", which means you're paying for Revenue to post it on to you after being intercepted.

    Revenue & Customs seem to go through phases of singling out certain sites and/or countries for various reasons.

    Slightly off topic, but, at one stage Revenue were intercepting Android tablets and seeking advice from Apple as to whether the home buttons infringed patents. I kid you not

    Its not a postal charge. Its a fee that An Post charge to cover the cost of processing the vat and duty. Do you expect them to do it for free?


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    #8
    TheDriver
    Registered Users Posts: 12,417 ✭✭✭✭TheDriver


    surely at this stage, people should expect possible customs charges on anything over €22 and not be surprised when hit. Bit like speeding constantly and being surprised when a letter comes.........
    Buyer beware


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    #9
    door
    Registered Users Posts: 203 ✭✭door


    Been ordering loads of stuff from Zavvi (over €22) for a long time and never get any customs charges or VAT etc.. Some stuff must slip through the net.

    Also, books have no VAT so dont worry about them getting an additional charge.


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    #10
    Do-more
    Registered Users Posts: 4,748 ✭✭✭Do-more


    Funny how everything else goes up with inflation but the €22 allowance hasn't budged in years! :(

    invest4deepvalue.com



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    #11
    Yakuza
    Registered Users Posts: 5,141 ✭✭✭Yakuza


    Do-more wrote: »
    Funny how everything else goes up with inflation but the €22 allowance hasn't budged in years!

    I take your point in general, but DVD/Blu-Ray prices haven't gone up that much in years. They're normally around the £15/€20 price point (at least the ones I buy are :))

    Most discs are priced less than the €22 limit (and shipped singly), so it's only really box sets that attract attention. I thought it was only normally in the run up to Christmas that they stepped up their checking, seems all year round now.

    OT: I bought a coat from the US a few years ago, had to pay 12% customs duty, €6 An Post fee and 23% vat on the whole lot - bah humbug! I knew I'd have to pay duty on it and VAT on it, but VAT on the duty as well stuck in the craw a bit.


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    #12
    ButtersSuki
    Registered Users Posts: 53,028 ✭✭✭✭ButtersSuki


    The main reason I originally posted this was the fact that the customs man I spoke to said that zavvi were now "on their radar"; so one assumes from that that all packages from zavvi will get a lot more scutiny from now on.


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    #13
    Metroid diorteM
    Registered Users Posts: 303 ✭✭Metroid diorteM


    Damn I'm waiting for a box set and a game which were supposedly dispatched on Sunday but haven't arrived yet...

    Completely undoes the value so I wouldn't have bought them if I'd known this might happen (game was 25 and box set was 65).

    They were sent as seperate packages so maybe ill get lucky one more time.


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    #14
    CADDmaster
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭CADDmaster


    What if delivered via (+ €3.5) Parcel Motel Newtownabbey?

    Just a thought.


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    #15
    T-Maxx
    Registered Users Posts: 3,136 ✭✭✭T-Maxx


    Where's the BA though?


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    #16
    door
    Registered Users Posts: 203 ✭✭door


    Metroid diorteM wrote: »
    Damn I'm waiting for a box set and a game which were supposedly dispatched on Sunday but haven't arrived yet...

    Completely undoes the value so I wouldn't have bought them if I'd known this might happen (game was 25 and box set was 65).

    They were sent as seperate packages so maybe ill get lucky one more time.

    Keep us posted on what happens!


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    #17
    Smash The House
    Registered Users Posts: 125 ✭✭Smash The House


    How is the "value" determined though?
    I've bought loads of stuff from zavvi, usually only around a tenner but "worth" up to four times that. There's never any invoice in the package, so do revenue make their own valuation?


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    #18
    ButtersSuki
    Registered Users Posts: 53,028 ✭✭✭✭ButtersSuki


    Smash The House wrote: »
    How is the "value" determined though?
    I've bought loads of stuff from zavvi, usually only around a tenner but "worth" up to four times that. There's never any invoice in the package, so do revenue make their own valuation?

    On the outside label it states the value as a customs declaration as it's coming from outside the EU (technically). It's there, trust me - I have to admit to never having noticed it before now. It's tiny and prob. something you'd miss unless you were looking for it - the postman showed it to me. It lists the price you paid zavvi for the item (not the RRP) + vat paid (0.00%) + p&p (again, 0.00). Hence why it was flagged and sent to customs.


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    #19
    Kolido
    Registered Users Posts: 13,361 ✭✭✭✭Kolido


    Anyone know where items from thehut.com are posted from, they are pretty much the same as zavvi


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    #20
    tinodz
    Registered Users Posts: 5,185 ✭✭✭tinodz


    Kolido wrote: »
    Anyone know where items from thehut.com are posted from, they are pretty much the same as zavvi

    The excact same warehouse, presumably by the exact same people,


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    #21
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    tinodz wrote: »
    The excact same warehouse, presumably by the exact same people,

    It depends- I just got a disk from them from Hongkong- subject to a 6.66 customs charge (the postman said as the declared postage was zero, Revenue were putting a nominal 5 Euro postal charge on- which brought it over 22 Euro- and once you go over the 22 Euro- VAT and Duty are chargeable on the whole sum, not just that portion over the 22 Euro. The postman said as far as he knows we're the only country who factor postage into the equation- most other EU countries don't. I was very tempted to tell him the 6.66 charge was 'evil'........


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    #22
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    what about amazon i order from there all the time from games to stereos


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    #23
    ButtersSuki
    Registered Users Posts: 53,028 ✭✭✭✭ButtersSuki


    Deleted User wrote: »
    what about amazon i order from there all the time from games to stereos


    Amazon ship from mainland UK so this will not apply.


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    #24
    muffler
    Registered Users Posts: 45,863 ✭✭✭✭muffler


    Deleted User wrote: »
    what about amazon i order from there all the time from games to stereos
    ButtersSuki wrote: »
    Amazon ship from mainland UK so this will not apply.
    They also charge the full Irish VAT rate of 23% for orders to here so nothing to worry about.


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    #25
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    ButtersSuki wrote: »
    Amazon ship from mainland UK so this will not apply.

    Be very careful that you purchase orders fulfilled by Amazon- orders fulfilled by other vendors on Amazon could be shipped from literally anywhere.


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    #26
    Amouar
    Registered Users Posts: 1,223 ✭✭✭Amouar


    I just received a package from Zavvi with the following sticker on it: "Community goods consigned to or from a part of the customs territory of the Community where the provisions of the Council Directive 77/388/EEC do not apply"

    What does that really mean?


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    #27
    DesperateDan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,582 ✭✭✭DesperateDan


    ButtersSuki wrote: »
    Amazon ship from mainland UK so this will not apply.

    Every order I've had fulfilled by Amazon.co.uk has come from their HQ in France, same thing though really.


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    #28
    Metroid diorteM
    Registered Users Posts: 303 ✭✭Metroid diorteM


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    what about amazon i order from there all the time from games to stereos

    Amazon sneak that Irish tax cost onto only one of "confirm" pages so watch out. The price they list on the main site is no longer the price you pay even if you get free shipping.


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    #29
    fdevine
    Registered Users Posts: 2,947 ✭✭✭fdevine


    ButtersSuki wrote: »
    Amazon ship from mainland UK so this will not apply.

    Amazon ship mainly from mainland UK but items could be shipped from any of their European warehouses, including one in Coolock.

    As Amazon charge the Irish VAT rate anyway it's not a problem and even if they didn't all the goods come from within the EU.

    Zavvi, The Hut, Play, feelunique, 7dayshop amongst others all ship from the Channel Islands which is potentially a problem.

    IIRC some Channel Islands e-tailers had entered an agreement to pay UK VAT in which case one should not have to pay Irish VAT also. The issue is VAT not being paid.


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    #30
    Tarjh
    Registered Users Posts: 81 ✭✭Tarjh


    T-Maxx wrote: »
    Where's the BA though?

    You sound like a barrel of laughs.




    Thanks for the heads-up OP.


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    #31
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    Amouar wrote: »
    I just received a package from Zavvi with the following sticker on it: "Community goods consigned to or from a part of the customs territory of the Community where the provisions of the Council Directive 77/388/EEC do not apply"

    What does that really mean?

    The product you ordered was either sent to, or from, a territory within the European Economic Area (i.e. the EU, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and a few other territories like the Faroe Islands). Council Directive 77/388/EEC relates to uniform application of VAT to products from outside the EEA (and Ireland is actually in breach of the directive- as we also apply VAT to the shipping).


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