Anyone been investigated by customs for "gift" parcels coming in to country outside E

21-10-2017 01:11PM #1

This might sound silly but here goes:
I buy a fair amount of things from fb groups, sometimes in EU and sometimes from other parts of the world, and I admit I ask the seller to declare low value as gift, and when I sell on these items I do the same.
I'm currently waiting on a few items from both israel and the usa and am waiting 2 weeks with no tracking updates. I'm getting really worried I'm being investigated somehow because of declaring these items low and I'm seriously worried.
Please don't judge me, I've learnt my lesson and will not buy sell outside of the EU again, but what should I do?
Would I be contacted if this was the case?

Atlantic Dawn · 21-10-2017 01:28PM

Parcels would be seized first and you would have the opportunity to pay the duty on them. Unlikely if you have not had many multiple parcels stopped previously that there's any investigation underway.

21-10-2017 02:07PM

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Parcels would be seized first and you would have the opportunity to pay the duty on them. Unlikely if you have not had many multiple parcels stopped previously that there's any investigation underway.

Thankyou!
I've never had any parcels held before or charged duty on them. Am I just being paranoid?

eeguy · 21-10-2017 02:08PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Thankyou!
I've never had any parcels held before or charged duty on them. Am I just being paranoid?

Yep.

Sure call the courier company and see what the story is. I've bought loads with underdeclared values.
Never had anything stopped. It's not like they know what you paid for an item. The cost price is never on the delivery docket in the box.

The duty is paid by the courier, and they recoup the costs from you, plus an "administration" fee. So either you hand them the cash at your door, or you pick up your items at their depot. They give you a receipt and that's it. Sometimes you get a letter after the delivery looking for the duty.

I doubt it's illegal to receive an item with underdeclared value. You didn't put the value on the box.

21-10-2017 03:06PM

eeguy wrote: »

Yep.

Sure call the courier company and see what the story is. I've bought loads with underdeclared values.
Never had anything stopped. It's not like they know what you paid for an item. The cost price is never on the delivery docket in the box.

The duty is paid by the courier, and they recoup the costs from you, plus an "administration" fee. So either you hand them the cash at your door, or you pick up your items at their depot. They give you a receipt and that's it. Sometimes you get a letter after the delivery looking for the duty.

I doubt it's illegal to receive an item with underdeclared value. You didn't put the value on the box.

Thanks. These items are coming through an post, they are used items but obviously worth more than what is declared. Much more...I'm trying to locate them but tracking stopped on the 10th and 12th respectively. It just seems an awful long time...

eeguy · 21-10-2017 04:01PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Thanks. These items are coming through an post, they are used items but obviously worth more than what is declared. Much more...I'm trying to locate them but tracking stopped on the 10th and 12th respectively. It just seems an awful long time...

I've never gotten customs charges with an post. Be worth calling them on Monday to see what the hold up is.

21-10-2017 04:30PM

eeguy wrote: »

I've never gotten customs charges with an post. Be worth calling them on Monday to see what the hold up is.

Thanks! Me neither but the seller always declares value at about €20.

gerard2210 · 21-10-2017 04:38PM

Where did the tracking stop? Might be getting shipped by sea so can take a while.

21-10-2017 05:02PM

gerard2210 wrote: »

Where did the tracking stop? Might be getting shipped by sea so can take a while.

Israel post is dire for tracking. All it said was "sent to ireland" on the 10th October ðŸ˜‚ðŸ˜‚ the seller had paid for dhl priority and told 3-4 days.
But an post take all the dhl parcels now so it won't be coming by courier.
The other one left Chicago on 12/10. Nothing since....

pl4ichjgy17zwd · 22-10-2017 06:08AM

The only times I've ever been charged import duty is when DHL has been the carrier (even when passed off to An Post this side) but that's with the right cost declared.

Anyway, I avoid if DHL is involved now.

22-10-2017 09:26AM

Kylan Old Sentence wrote: »

The only times I've ever been charged import duty is when DHL has been the carrier (even when passed off to An Post this side) but that's with the right cost declared.

Anyway, I avoid if DHL is involved now.

Yes it was sent with dhl and the number isn't recognised in the an post site. ..this happened before once and my postman told me it's because they get a new tracking number when it hits ireland so you can't track anymore. Or something.

22-10-2017 07:00PM

Would it make a difference say, if the items were all the same thing?? Like, same item and declared the same???
I wI'll disclose what the items are by pm btw

eeguy · 22-10-2017 08:15PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Would it make a difference say, if the items were all the same thing?? Like, same item and declared the same???
I wI'll disclose what the items are by pm btw

No one can give you the answer you're looking for. Call DHL and an post in the morning and find out what the story is.

Chances are there's duty and they don't have your phone number.

ED E · 22-10-2017 08:21PM

Signs AnPost are back in slow mode now. Just gotta wait 4-6 wks.

Anyone been investigated by customs for "gift" parcels coming in to country outside E

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