An Post 10 Euro handling charge question regarding items being delivered from US

segosego89 · 15-01-2020 12:39AM #1

Hi there,

I am hoping to purchase items from the US that will cost 56.45 USD excluding shipping. If I'm not mistaken I will have to pay VAT of 23 Percent for this item but not customs duties. Also I've read that I have to pay a 10 Euro An Post handling fee on top of the VAT.

There are two delivery options on the website that I'm purchasing the items from:
1. International First Class Shipping
2. FedEx International Priority

I assume the first option is basically having USPS/An Post deliver the item to my address(which costs 18.25 USD).
The second option is having FedEx delivered to my address(which costs 29.25 USD).

This might be a silly question but I was wondering if I choose the second option will I not have to pay the An Post handling fee? FedEx don't pass parcels onto An Post once they arrive in Ireland do they? I've done some calculations and it would seem to be in my interest to choose FedEx as it only works out a couple of Euros more if I don't have to pay the An Post handling fee.

Any help would be great.

Thanks

segosego89 · 15-01-2020 01:32AM

sugarman wrote: »

All parcels go through customs / revenue, doesn't matter what delivery service it is. If there's any vat/duty to pay, the delivery service pay it to release it. You then have to repay them + an administration fee for doing so. Theres no way around it.

An posts fee is €10.

FedEx is 2.5% of the total goods Inc vat, duty & del or €15. Whichever works out higher.

Keep in mind that the vat is on the cost of the item + the del. So the higher cost of del, the more vat.

Thanks so much for the helpful reply.

So if I choose FedEx as a delivery option I assume that the 2.5 Percent fee is added to my total at checkout? I hardly have to pay the 2.5 percent to the FedEx delivery man at my door?

I'm also purchasing something with a total value(including shipping) of 15 Euros from Japan. Will I have to pay the An Post 10 Euro fee for this item considering it's only 15 Euros?

Cheers

whiterebel · 15-01-2020 09:00AM

segosego89 wrote: »

Thanks so much for the helpful reply.

So if I choose FedEx as a delivery option I assume that the 2.5 Percent fee is added to my total at checkout? I hardly have to pay the 2.5 percent to the FedEx delivery man at my door?

I'm also purchasing something with a total value(including shipping) of 15 Euros from Japan. Will I have to pay the An Post 10 Euro fee for this item considering it's only 15 Euros?

Cheers

Fedex send you an invoice afterwards, An Post collect on delivery, cash only, exact money.

slave1 · 15-01-2020 11:14AM

99% the last time I was "caught" for US parcel with Fed Ex/could have been UPS I had to pay by cr card at the door

WestWicklow1 · 15-01-2020 11:25AM

The last time I was "caught" FedEx delivered the goods from the US and sent me an invoice afterward.

Initially, I thought I got away with it

segosego89 · 15-01-2020 01:57PM

sugarman wrote: »

Choosing FexEd will work out more expensive either way.

The item costs $56.45 + del of $29.25 = $85.70

You then have to pay 23% Vat on that, which is $19.71.

Bringing the total cost to $105.41 before any handling fee applies.

If you choose the first option....

The item costs $56.45 + del of $18.25 = $74.70

You then have to pay 23% Vat on that, which is $17.18.

Bringing the total cost to $91.98 before any handling fee applies.

So I'm not sure why you would choose FedEx. Especially when they also charge a higher handling fee. It's 2.5% of total value OR €15. Whichever is greater. In this case €15 is greater. Where as An Post is €10.

This is all if customs check your package, some times it gets through and you don't have to pay anything additional. Other times you do. It's pot luck. Of late I've been caught for it more than I haven't though.

As for the payment if you are caught, An Post is payable by exact change only at the door or a cheque.

FedEx will contact you by email with an invoice before they deliver your item and you can pay that online on their site or send them a cheque in the post. No cash options.

As for your item from Japan, youre grand. Vat or duty don't apply to items under a total value of €22 Inc the del fee.

Thanks so much for the helpful reply.

When the item from Japan arrives in Ireland how will customs know that the item would be worth less than 22 Euros including shipping? What if the person in Japan who sends me the item does not put the value of the item on the package itself?

Should I make sure that the Japanese seller definitely puts the value of the items on the package?

Kind regards

whiterebel · 15-01-2020 02:05PM

segosego89 wrote: »

Thanks so much for the helpful reply.

When the item from Japan arrives in Ireland how will customs know that the item would be worth less than 22 Euros including shipping? What if the person in Japan who sends me the item does not put the value of the item on the package itself?

Should I make sure that the Japanese seller definitely puts the value of the items on the package?

Kind regards

You should, because otherwise Customs will go and find the value somewhere online and use that. They can do the same if they believe the declared value is suspiciously small.

segosego89 · 15-01-2020 02:09PM

whiterebel wrote: »

You should, because otherwise Customs will go and find the value somewhere online and use that. They can do the same if they believe the declared value is suspiciously small.

The item I'm trying to purchase from Amazon Japan is here: https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B072PRPGG3/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AN1VRQENFRJN5&psc=1

This is really off topic but does anybody know how I can contact the Amazon seller about the customs form thing ? Amazon makes it really awkward to contact sellers. With Ebay it's very easy...

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 15-01-2020 03:40PM

segosego89 wrote: »

The item I'm trying to purchase from Amazon Japan is here: https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B072PRPGG3/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AN1VRQENFRJN5&psc=1

This is really off topic but does anybody know how I can contact the Amazon seller about the customs form thing ? Amazon makes it really awkward to contact sellers. With Ebay it's very easy...

Click on the seller's name and go to "ask a question", that emails the seller.

segosego89 · 15-01-2020 06:17PM

sugarman wrote: »

I wouldn't worry about it, you'll have a copy of your invoice on Amazon as proof you can dispute with customs if they try charge you anything.

That's good to know.

I'm ordering the item off of Amazon Japan and I'm pretty sure I wont be able to contact the seller in English. I don't want to go through the awkwardness of trying to explain to a Japanese person to please put a customs form on the package when they're sending it to me...

JohnC. · 16-01-2020 07:05AM

That item seems to be sold by Amazon themselves rather than a seller (unless it's changed since you posted the link). I've ordered stuff from Amazon Japan several times before and they always handled the customs stuff (as do Amazon US). If there were import charges to be applied, that was in the checkout and paid in advance, with none of the silly "handling charges" from other parties involved. Your item is under the threshold so it skips that.

Creamy Goodness · 16-01-2020 07:25AM

any seller selling internationally - worth their weight - will know to declare the value of the goods in the parcel.

BeardySi · 16-01-2020 10:41AM

The sender will have a customs declaration on it - it's a standard for any international shipping.

As to the declared value - any sender with a bit of sense will declare the actual value inside, because if it's damaged or goes missing and they have to claim against the courier it's only covered up to the declared value.

An Post 10 Euro handling charge question regarding items being delivered from US

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