Custom's trying to sting me for a gift

johnnycomlately · 08-06-2006 10:24AM #1

Ok here's the story.
I'd had a week of headache that wouldn't go away no matter what i took.
Been here before and it's usually my neck out of alignment.
So i went to a chiropracter.
Was emailing my ma about it (she's in the States).
Then outa the blue i receive a parcel from America, it's an Orthopedic pillow she sent me, you know lookin after me.
Now i get Big Brother darkening my door looking for 80€ VAT on goods received from outa the state.
I never asked the pillow and it's probably not worth 80€ anyway.
I wasn't at home at the time but only just got the word.
So i rang them and they took my mobile and will get back to me.
But WTF?
Can an elderly mother not send her son a gift or what?

Degsy · 08-06-2006 10:32AM

Slightly off-topic but..dont EVER let a chiropractor near your neck!Most of them are only quacks and manipulation of the neck can cause strokes,paralysis and death.
http://www.chirobase.org/15News/lewis.html

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9C01E1D9113FF930A35757C0A9679C8B63

http://quackfiles.blogspot.com/2006/12/must-see-dangers-of-chiropractic.html

johnnycomlately · 08-06-2006 10:45AM

Degsy wrote:

Slightly off-topic but..dont EVER let a chiropractor near your neck!Most of them are only quacks and manipulation of the neck can cause strokes,paralysis and death.
http://www.chirobase.org/15News/lewis.html

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9C01E1D9113FF930A35757C0A9679C8B63

http://quackfiles.blogspot.com/2006/12/must-see-dangers-of-chiropractic.html

STF and go away with your sh*te.
If i wanted medical advice from you i'd ask for it.

I'd been thru about 4-5 years with migraines in my youth and been in and out of doctor's offices, loads of exams even had electrodes wired up to my head so they could watch the brainwaves.
Eventually went to a chiropracter and the headaches disappeared in a matter of weeks.
Compared to the 1000's spent going to traditional medicine.

Lump · 08-06-2006 10:45AM

Was it marked as a gift? Ring customs, you'll get more answers there then posting on an internet forum.

John

Lump · 08-06-2006 10:46AM

johnnycomlately wrote:

STF and go away with your sh*te.
If i wanted medical advice from you i'd ask for it.

Well you're asking here for customs advice....

dubtom · 08-06-2006 10:47AM

Your Mother should have put a low value down, $20 or something, if she didn't put any value they will make one up. Trouble now is, if you refuse to accept they will send it back at her expense.

johnnycomlately · 08-06-2006 10:49AM

dubtom wrote:

Your Mother should have put a low value down, $20 or something, if she didn't put any value they will make one up. Trouble now is, if you refuse to accept they will send it back at her expense.

I already got the package, or so i thought.

johnnycomlately · 08-06-2006 10:50AM

Lump wrote:

Well you're asking here for customs advice....

Yeah, CUSTOMS advice.
Just a wee bit different then Medical advice huh?

Kiera · 08-06-2006 10:51AM

johnnycomlately wrote:

STF and go away with your sh*te.
If i wanted medical advice from you i'd ask for it.

Don't be so fúcking rude you little gimp!!

Ag marbh · 08-06-2006 10:56AM

Kiera wrote:

Don't be so fúcking rude you little gimp!!

You can hardly talk mouthy

bonkey · 08-06-2006 10:57AM

johnnycomlately wrote:

Now i get Big Brother darkening my door looking for 80€ VAT on goods received from outa the state.

Well, yeah. Thats how the system works.

I never asked the pillow

So?

and it's probably not worth 80€ anyway.

You mean the value wasn't listed on the package? And this is somehow custom's fault, is it?

Can an elderly mother not send her son a gift or what?

I'll go with either "yes, but not without customs getting their cut", or failing that I'll take the "what".

jc

leeroybrown · 08-06-2006 11:04AM

Offhand I think that 'legally' you are only exempt from duty on gifts valued under €45. Beyond that on a single item it will be reduced rate customs duty and VAT at the full rate. Once you hit about €300/€400 the full customs duty rate is applied too. You may also be being asked to pay a handling fee to the shipper for dealing with the duty here.

If they are looking for €80 then the parcel was either not correctly marked as gift with the relevant details or given a high value on the declaration (the US have awkward forms to force you correctly value things) or possibly both.

As for the 'medical advice' - when you come onto a public message board mentioning chiropractors you'll probably get some. Learn to put up with it...

Degsy · 08-06-2006 11:05AM

johnnycomlately wrote:

STF and go away with your sh*te.
If i wanted medical advice from you i'd ask for it.

I'd been thru about 4-5 years with migraines in my youth and been in and out of doctor's offices, loads of exams even had electrodes wired up to my head so they could watch the brainwaves.
Eventually went to a chiropracter and the headaches disappeared in a matter of weeks.
Compared to the 1000's spent going to traditional medicine.

Fair enough rude hole,dont listen.

ciaran76 · 08-06-2006 11:06AM

Even if it is a gift it can be taxed. But if its for medical reasons sometimes you can get away with it. I know I used to work in this field. Explain this to them and you might be lucky depending on the person you get.

metrovelvet · 08-06-2006 11:09AM

Just tell them your mother made a mistake and that you left it behind when you were visiting her. [In other worse its not really an import.]

johnnycomlately · 08-06-2006 11:11AM

ciaran76 wrote:

Even if it is a gift it can be taxed. But if its for medical reasons sometimes you can get away with it. I know I used to work in this field. Explain this to them and you might be lucky depending on the person you get.

An Post rang back, someone that can't make the decisions.
He was saying there was no custom's form on the box or something.
He wants me to look for the box and hopefully the custom's declaration.
But it's probably been binned.
It is for the pillow alright.
They can have the bloody thing, i'll go without and will carry a chip on my shoulder about this backward half arsed rip off country.

WhiteWashMan · 08-06-2006 11:16AM

johnnycomlately wrote:

STF and go away with your sh*te.
If i wanted medical advice from you i'd ask for it.

I'd been thru about 4-5 years with migraines in my youth and been in and out of doctor's offices, loads of exams even had electrodes wired up to my head so they could watch the brainwaves.
Eventually went to a chiropracter and the headaches disappeared in a matter of weeks.
Compared to the 1000's spent going to traditional medicine.

easy tiger. calm down.

people are allowed to voice their opinions. i know its not what you wanted to discuss, but if you dont like what they have said then ignore it.

WhiteWashMan · 08-06-2006 11:16AM

Degsy wrote:

Fair enough rude hole,dont listen.

and you too...

WhiteWashMan · 08-06-2006 11:17AM

Kiera wrote:

Don't be so fúcking rude you little gimp!!

does this statement not strike you as ironic?

banned.

i mean, how many times do we have to have a conversation?

padi89 · 08-06-2006 11:23AM

Degsy wrote:

Slightly off-topic but..dont EVER let a chiropractor near your neck!Most of them are only quacks and manipulation of the neck can cause strokes,paralysis and death.
http://www.chirobase.org/15News/lewis.html

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9C01E1D9113FF930A35757C0A9679C8B63

http://quackfiles.blogspot.com/2006/12/must-see-dangers-of-chiropractic.html

Personally i think he did it the proper way.He went through the whole medical rigmarol first and then went to see a chiro.It would be dangerous to go to a chiro first in my opinion before you get a scan,xray etc.
Ive had a chronic back condition for over 4 years now and spent thousands on Consultants,MRIs,medication etc.Never got any relief at all from conventional medicine.Tried alternative ,chiro,accupuncture and various other treatments but never got anything out of that either.
There are potential risks to everything inc Surgery,medication.But if a chiro has worked for him then ,im sure its been a godsend.Nothing worse than being in pain everyday.Id risk anything to get rid of my condition.

Degsy · 08-06-2006 11:28AM

padi89 wrote:

Personally i think he did it the proper way.He went through the whole medical rigmarol first and then went to see a chiro.It would be dangerous to go to a chiro first in my opinion before you get a scan,xray etc.
Ive had a chronic back condition for over 4 years now and spent thousands on Consultants,MRIs,medication etc.Never got any relief at all from conventional medicine.Tried alternative ,chiro,accupuncture and various other treatments but never got anything out of that either.
There are potential risks to everything inc Surgery,medication.But if a chiro has worked for him then ,im sure its been a godsend.Nothing worse than being in pain everyday.Id risk anything to get rid of my condition.

I know what you're saying but neck manipulation is dangerous and should never be undertaken no matter what.Back pain apparntly does respond to chirpractic treatment but the risks are just to great if its above the shoulders.

johnnycomlately · 08-06-2006 11:31AM

WhiteWashMan wrote:

does this statement not strike you as ironic?
banned.
i mean, how many times do we have to have a conversation?

Can you unban the lady at my request?
I didn't mean to get nobody banned by posting here and take no offense.

Oriel · 08-06-2006 11:32AM

*sitcks his tongue out at Keira from behind WWM*

mikedragon32 · 08-06-2006 11:36AM

johnnycomlately wrote:

They can have the bloody thing, i'll go without and will carry a chip on my shoulder about this backward half arsed rip off country.

You don't have to stay here you know...

WhiteWashMan · 08-06-2006 11:37AM

johnnycomlately wrote:

Can you unban the lady at my request?
I didn't mean to get nobody banned by posting here and take no offense.

how did you get keira banned?

did you post from her account?

WhiteWashMan · 08-06-2006 11:38AM

Degsy wrote:

I know what you're saying but neck manipulation is dangerous and should never be undertaken no matter what.Back pain apparntly does respond to chirpractic treatment but the risks are just to great if its above the shoulders.

i think we will take that sort of advice from a medical expert.
its your opinion, great, but do we have anything further to say about customs etc?

padi89 · 08-06-2006 11:41AM

Degsy wrote:

I know what you're saying but neck manipulation is dangerous and should never be undertaken no matter what.Back pain apparntly does respond to chirpractic treatment but the risks are just to great if its above the shoulders.

There are a huge amount of Chiropractors here in Galway.I went to one for 3 months approx and i just decided i wasnt benifiting from it so i left.When i was attending there were literally hundreds of people coming in everyday to this one treatment centre.All of them were having neck adjustments and noone dropped dead.Its very easy to say you shouldnt do this no matter what but if your life is based around a painfull condition then anything is worth the risk.
Ive met alot of people that went through back surgery and said it was the biggest mistake they ever made as there condition is alot worse.

About the customs,i think you are going to have to pay either way.Must have been a pricey pillow for a 80 euro customs charge.

Degsy · 08-06-2006 12:00PM

WhiteWashMan wrote:

i think we will take that sort of advice from a medical expert.
its your opinion, great, but do we have anything further to say about customs etc?

Yes,due to a mistake on an invoice they onve tried to charge me 40 euros in duty on a package from america that was worth six dollars.The only thing you can do is paythe duty and then write to dublin airport customs afterwards and appeal your case.I didnt actually explore this avenue as it seemed like more trouble than a barrel of cats,but i can imagine my "appeal" being thrown from one desk to another untill it eventually got lost in the paperwork.I cancelled the purchase via credit card and sent the stuff back.

johnnycomlately · 08-06-2006 12:05PM

Well, what if i don't pay?
Since i got the package already.
Bit late of them to be collecting duty.

Infact, i've binned the packaging the pillow came in.
So, if they wanna take the pillow, i might just swap it with a knackerd one.....hmm

themole · 08-06-2006 12:11PM

This a strange situation alright.

They usually hold the item until duty is paid.

I'd tell them to piss off.

astrofool · 08-06-2006 12:14PM

what pillow?

Custom's trying to sting me for a gift

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