Buying from US to import to UK - Custom charges?

[J4G3D]

Im looking at something thats on ebay.co.uk from a US seller (part of the global shipping) and it says this:

"Customs services and international tracking provided"

Does this mean I will NOT get any further customs charges or royal mail handling charges when it arrives in the UK or not?

The item is about £20/£25. So im guessing I will be charged import VAT for sure. If so, will they stick the standard £8 "handling fee" on top of the VAT charge?

I don't mind paying the VAT on it, but the £8 handling fee makes it a deal breaker.

[13obby]

I think anything below £20 will not be charged any duty.

[Ebayorbust]

I think with these transactions, the customs charges are paid up front so no further charges need to be paid during transit or on delivery.

[Sunspot144]

Not familiar with UK customs but typically marking it as a gift increases the duty limit.

[Sunspot144]

Customs Duty

You’ll be charged Customs Duty on gifts and other goods sent from outside the*EU*if they’re above a certain value.

The value includes:

the price paid for the goods, postage, packaging and insurance

Anything under £135 - No charge

Gifts worth £135-£630 - 2.5%, but rates are lower for some goods

Gifts above £630 and other goods above £135 - The rate depends on the type of goods and where they came from

[Dufus]

Keep in mind that Vat is 20%
VAT

You pay VAT on goods sent from non-European Union (EU) countries and EU special territories (eg the Canary Islands) if they’re:

gifts worth more than £39
other goods worth more than £15
alcohol, tobacco products and fragrances (eg perfume, eau de toilette and cologne) of any value

You have to pay VAT on all goods sent by mail order from the Channel Islands no matter what their value.

[Play]

Originally Posted by J4G3D

Im looking at something thats on ebay.co.uk from a US seller (part of the global shipping) and it says this:

"Customs services and international tracking provided"

Does this mean I will NOT get any further customs charges or royal mail handling charges when it arrives in the UK or not?

The item is about £20/£25. So im guessing I will be charged import VAT for sure. If so, will they stick the standard £8 "handling fee" on top of the VAT charge?

I don't mind paying the VAT on it, but the £8 handling fee makes it a deal breaker.

From my understanding, any customs costs for such transactions will be displayed and should be added into the payment automatically when you pay for the item.

eBay introduced this a little while back, and the sole purpose is to pay everything up front so the customer doesn't get a shocking bill afterwards (thinking they get a nice bargain at first).