Customs Charge
FAQs
What am I being charged for?
You are being asked to pay the relevant customs duty, excise duty and import VAT on your parcel. When an item is received from outside of the UK, it is automatically inspected by Border Force on behalf of HMRC for prohibited or restricted goods. They also check the customs declaration to determine if customs duty, excise duty and import VAT are chargeable.
If we receive a parcel from overseas, we will pay any customs duties and taxes on your behalf to HM Revenue & Customs. However, we will then require payment for this, together with our customs clearance fee, before the parcel can be delivered to you.
You can find more detailed information about these charges here
Who is the sender and what’s in my parcel?
Within the letter you will have received from us about the customs fees, you will be provided with a Tracking Reference number and the name of the Country of origin. This is the only information we are able to provide about your parcel.
What is the Customs Clearance fee?
This is an additional fee we charge in order to clear your parcel through Customs quickly and pay the customs duty, excise duty and import VAT on your behalf. This allows us to cover the cost of handling the parcel, administration, collection of monies and provision of facilities for Customs clearance.
You can find more detailed information about these charges here
How long do you hold my parcel for and what happens if I don’t pay the customs charges?
We will hold your parcel for 21 days so that you can pay and arrange delivery of your parcel. If you don’t pay the customs charges, your parcel will be returned to sender after the 21-day period.
Queries about specific import parcels duties/taxes
If you have any queries about the specific customs charges which have been levied on your parcel, you will need to contact HM Revenue and Customs directly. You can call them on 0300 200 3700. More information can also be found on the GOV.UK website. We can’t deal with enquiries relating to the raising or setting of VAT or import duties.
What is the number I need if I want to contact you?
If you would like more information about these fees, you can contact our Customer Service team on 0344 209 6171. Calls may be monitored and recorded for training purposes.
