Spare parts and the EU

[LooLooSud33Spider]

Evening all.
I take it we’ve all recovered from the festivities. I’m looking at spending some Christmas money and wondered if anyone has bought parts from the EU since we left ?? I’m looking at ordering a couple of items and wondered how it works as far as import duty etc. ( value is approx £300 )
regards Louise

[KevJTD]

The official line is that anything over around £160 (inc P&P) should incue import duty costs, and gets impounded on entry in the country and you have to pay before your parcel arrives. When I was getting the seat material from Denmark for the Dedra both times the parcels were delayed, from point of ordering to me getting the parcel was nearly a month each time! Plus the VAT needs paying on UK entry, plus the "handling fee" that is added by Parcelforce, without being asked! From memory the first order of around £800 had fees of about £150 added at this end....

However, I recently ordered some parts for the GTV rebuild from AUTODOC in Germany valued at around £250 and they came straight here within a few days and didn't get any fees from the UK. So who knows!

[LooLooSud33Spider]

Thanks Kev. The items are in Germany so that sounds promising. When you had to pay for the Denmark stuff How did payment work to get the items released. Did they call you or did you have to contact someone ?

[KevJTD]

I paid the Denmark people using IBAN which is just like a Bank Transfer but done Internationally, I managed to do it online so it must be fairly manageable!
If on entry to UK if the customs people get hold of it then you get an email from the customs outlining what you need to pay to get it released, it's not like you get your parcel then they chase you, you just don't get your parcel forwarded onto you UNTIL you've paid the customs fee! From memory it was Parcelforce who handled it both times at the Customs, hence why they also add in their "handling fee", which again you have to pay or you just get no parcel!
But the last parcel from AUTODOC in Germany came direct to me so they either didn't fill in the customs paperwork properly (the posters responsibilty) or the customs just missed it.
It's for this reson of customs paperwork now being a PITA for EU countries sending stuff to UK now that certain companies refuse to send here, there's a place in the Netherlands that make Lancia panels and I emailed them to enquire on some Flavia parts. There reply made me laugh, not sure if it was just a translation thing but they stated they no longer post to UK due to the "hanky panky" that's now involved with customs declerations etc! I can imagine it being a pain, having to fill out and keep on file all the paperwork for the customs, making itemised and priced copies so the customs guys can see what's being sent, guess thismis what was meant buy all the back slappers who pronounced Boris to have "delivered Brexit"!

[junior]

I have had the same with a cycle frame and forks from Holland. Frame had a crack so was replaced under the warranty, but then the duty was £150 notes and the last few bits I need are so small no one wants to post them . Sigh.

Been trying to finish the cycle for three years. Maddening.