Shipping options to the UK?

[Markn]

Sorry this may seem like a silly question but I am don't understand.

What are the usual shipping options from Japan to the UK?

From what I understand you pay VAT on anything over £15 and import duty plus VAT on anything over £135. Silly question number two. How do you pay it?

 

Thanks,

 

 

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[the_weird_one]

If the item comes EMS or SAL you will get a calling card from the Royal Mail with your VAT/Import Duty total on plus their handling fee - currently £8 - you can then pay this fee over the phone, online if they give you a reference number on the card, or at he sorting office where they've left the package. Phone and online take card payments, the sorting office route is cash only.

 

If you use a courier - DHL, FedEx, UPS - you'll receive your item, then they'll send a letter in the post at a later day with your fees due on, and that was a phone their dedicated line and pay by card last time I had to weigh them.

[railsquid]

Ouch. £8 handling charge on top of everything else!? Japan Post only charges 250 yen, payable on the doorstep (change for large denomination notes usually available) though only when the sender has been kind enough to attach a "Tax Me!" invoice on the outside of the parcels to attract the attention of the local excise.

[the_weird_one]

Best one I've had recently was a Kickstarter card game, 55p VAT, £8 handling charge

[Quetz]

EMS gets "intercepted" by Parcel Force (unless something's changed recently) which had a handling fee of £13.50 on top of the tax, you'll be lucky if you ever get the letter notifying you. You'll have to keep an eye on the tracking and then give them an investigative phone call, after some back and forth they'll eventually find you parcel via the tracking number (as they actually want the VAT notice number they put in the letter that they never sent you). Can be paid by card over the phone or online if you actually get the letter.

In my experience SAL from Japan gets intercepted by Royal Mail and I've never so far been hit with any fees, although this may be based on geographical location after reading about other people's experiences. However small package from the US (jewelry related) had the £8 plus tax applied and I got the "sorry we missed you" type red card through the door so I went to the local collection office the following day. 

 

Other people may have had different experiences, I just get everything delivered by registered SAL these days (which isn't that much actually) which is cheaper even if it is caught by customs & avoids Dick Turpin Parcel Farce.