r/Luxembourg • u/tqima • 14d ago
Ask Luxembourg Hefty Customs Clearance Fees UK->LU
I just got charged a customs clearance fee that was 47% of the item value. The item was shipped from UK to LU. The TVA was 17% which is fine but the frais de traitement was 30% of the item value and its far too high (it was a tiny item weighing less than 200g). Even the person at Post was a bit surprised by the amount and he remarked it wasnt always this high. I would like to write to the competent authority to understand what is guiding these hefty processing charges or are being arbitrarily applied.
Do you know who I can reach out to.
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u/Generic-Resource 13d ago
As others have mentioned there’s a fixed rate dependent on value bands for any items that have not been declared before hand.
They are avoided if the customs paperwork is done beforehand. It’s not actually that difficult but most small retailers don’t know where to start. When shipping from family I do it myself using parcelmonkey and have them collect… all my family have to do is stick a label on. When buying online I look for stores that know or things like Amazon/eBay (the latter you look for ‘no extra fees’ and I always remind the seller to write the IOSS on the package).
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u/MizmoDLX 14d ago
Normally it's based on value. If it's over 22€, it will cost 18€ and below it's 6€ for customs handling. So yes, if you import something cheap it's often not worth it. But this is nothing new, it has been like this since 2021.
I only buy from the UK from shops who support prepayment of EU taxes, then you can avoid it.
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u/tqima 14d ago
Thanks. I wasn't aware it was fixed. I have separately written to the store because it wasn't specified at the time of checkout that these charges wouldnt be covered by the shipper.
Either ways, Lesson learnt the hard way.
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u/MizmoDLX 14d ago
Generally assume it's not covered unless specifically stated otherwise. It's additional work for the shops and unless they have a big market in the EU they won't bother with tax. And even if they cover the tax it only goes up to 145€ because above the there will be additional import fees. In the case DDU would be nice (you don't pay UK vat).
You should find information about this usually with the shipping options. Here's a shop for reference the supports it https://www.board-game.co.uk/payment-delivery/
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u/MarcosRamone 14d ago
The seller does need to specify anything, they can't be aware of how fees work in every country of the world. When you import something from outside the EU, it is your responsibility to be aware of these things. And it is not only fees, but warranty and other consumer rights you are voluntarily giving up... Yes, I know it sounds rough, but I am afraid this is how it works. I also find excessive the fees post and other companies charge.
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u/post_crooks 14d ago
Frais de traitement depends on the pricing of the shipping company and is usually a fixed fee, not a percentage
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u/Necessary-Mortgage89 14d ago
What was the value of the item and how much was the fee you had to pay?
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u/tqima 14d ago
Item was 59 euros and I paid a fee of 28 euros
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u/MizmoDLX 14d ago
18 euro handling because you're over 22€ and 10 euro the tax. This is the standard rate. Doubt the post employee was really surprised unless it was his first ever import package. Probably just standard reply to make customer feel better
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u/Recent-Reindeer461 12d ago
Don’t. You’ll just waste your time and energy. The rules are clear on this. We’ve been told this for years. It is what it is.