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Made in Sheffield 1 Jul 29th 2018 12:11 am
Customs Question
 
I’m thinking of ordering a present direct from the US for the other half’s birthday but I’m not sure regarding further charges when it arrives in the UAE.

The total price on the website is only £22.23 (free delivery) so I’d be gutted if I had to pay extra, especially if it comes to more than what the item costs.

I’ve looked at the government website for further info but, as expected, tells me nowt.

Millhouse Jul 29th 2018 12:19 am
Re: Customs Question
 
Potentially 5% customs + 5% VAT

Depends what they declared the value is. As it's a small gift they may not bother.

Although judging by the price point, it's a dildo. They may seize it.

Made in Sheffield 1 Jul 29th 2018 12:24 am
Re: Customs Question
 
[QUOTE=Millhouse;12540350]Potentially 5% customs + 5% VAT

Depends what they declared the value is. As it's a small gift they may not bother.

Although judging by the price point, it's a dildo. They may seize it.[/QUOTE

Forgot to say, it’s nothing dodgy. Been there, done that, never again :o

Brains1983 Jul 29th 2018 12:35 am
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by Made in Sheffield 1 (Post 12540345)
I’m thinking of ordering a present direct from the US for the other half’s birthday but I’m not sure regarding further charges when it arrives in the UAE.

The total price on the website is only £22.23 (free delivery) so I’d be gutted if I had to pay extra, especially if it comes to more than what the item costs.

I’ve looked at the government website for further info but, as expected, tells me nowt.
That should come in without the payment of duty or tax, personal limit for postal is a CIF value of 1000.00 AED. That's the cost of your item + the cost of your postage + the insurance cost. If no insurance value is declared, customs will assume it to be 1% of the the other two items (the CFR Value incase interested).

Made in Sheffield 1 Jul 29th 2018 3:22 am
Re: Customs Question
 
Thank you.

I think I’ll be a risk taker and go for it :lol:

Miss Ann Thrope Jul 29th 2018 5:46 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
[QUOTE=Made in Sheffield 1;12540355]
Originally Posted by Millhouse (Post 12540350)
Potentially 5% customs + 5% VAT

Depends what they declared the value is. As it's a small gift they may not bother.

Although judging by the price point, it's a dildo. They may seize it.[/QUOTE

Forgot to say, it’s nothing dodgy. Been there, done that, never again :o
Oh come on, you can't leave that hanging there without giving us the details...

Bahtatboy Jul 29th 2018 9:20 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by Made in Sheffield 1 (Post 12540355)
...

Forgot to say, it’s nothing dodgy. Been there, done that, never again :o
Yeah, smuggling them in not in checked and not in cabin luggage is probably a humbling experience. Would sort of leave you feeling empty inside.

Millhouse Jul 29th 2018 9:47 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by Bahtatboy (Post 12540693)
Yeah, smuggling them in not in checked and not in cabin luggage is probably a humbling experience. Would sort of leave you feeling empty inside.
I'd imagine it would have been quite fulfilling.

csdf Jul 30th 2018 4:47 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
My experience (of Aramex) is that 5% VAT is now being slapped on everything imported, even if you already paid VAT on it in the country of origin.

reddiva Jul 30th 2018 5:20 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by csdf (Post 12541087)
My experience (of Aramex) is that 5% VAT is now being slapped on everything imported, even if you already paid VAT on it in the country of origin.
It is. I had to pay it when i used my shop and ship account

scrubbedexpat141 Jul 30th 2018 8:37 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by reddiva (Post 12541092)
It is. I had to pay it when i used my shop and ship account
There is a special place in hell for SnS.

reddiva Jul 30th 2018 9:28 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by Scamp (Post 12541161)
There is a special place in hell for SnS.
I love it and the drivers know me well haha

csdf Jul 30th 2018 10:18 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
I used to love it, but now paying double VAT has put me off using it.

Millhouse Jul 30th 2018 10:33 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by csdf (Post 12541183)
I used to love it, but now paying double VAT has put me off using it.
would be wrong to expect vat not to be charged here just because it was charged somewhere else when there is no customs union between the countries... unless you’re importing from KSA which I doubt

reddiva Jul 30th 2018 10:37 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by csdf (Post 12541183)
I used to love it, but now paying double VAT has put me off using it.

Thankfully the value i order doesnt warrant double VAT

scrubbedexpat141 Jul 30th 2018 10:56 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by reddiva (Post 12541171)
I love it and the drivers know me well haha
In fairness, it's not always their fault, if your name and special number aren't clear on the parcel then it arrives and is basically lost forever. Unless you do what I did and go mental for days and days and threaten to fly to the UK and find the parcel yourself.

reddiva Jul 31st 2018 12:29 am
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by Scamp (Post 12541199)
In fairness, it's not always their fault, if your name and special number aren't clear on the parcel then it arrives and is basically lost forever. Unless you do what I did and go mental for days and days and threaten to fly to the UK and find the parcel yourself.
Touch wood, nothing has ever gone missing

scrubbedexpat141 Jul 31st 2018 1:14 am
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by reddiva (Post 12541226)
Touch wood, nothing has ever gone missing
Once they have the parcel they can be awful too, just deciding to wait a few days before shipping and then charging quite a princely sum for the trouble.

Still, cheaper than flying home to buy a fleshlight the things you need.

jam25mack Jul 31st 2018 6:44 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
I've used S&S a lot in the past and generally it's worked well, however, it seems to be a lot more expensive that it used to be. It's hardly worth buying stuff online (UK and US) anymore.

csdf Jul 31st 2018 7:41 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by Millhouse (Post 12541188)


would be wrong to expect vat not to be charged here just because it was charged somewhere else when there is no customs union between the countries... unless you’re importing from KSA which I doubt

Wrong technically, but not wrong through common sense. All the value being added is taking place outside the country. At best, I can understand charging VAT on the shipping fee (which of course, they do too).

Millhouse Jul 31st 2018 9:45 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by csdf (Post 12541628)
Wrong technically, but not wrong through common sense. All the value being added is taking place outside the country. At best, I can understand charging VAT on the shipping fee (which of course, they do too).
it never applies “technically”. Even in the UK.

Made in Sheffield 1 Aug 1st 2018 5:45 am
Re: Customs Question
 
[QUOTE=Miss Ann Thrope;12540622]
Originally Posted by Made in Sheffield 1 (Post 12540355)


Oh come on, you can't leave that hanging there without giving us the details...


I will only go as far as saying that said item was in a container shipped from Sheffield and when it was delivered I had to sign next to a red stamp saying “X Rated Goods Confiscated”. I’d even hidden it between loads of towels! Not my finest moment.

reddiva Aug 1st 2018 4:37 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by jam25mack (Post 12541601)
I've used S&S a lot in the past and generally it's worked well, however, it seems to be a lot more expensive that it used to be. It's hardly worth buying stuff online (UK and US) anymore.
It all depends on what you buy. I buy clothes which are usually 30% cheaper in the UK than here and when the UK sales start i can save at least 60-70%. I am one of those weirdos though that goes into a shop, prices it and tries it on first
At a time i usually save AED1000

TheShed Aug 1st 2018 9:41 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by jam25mack (Post 12541601)
I've used S&S a lot in the past and generally it's worked well, however, it seems to be a lot more expensive that it used to be. It's hardly worth buying stuff online (UK and US) anymore.
I buy almost everything (except food) online and now mostly find that shipping direct from the states (Amazon) is cheaper than using S&S. As others have said, its much more expensive than it used to be and hopelessly unreliable. I've had stuff depart US and not land in Dubai for two weeks - god only knows where the products went.

jam25mack Aug 1st 2018 11:19 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by TheShed (Post 12542156)
I buy almost everything (except food) online and now mostly find that shipping direct from the states (Amazon) is cheaper than using S&S. As others have said, its much more expensive than it used to be and hopelessly unreliable. I've had stuff depart US and not land in Dubai for two weeks - god only knows where the products went.
How do you do that tho as 90%+ of the things I look at on the US and UK Amazon say they won't ship to the UAE.

As for S&S, I've never had an issue with them..... but yeah its expensive now.

archie159 Aug 1st 2018 11:30 pm
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by Scamp (Post 12541161)
There is a special place in hell for SnS.
There is a special place in hell for Aramex in general... I used them recently to get some documents from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, and they were without exception the most awful company I have ever used in almost 8 years in the UAE. They even managed to make Etisalat look competent...

scrubbedexpat141 Aug 2nd 2018 12:00 am
Re: Customs Question
 
Originally Posted by archie159 (Post 12542191)
There is a special place in hell for Aramex in general... I used them recently to get some documents from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, and they were without exception the most awful company I have ever used in almost 8 years in the UAE. They even managed to make Etisalat look competent...
My eye twitched at the mention of the phone company.

However, we just won our battle with them. It took to emailing every single senior person we could find on Linkedin, including board members from their corporate website. BUT....we won in the end.

Tempted to go back to the shop where we were completely deceived and give the sales guy two fingers.


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