Guelder Rose

I need to send a few items back to the UK, but they are quite valuable. If I send the items via USPS I can get insurance coverage, but then HMC&E will apply taxes when the packages arrive in the UK, which I want to avoid.

I read online that I should just detail the items as being of 'no commercial value', as regardless of the fact that they do have a value they are not intended for sale, but I wonder how I would then be able to properly insure each item? However, this advice does not ring true, as if you send a gift from the US to the UK taxes will still be applied if the value of the package exceeds certain limits .. gifts are not generally intended to be sold by the recipient! Further, I need to have the packages insured as I cannot risk them being lost or damaged in transit.

I have searched HMC&E website and cannot even seem to find what the current limit is on value before taxes are applied!

I'm not intending to move back to the UK, but just need to send some items back to my family ... they came from the UK to the US and I really don't see why I should have to pay taxes for sending them back again.

If anyone knows how I can do this I would really appreciate the advice ... failing that, can anyone provide a link that will confirm current limits on value when sending items by parcel post?

Englishmum

Unless the items are needed really quickly by your family in the UK I wouldn't mail them across and just wait until you either get visitors or are going back for a visit yourself.

I mailed a wedding present from our local Post Office to the UK (paid for it to be insured) and it was really well wrapped up. Unfortunately when it arrived it was damaged beyond repair. The recipients went to their local PO in Hertfordshire and were told that claims have to be made from the originating office. I duly trotted along to my PO and asked for a claim form. When I handed it in I had a heated argument with the Postmaster...he actually told me that the item was probably damaged in the UK and unless I could prove that the USPS had damaged it then they wouldn't entertain any claims for re-imbursement! In the end the form was so complicated that I didn't bother pursuing it.

Also in Christmas 2003 my husband arranged for my Aussie friend's mum to send me some Uggs from Oz as a Christmas pressie for me. It never arrived (despite being insured) and again I trotted off to the local PO and they said that the sender would have to make a claim in Sydney. She faxed back to me to say that the PO there told her that it had been delivered to Short Hills PO in New Jersey in late December - my local Post Office. I was seriously beginning to wonder if it had been stolen by PO staff. Again I spoke with the Postmaster and he wouldn't do a thing until he'd seen an official letter from Australia Post. Fortunately Australia Post provided a letter and it was faxed to me and I marched into the PO with it. My parcel had been placed somewhere in the sortig office and had been 'forgotten' about. Not a bloody word of apology!

To be honest, anything of value now I would send by FedEx. In fact my husband's passport is at the British Embassy in Washington DC and I didn't trust the US Postal service to safely deliver it (note that passports are returned by courier service too LOL!). I just went to the local FedEx world service centre counter and paid $16 for it to be couriered...well worth it in my opinion as I was able to track it at every stage of the journey - and they're so quick too. It might be a tad expensive though to send bulky/heavy items by FedEX/UPS/DHL though.

Elvira

USPS is part of the US goverment.

'nuff said...

Guelder Rose

I had ruled out Fedex ... the one and only time I have ever had a parcel go astray was with them!

Unfortunately, I don't have any friends or family visiting in the near future, nor am I planning a trip to the UK ... so I really need to find a way of sending these packages to the UK without being caught by HMC&E.

I also need to send an item back to the UK for repair ... and I'm quite certain that the repair company won't pay taxes ... so how do I insure the item against loss and damage and get it delivered without HMC&E expecting to be paid for the privilage? Oh, and the post office will also add an additional charge to cover their costs for collecting the tax due!

BritGuyTN

use UPS

I have no problems using them

NC Penguin

I think that if what you're sending are used and are gifts, then duty won't be applied. However, if any item is new and a gift, it is possible that duty may be applied.

I can't swear to this but this info may be buried somewhere on the UK Post Office website or more likely on the HMC&E website.

I have very little faith in both the UK and US Post Offices services.



NC Penguin

Guelder Rose

All the items are second hand ... but come under the category of 'collectors items' and therefore have a value. I was searching the HMC&E website for an hour or so the other day and couldn't find any answers - I should have just emailed and put the question direct to them - which I will now do!

I don't have much faith in the postal systems either ... but I figure that if I can purchase adequate insurance cover I have a lot less to worry about.

NC Penguin

In light of what you've just wrote, if I were you, I wouldn't bother with USPS and just send them by a courier company.




NC Penguin

Guelder Rose

I'm taking that to mean that an insurance claim is more likely to be paid if you use a courier company rather than USPS? I've never had to make a claim before as anything I have ever sent from the UK, or back to the UK via USPS, has been delivered undamaged. One thing I do know is that if anything went astray I don't want USPS shifting the blame to the UK when I purchased the insurance from USPS ... damn, I have more research to do on this one!

NC Penguin

Based on my experience (mostly as a recipient of stuff sent from overseas), I've had more luck receiving packages sent by courier than by the country's postal service.

One tip is to send the stuff along with other non-valuable/collectible items. That way the more valuable stuff will be amongst a list of other items on the customs form and less obvious.

I'm presently waiting for a package sent by my Mum from the UK. It's food (packet soup and chocolate) and it's been over two weeks now. I reckon it's been stolen (or confiscated) at the US end.




NC Penguin

anotherlimey

USPS doesn't handle your parcel all the way, they pass it on to other companies so it's easy for them to blame someone else; in fact there's probably no point in ever getting insurance on parcels going overseas for this reason.

Fedex, UPS etc. is a single company handling your parcel all the way, or at least companies contracted to them, so getting an insurance claim is easier. They may even give you some tips regarding the customs form.

BTW: if you're sending something for a repair under warranty you can put that on a customs form and no tax will be applied.

TRPardoe

I wouldn't send anything precious, whether worthless or not, via USPS. I generally use UPS to the UK which I have found to be very efficient. At least with UPS or FEDEX you can track the package. It's what they are good at.

Have a look on their websites to see which one has an office near your destination.

As far as Customs are concerned - what you declare to UPS or FEDEX is the replacement value. If they are irreplaceable items the value may as well be zero for that purpose. Mark them as personal items being returned to the UK and then the Customs shouldn't be concerned.

Guelder Rose

They only seem to be good at tracking when nowt goes wrong ... I called Fedex about a parcel which had not been delivered and was told to get the sender to file a claim. I asked if they could at least try to trace the package but the answer I got was simple ... No!