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KnHi at all !
Janice of Jigpaws wrote to me:
Hi Tanni,
I noticed you're organising another bear swap so I thought I'd send you a quick PM to offer a bit of advice you may want to pass on to those who are taking part.
I took part in the last bear swap and was unfortunately stung for £30 in import taxes which to be honest has kind of taken a lot of the pleasure out of the swap. I spoke to Sue of Fenbeary folk and she told me that the government here charge customs tax for receiving gifts too. She advised maybe letting the people know who are taking part in this one to just put material costs on the form rather than putting the cost of the made bear so as to reduce customs tax for people.
Hope this is of some help to you.
I'd love to take part in your swap too.......as long as people are asked to just put material costs on the form so I'm not hit for another £30 in customs charges!!!
If you think this will be ok then please count me in........but if not then I hope you understand I'd rather pass on another swap.
_____________________
Janice and all,
when you receive the mail with swap rules and adress from me, please be so kind to inform your partner about the shipping details to your country.
The problem is often, that the sender don´t get any information about the country, where he is shipping to.
So let´s talk together to provide such high costs.
I will write this again in my mails, but keep it in your mind, thanks ;o)
JigpawsI've just re-read my email to Tanni and realise I didn't quite word myself very well.....it's funny how what makes sense to you in your head doesn't always translate very well in written word 
I realise not everyone will be happy to just put material cost on the customs form because if the bear gets lost during transit it will only be this cost which is recoverable in any claim. I completely understand why someone wouldn't want to do this 
I'm in no way saying that people HAVE to do this, which is the way I feel my email comes across ( 
), what I really meant to say was would people MIND doing this.
I hope I've managed to explain myself a bit better than how I worded it in my email to Tanni, I wouldn't want people to think I was telling them how to send their bears 
Hugs
Janice
Laurie Lou BearsI understood what you meant Janice as my bear in the swap ended up coming to me with a customs charge of £21.It would keep the customs charges down if we listed materials only but would we not receive full compensation if we didn't declare full price-it would have to be agreed between swap partners and then hope that the bear didn't disappear in the mail system as all that work would be for nothing.
The customs tax can be so confusing and it is so frustrating to think that you are sending someone a gift and they have to pay for it at the other end :wacko:
Laurie :hug:
FenBeary FolkI think I had better clarify things, in terms of a gift.
In normal circumstances a gift is purchsed for a sum from a shop and the amount declared, would be that cost to re-purchase the item again.
In our cases, in a swap, the value of the item is subject to guess work as the only money that has changed hands is the original purchase of the materials. That is why I suggested that a "materials value" could be used. I wouldn't want anyone to think I was trying to cheat the customs man.
I hope thats ok and explains things a little better, it would be a shame if we all had to pay huge sums for our swap bears and the swaps stopped because of this 
JigpawsThanks for explaining Sue......you did it sooo much better than me 
Hugs
Janice
Hi all,
I now have a question about custom charges. Does that apply to every country you ship too?
Does it depend on what your amount claimed is (as I see from the other posts here) or even on what service you ship your swap bears overseas?
On our last swap my partner was Sue and she can only answer whether she had to pay custom charges and that is up to her to say.
I paid extra shipping costs(that was my choice to do) to make sure that she got her bear. I paid extra for insurance and tracking which was a higher shipping service to do that. I would think if you marked it as a gift you would not have to pay any customs at all because to me there would be no value amount.
So I guessed I answered my own question above that I did pay extra for insurance so I did have to give an amount.
I do not want to see the swaps end due to high custom charges. The last swap was great. Due to the amount of my work load at home I will not be able to join this swap.
So any further advise on how to ship and state value on our bears would be great.
Is there any website that we can go to that gives us any idea on what the custom charges would be for each country?
sheryl
Artemis bearsHi i would love to join in with a swap as long as people don't mind if relative beginners join in. i think it is a great idea and a fantastic challenge x
DENBY BEARS
:dance: Count me in too. Would love to do a swap. Have sent you my email with the info.
thanx, Tanni!
Emo BearsI know in the Uk, even gifts are chargable for customs fees and taxes if they are over a certain value. Unless it is coming from within the EU.
Outside the Eu, items purchased that cost over £18 are liable for customs fees
'Gifts' that cost over £36 are chargeable.
Insuring a bear is great so it doesn't get lost - BUT - if you insure it to your usual retail value, then it is more likely to get picked up and charged.
I think valuing a bear at 'materials' cost is a great idea - and still fair - as that is what it cost, and would cost to re-make (obviously not including time)
if you are sending to your own country - I don't think it would be an issue - or within the EU.
FenBeary FolkHi me again, NO I didn't have to pay any customs charge :dance: :dance: :dance: and A huge thank you to Sheryl, my darling Shaiming arrived very safely and quickly.
It does depends on each country, I am not aware of any site that gives all the different country rules
If items are received into the UK from an EC country there is no duty to pay but all countries outside the EC (USA, Canada, Australia and Japan etc) do incur both Customs Duty and Customs Vat
I have found that it does depend on the shipper and who is "processing" your box in the UK, I do think that sometimes they cannot be bothered to process the paperwork and also I think they are confused as to the rules as well, that said I do know of others in the UK that have been stung by our ordinary postal service.
It is a thought maybe we could have a post just for Import Duty and someone form each country could post details of any fees that would/could occur when posting INTO their Country, I could start one with the UK if you would like????
Julia we was a postin at the same time
desertmountainbearShipping into the UK only allows a gift to be a small amount of money, then you get taxed for anything over that amount. I think though that if shipping from the US to the UK the bear could not be insured for any amount over that stated. I would think to avoid import tax you would have to devalue the bear, (use just material cost ) and send it insured for only that amount. It is only time, there is no receipt of what a buyer spent. I think both parties should discuss this at the beginning of the swap, because if the bear is sent under insured that is a risk. But I would take it on something like this.
Joanne
FenBeary FolkIn normal circumstances when a bear has been purchased, I would say definitely declare the purchase price, that's as it should be. But these are slightly unusual circumstances and I think if you were spot checked by customs they would have a hard job proving a different value on the bear other than the materials due to the fact no money changed hands.
If a bear (in a swap) did go missing and you had to claim on the insurance, would they not ask for proof of purchase price?? A receipt for the amount and in this case there would be none, so you could have a problem claiming for the value of the bear I hope that makes sense. I just wouldn't want anyone to think that I was advising anyone to do something illegal. The problem with our rules on vat are that they are designed to cover the normal and common areas. I am certain that if I did ring the vat office I would get several different answers.
Bear-Handshi Tanni i would love to do this and my first swap, my details are on the way. susan xx
desertmountainbearIn normal circumstances when a bear has been purchased, I would say definitely declare the purchase price, that's as it should be. But these are slightly unusual circumstances and I think if you were spot checked by customs they would have a hard job proving a different value on the bear other than the materials due to the fact no money changed hands.
If a bear (in a swap) did go missing and you had to claim on the insurance, would they not ask for proof of purchase price?? A receipt for the amount and in this case there would be none, so you could have a problem claiming for the value of the bear
You are correct about the insurance. I have had to use insurance on more than one occasion. If the bear goes missing you would need a receipt, there would be none. I do not even think I would have receipts for fur. I know the US post office will not pay without a receipt.
I also know that if you send a package priority mail out of the country, it is insured up to a certain amount depending on weight. Not a lot of money, about $50.00 which would cover materials.
Joanne
KnHi at all ! Just want to remind you...
Until 30. april 2009 you can join this swap by sending me a mail with your complete adress.
After that date, you will get a mail from me telling you the name of the swap partner and the swap rules.
In the next days, I put in here a list of all sending a mail yet.
Bear-Handshi tanni hope you have received lots of emails i am looking forward to the swap
susan bear-hands x
Fulrfun BearsI have put my name in for the swap i hope you have got it. I have been reading the topic about customs and taxes etc and my 2 cents worth is that if I am getting an artist bear i will have no problem paying the cost fo the import tax or what ever it is as the bear is invaluable to me. (Invaluable in a good way - what a strange word so is the alternative - priceless)
Matilda Huggington-beareI would love to join in but I only make 'critters'. is that a problem or is this a 'bear' swap only?
Wendy
Tuppies TeddiesI am sure critters are allowed too Wendy, especially your little puddles..
desertmountainbearI for one Wendy would love one of your "critters"
Joanne
Matilda Huggington-beareThankyou Joanne, Denise. But I am sure there are people that don't want to open their package and see a duck bill and beaver tail.
I wont be offended if this is a 'bear only'. I dont think TT has hosted one as of yet.
Wendy
Tuppies TeddiesI can just imagine a little "hippy" platy-puddle.
Flower power being the theme.....
Matilda Huggington-bearesilly me...I just went back and re- read the note and it says ...just bears....
I'll get in on the next one. Have a great swap everyone. :dance:
Posts: 1,361Wendy i would love your cute "critters" :hug: :hug:
Olga
desertmountainbearsilly me...I just went back and re- read the note and it says ...just bears....
I'll get in on the next one. Have a great swap everyone. :dance:
Wendi, maybe you should email Tanni to have this clarified. I think she meant that statement in regards to splitting up the swap by professional, hobbiest. etc. not bears, or other animals.
Joanne
