Posted 14 June 2021
Sold one eBay but postage is to Northern Ireland
So I sold something worth £450 on eBay, payment arrived , went on ups to make a label and I’m being bombarded with custom declarations and invoices , I could label it as a gift but tbh I don’t know what to do , anyone know anything about this ?
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sorted byThanks
Royal Mail will take your parcel to NI and deliver within the time scales advertised for the service you use. Obvs for an item of this value Special Delivery with compensation.
UPS will fly your item into Dublin (RoI) where it will need to clear EU customs before moving on to be delivered in NI.
The forms are pretty straight forward, I use UPS on a weekly basis but it does take time until your used to doing it. If time is valuable to you then send via RM, you can print your label via click and drop then just obtain proof of sending receipt from PO counter or Service point.
For the more expensive item, took it to post office, packaged up with full name and address, depending on weight, paid postage with insurance for Special Delivery Next Day up to 500 or 1k, can't remember now.
No questions asked otherwise, paid normal, posted normal, charged as if I were posting down the street. Successfully arrived the next day and signed for. No other hassle of fees, imports, tax or whatever.
Leave UPS and the rest and eBay Postal service, royal mail is the cheapest and most reliable I've found with no other fees, invoices etc other than the postage you'll pay at the Post office, which is standard as it's NI.
You'll get a tracking number, just add it to the tracking eBay page. Literally same as posting a parcel signed for next day to your neighbor, no extra hassle at all (edited)
Was that post-Brexit? OPs docs sound Brexit related.
They ask for national insurance number value of product etc.. if it’s a gift you think they’ll be any import vat etc..?
Both cheap and expensive items were sent 2 months ago. I just happened to have buyers from NI. Was also worried about Brexit and all.
The cheaper item sold first, so when I successfully sent that off and was delivered in the normal RM time frame, wasn't worried about the expensive item. That was Alos delivered the next day.
Do not falsely declare. Then if you need to provide evidence to support a claim they can deny as you'd show a sales invoice!
There shouldn't be any import charges for UK to UK shipping, the documents are to support their operations, via UPS you may even find following the tracking has your parcel in Kolne Germany before Dublin then onward to NI.
Given that your using UPS do RM not handle the item your sending? Batteries included? This can complicate things with certain services.
UPS are reliable and will give you all labels required to send, the commercial invoice looks a nightmare but you don't need the harmonised codes etc, just leave that blank for a one off.
Just be sure to properly declare the value and contents, this will print on the paperwork.
If in doubt I have found their CS to be very helpful when needed.
In the end I refunded to buyer as it is to complicated now.
One - more expensive to post (apart from royal mail)
Customs - very complicated/ little to no guidance for private sellers
Lots of forms to stick on parcel.
Also said if I do customs incorrect could be retuned to me or destroyed!
For me not worth the hassle unfortunately (edited)