[woodcote]

After recently being mugged by Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs, I was directed to this useful page:

Foreign currency exchange rates published by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for both VAT and customs purposes

This is the official HMRC exchange rate which runs each calendar month. It doesn't matter if you paid under £18 for your order or if the value is under £18 by the exchange rates published in the Financial Times or by the bank of England. It has to be under £18 according to this HMRC official rate in the month your package goes through UK customs.

For May 2011, the rate is: $1.6407 = £1

So £18 = £29.50

Happy shopping

 

[woodcote]

It's more likely down to customs reading the figure incorrectly than the seller writing the wrong amount. You should be fine if you send all the invoices etc.

With my limited maths, if you got charged £13.97 then £8 is handling charge and 5.95 is VAT (at 20%) so 5.97 x 5 = £35.64 and that is what HMRC valued your parcel at, or $57.90 - which really doesn't make any sense, unless the vendors handwriting is completely illegible

Maybe the solution is to always buy more than £18-worth and expect to pay HMRC every time - so when they miss a parcel it feels like a bonus

 

[woodcote]

Surely the value of an item is what is paid for it?

A vendor who makes a false customs declaration can find themselves in trouble.

I would think the eBay invoice you have on your eBay account is what matters.

 

[woodcote]

Latest exchange rates from HMRC

Rates of Exchange for Customs and VAT purposes June 2011

£1 = $1.6146

So £18 = $29.06

Happy shopping