Customs Duty on WW1 Medals

[CelticRambler]

I'm not running a business. All I do is buy physical media (BDs, LPs, CDs) from UK sellers. It's not just TARIC codes that they need to get right.

That's the point that's constantly being missed: it doesn't matter whether you're a business or not, you are importing goods from outside the Customs Union, and it is your responsibility to get all the packaging and labeling correct, not the sender's.

There may well be problems with An Post's clearance system, but again it is your responsibility to find out what size label, what font, what exact info, etc, needs to go on the package. If you don't want to do that yourself, the solution is to use the services of a freight forwarder, not
to hope that someone as unqualified as you at the other end of the transaction can get it right.

[kadman]

I'm not running a business. All I do is buy physical media (BDs, LPs, CDs) from UK sellers. It's not just TARIC codes that they need to get right. I had a CD returned to sender for the (unconfirmed but most likely reason) being that the weight (200g) was not included on the electronic customs declaration. Harsh.

Another interesting experience with An Post was the following:
UK package - cost £200
Was expecting to pay VAT of about €50 plus the handling fee so about €55 all-in. Not an issue once I got the item.
Package rejected - the usual "failed electronic customs clearance". Arrives back with seller. He sends me a photo of the package with the value clearly marked on it along with with TARIC code etc.

I ask seller for refund as An Post won't provide proper explanation why and it's not clear why it was rejected.
He says "Let me try again first. I'll read their website before I send again."

About a week later the item arrives in new packaging. Value marked down to £20 and the word "Gift" written on it. Delivered without an issue.

Meanwhile Japan Post were forced to publish extremely detailed instructions on their page for shipping to Ireland.
In late 2021, most Australian sellers stopped shipping here because of the volume of returned packages.

An Post are blaming all returns on sender, not on failures of their automated rejection process. Unseen by a human, the packet and the evidence in your favour is returned. You can't query it, see what the system scanned, or look at the data as the packet has already gone into the abyss of returns.

Its getting to the stage that it may be too much of a gamble for 400+ euro if any of this shite happens. I'm going to see can i get a EU based medal maker for the replica's then.

[CelticRambler]

In your situation, K, I'd ask the supplier you've been dealing with if they've had any trouble sending parcels to Ireland (Republic of) in recent months and give them the benefit of the doubt. If they already know that the display case had to be declared separately, it sounds like they know what they're doing.

Some years ago, I was looking for a company that could mint metal coin-like tokens to my spec, and the GB companies were ahead of the EU at the time. The best-of-the-rest was a company in Belgium, near Antwerp.

If all else fails: https://www.leboncoin.fr/recherche?text ... in=subject

[nlgbbbblth]

That's the point that's constantly being missed: it doesn't matter whether you're a business or not, you are importing goods from outside the Customs Union, and it is your responsibility to get all the packaging and labeling correct, not the sender's.

There may well be problems with An Post's clearance system, but again it is your responsibility to find out what size label, what font, what exact info, etc, needs to go on the package. If you don't want to do that yourself, the solution is to use the services of a freight forwarder, not
to hope that someone as unqualified as you at the other end of the transaction can get it right.

I get your point but ultimately the buyer cannot 100% control the actions of the seller.

I have sent sellers as much information as I can (codes, requirements etc) and pointed them to the An Post website and have also asked them to check with Royal Mail. "Hey Seller, you need to follow steps 1, 2 and 3 when sending my package."

But ultimately they are ones labelling the package, not me. So with the best will in the world, it is not foolproof.

That's why I prefer to either use a courier or, when buying from Ebay, choosing sellers that ship via Ebay's Global Shipping Programme (effectively a freight forwarder and everything sent via them gets through without an issue)