My local post office keep telling me that I don't need to fill out a customs form when sending items if I write Printed Paper on the packet. My understanding is that all goods should have a customs declaration, but I have not been able to find a definitive answer from Royal Mail website which seems to give conflicted advice.

Has any body ever had packet stop or rejected by customs for not having a customs declaration and what was the consequence if any?

Thanks

My local post office keep telling me that I don't need to fill out a customs form when sending items if I write Printed Paper on the packet. My understanding is that all goods should have a customs declaration, but I have not been able to find a definitive answer from Royal Mail website which seems to give conflicted advice.

Has any body ever had packet stop or rejected by customs for not having a customs declaration and what was the consequence if any?

Thanks

My local post office keep telling me that I don't need to fill out a customs form when sending items if I write Printed Paper on the packet. My understanding is that all goods should have a customs declaration, but I have not been able to find a definitive answer from Royal Mail website which seems to give conflicted advice.

Has any body ever had packet stop or rejected by customs for not having a customs declaration and what was the consequence if any?

Thanks

I've never had a packet rejected because I didn't have a declaration on it, having been told that unless it's a 'packet' it doesn't need one,but the whole thing is totally confusing. If you check Royal Mail's leaflet 'Pricing made easy', you will find that any weight of item can count as Printed Paper / small packet, but it would be daft to send anything less than 100gm, as this is what the RM composite rate for such items pays up to, and th eletter rateis less (up to 80gm for Europe and 60gm for th eRest of the World). Hence, if its less than 100gm, I send it letter rate (and note the cover of the envelope accordingly), without a Customs form, and if over 100gm, it's marked Small Packet and a form attached.

Australia is very strict on this, I'm led to believe

Letter rate and packet rate are the same to non european countries £2.07 up to 100g

They're not, according to my leaflet - non European packet rate is £2.07 up to 100gm, but £2.07 only covers the up to 60gm letter rate, up to 80gm being £2.51 and up to 100gm £3.19, hence it's always cheaper to send 60gm+ items by packet and less tha 40 gm by letter

My local post office keep telling me that I don't need to fill out a customs form when sending items if I write Printed Paper on the packet. My understanding is that all goods should have a customs declaration, but I have not been able to find a definitive answer from Royal Mail website which seems to give conflicted advice.

Has any body ever had packet stop or rejected by customs for not having a customs declaration and what was the consequence if any?

Thanks

Most definately yes! I did a few posts on mailing and receiving mail from abroad. I personall have had to pay £12 at the door because the envelope did not have a customs label on it , and they do spot checks , and if "unlucky" they have the right to open the pkt to see if it SHOULD have had one on! Best way to avoid this? Don't put a copy of the transaction in the envelope! One can see it on the site at any time,
It is not a nonEuropean country, but a NON -European UNION country. Switzerland foe example is not a European UNION country. and therefore MUST have a customs label attached. Putting the words "printed Matter Only" Helps, as long as the total amount is less than £41 (whatever that is in Euros or Dollars). So, don't put a copy of the transaction in the packet, and keep the value below £41.
Many many pkts get through far more than don't, but these are the lucky ones! As I said it is the spot checking that does it. An ordinary envelope does not need a customs label if it contains only printed matter. However, sending precious postcards in such a way is irresponsible in my own opinion, therfore, if in a cardboard mailer or a plastic rigid sleeve they must have a customs label. Don't be fooled into thinking that registered post is safe! I have had two packets stolen, both sent by registered post by two different sellers, the value being for a considerable amount of money. Never put "UK", always print the address in full. I had 2 pkts go to Japan because the seller put only "UK" (apparantly).
Just a note on something different.. it costs a person from the UK or not on the European mainland £18 to send a payment via IBAN. The reason being , we are "overseas". That given recently, from my bank. So sellers should not advertise international IBAN Transfers its just TOO expensive for ONE Item.

A word of caution:

There is no such thing as 'Registered Post' FROM the UK - you can choose either International Signed-for (virtually worthless as it doesn't guarantee anything) or Airsure which is available to selected countries only (the RM website claims 'over 30 destinations worldwide' but neglects to list them)

With regard to IBAN payments, it costs me nothing to RECEIVE payments so yes, I do advertise its acceptance

Finally, this is lifted direct from the RM website:
"You will need to complete, sign and attach a customs declaration to all items containing goods or gifts being sent to destinations outside the European Union, including “printed papers”."

You also need Customs Declarations for the Channel Islands, San Marino, Gibraltar, Canary Islands and Vatican City

Lien (http)

You are right. Registered was an "old " term to use, however the service is the same. It is "signed for at the door, and now called international recorded delivery It costs £6.77 from the UK for small packets and printed papers. Airsure costs £6.72 for a small packet or printed papers. It is tracked in both countries and is NOT signed for at the door.
Ordinary envelope letters or printed papers in an ordinary letter envelope do not require a customs label, ONLY when it becomes a packet. (we don't put customs labels on letters). If one is sending from or into a non-European Union Country it requires a customs label.
If one is sending from a european Union country to another, it only requires a customs label if it is a gift or not, if the value is above £41 and other than printed matter. It is very inadvisable to put "postcards" Vintage Postcards" or similar on the declaration label, they are more likely to be pinched, just put "Printed matter" or "Printed papers".
My comment about the IBAN is because advertising that you accept it is fine it costs you nothing to receive it, but unlikely for a person overseas to use that method of payment because it is so expensive. Thank Goodness for Paypal. Incidentally it is against the rules in having a paypal account, to charge the customer the sellers fees for accepting it. That from paypal themselves. This is ignored on here. No other shop or business that I personally deal with on the internet, charge me for using paypal.
To answer the original question again, if one is sending mail in PKTs, as a gift or otherwise, it MUST have a customs label if going to or coming from a non -european UNION country. If going to another european country if holding other than printed matter, it must have a customs label, also if that printed matter has a value over £41 it must have a label. If customs, during a spot check think it maybe should have had one on, they open it, re- seal it and charge the recipient at the door £12 for the privledge! The has happened to me dozens of times.

Not charging a fee for accepting PayPal is an eBay rule and a PayPal US rule. It does not apply to non eBay tranactions in most, if not all, European countries.

From the UK User Agreement
4.5 Non discouragement. In representations to your customers or in public communications, you agree not to mischaracterise or disparage PayPal as a payment method. You agree that you will only surcharge for the use of PayPal in compliance with any law applicable to you. You further agree that if you do charge a buyer any form of surcharge that you, and not PayPal, will inform the buyer of the requested charge. PayPal has no liability to any buyer where you have failed to inform the buyer of any surcharge. You acknowledge that if you are permitted to surcharge and your further fail to disclose any form of surcharge to a buyer this may constitute a criminal offence by you.

We are getting off the subject here a bit so please forgive me, but in relation to this
"you will only surcharge for the use of PayPal in compliance with any law applicable to you."
But what law is applicable? I don't know of any unless you mean vat? but I don't think it means that. I rang Paypal UK and they said nobody should add a surcharge for the use of paypal. Thats what they said.

Paypal merely said that "nobody SHOULD add a surcharge". They did not say that one cannot do so.

As ebay owns paypal, it is perhaps not surprising that ebay specifically prohibit ebay sellers from adding a surcharge for paypal use.

Many sellers on Delcampe demand surcharges for Paypal payments, and some add surcharges for Moneybookers/Skrill payments too. If this practice was in contravention of some law, I have little doubt that Paypal would have taken steps to prevent it.

Personally, I do not add any surcharges. But, I do strongly prefer to receive Moneybookers/Skrill payments, as their fees are rather lower!

Beware i charge a Paypal surcharge 0.40 Euro +4 %...Why i have to otherwise i am minus repeat minus otherwise. Look about hidden charges by Ryan Airlines and the other business u are charged hidden charges,that has ended by law .So i do what the law says ,no hidden small print and i tell the customers i apply a Paypal charge when they buy less than 11 Euro from me ...

However pay by IBAN/BIC and i pay no charges here in Germany Europe

I donot need the 1 Euro customer as i pay over that amount with Paypal,Delcampe,elecricity,paper,ink ,envelope and broadband connections.

So pay by IBAN ,simple really

It is lucky for you that you are not charged for Bank transfers because you are on mainland Europe. Unfortunately those of us on the British Isles have to pay a huge amount 18 euros for one transaction!

That varies greatly from bank to bank.
I have accounts with 2 different banks, one charges £10 for an international transfer, the other £25.

As for receiving money, the first one charges £1 for transactions up to £100 and £8 for transactions over £100 at the other one it's free to receive money.

My local post office keep telling me that I don't need to fill out a customs form when sending items if I write Printed Paper on the packet. My understanding is that all goods should have a customs declaration, but I have not been able to find a definitive answer from Royal Mail website which seems to give conflicted advice.

Has any body ever had packet stop or rejected by customs for not having a customs declaration and what was the consequence if any?

Thanks

A word of caution:

There is no such thing as 'Registered Post' FROM the UK - you can choose either International Signed-for (virtually worthless as it doesn't guarantee anything) or Airsure which is available to selected countries only (the RM website claims 'over 30 destinations worldwide' but neglects to list them)

With regard to IBAN payments, it costs me nothing to RECEIVE payments so yes, I do advertise its acceptance

Finally, this is lifted direct from the RM website:
"You will need to complete, sign and attach a customs declaration to all items containing goods or gifts being sent to destinations outside the European Union, including “printed papers”."

You also need Customs Declarations for the Channel Islands, San Marino, Gibraltar, Canary Islands and Vatican City

Lien (http)

This is what I lifted from RM

"International Signed For™ is a cost-effective and secure delivery service that requires a signature on delivery. It is available to all worldwide destinations with standard compensation covering, for stamped or franked items, up to 100 times the price of the First Class fee (currently £46) or the content value, whichever is lower, or for items posted on account, up to £50. There is also the added option of extra compensation of up to £500 (£250 for some destinations) upon request."

It seems they do compensate and get a Signature at the door - but Airsure Tracks (but not to the door!!). Most people here seem to prefer Airsure but there is no signature/ No doubt I am missing something. Which one does everyone use and prefer. Answers (on a postcards, please)

Kennackdan

International signed for tracks the item until it gets handed over to the postal authority in the receiving country and provides you with a signature once it has been delivered. For many countries you can track it on their postal service website once it has reached the destination country.

You can track Airsure all the way to it's delivery address on the RM website, but no signature is obtained at the other end; i.e. the final message will be: delivered on 29/4/12 at 15.00.

Personally I've always used International signed for and the one occasion an item did go walkies I got a full refund from the RM.

Yes, I usually use ISF, but have been fortunate not to suffer any loss. Presumably, the buyer is compensated by PayPal from your account, when he makes a claim for loss and you are back to square one, minus the cost you originally paid in the first place for your postcard?

Kennackdan

Yes, I usually use ISF, but have been fortunate not to suffer any loss. Presumably, the buyer is compensated by PayPal from your account, when he makes a claim for loss and you are back to square one, minus the cost you originally paid in the first place for your postcard?

Kennackdan

To date I've never had a PayPal chargeback for postal loss - if a buyer says he hasn't received an item I refund him/her myself and claim back from Royal Mail