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MG TD TF 1500 - Customs Dutie

gentlemen: I had something different happen today. I ordered some parts from the UK and rather than just show up as they have for the 6 or 8 years (memory on it's way out) they didn't. I had a tracking number so started a trace. Found that the parts were mired in Jamaica NY as "duty required" . I contacted the shipping company and they said they had notified the shipper not the receiver, thus if I hadn't of pursued a trace the parts would have been returned to the UK without me ever knowing.
I didn't know there was duty on parts for old cars and will research this; however, if any of you have parts coming in from overseas you should look out for them carefully.
Best regards
Rod Murray 54 TF
Rodney G Murray

Rod,

Sounds like your vendor may have used UPS for shipping. After a couple of bad experiences, I always instruct the vendor to ship via Royal Mail or anyone but UPS from the UK.
I had ordered a water manifold for my PB Airline Coupe. UPS charged duty on a quantity (which should have been 1) equal to the part number. No amount of terse correspondence with UPS would change their mind.
Lew Palmer

The same thing happened to me when I ordered my bushing kit from Polybush. The UPS tracking stated delivery attempted but no one was home when in reality my package was sitting at customs in NY.
If I had not tracked it down it would still be there because I was never notified that customs were due for the package. I ended up paying an additional $15.00 to get my package which is pretty much extortion if you ask me.
Rich (TD 3983) Taylor

I've had no problem with Brown and Gammons, as they ship through Royal Mail. I just have to go to the post office and sign for the package. PJ
Paul S Jennings

Normally, back in Canada, I too will NEVER use UPS because of their nonsense of charging a brokerage fee on both duties and taxes. I too usually insist on the use of the Postal Service even to the point of refusing to accept a package if the vendor has ignored my instructions. I did not think that the problem had migrated down to the U.S. ; however, it seems I'm wrong. I found out that the shipper in the UK (Parcels2Go) is indeed affiliated with UPS so have been infected with their money grubbing tactics. I guess I'm going to have to insist on the Postal service there too.
Regards
Rod Murray
Rodney G Murray

From my experience, I have found you must tell the seller to state on the invoice "ANTIQUE CAR PARTS", and also the same on the outside of the parcel. And of course DO NOT use UPS.
Cheers...Barry
C B Ryley

Hi

Same happens the other way, I always ask parts to be sent USPS or Canada Post,never UPS,Fedex or DHL. It bugs me the way they charge a fee for the levy of a customs charge around €20 here. I won't buy any parts shipped by carrier only post.

Barry
B Bridgens

I received some large parts, wheel wells, from the UK shipped via DHL with no problem. Other small stuff, generally motorcycle parts come via mail without problem.

Thanks for the tip on UPS!
JE Carroll

For auto parts coming into Canada from the US there is no duty (It's been that way for decades... the Auto agreement was the forerunner of the North American Free Trade agreement). But UPS doesn't mind that. They once charged me a brokerage fee of $65 to assess the import duty of... yes $0.00 ! Once that is...
Here we still pay duties in auto parts from the UK. UPS will charge brokerage of $65 on top of the duty. By comparison Canada Post charges a $12 brokerage fee... which seems about right to me: somebody has to do the paperwork. (They have never billed me brokerage when there was no duty... and on a number of small shipments they've skipped our HST sales tax too.)
I know I'm mostly echoing what others have already posted but I always ask for shipment by USPS or Royal Mail and, at this end, Canada Post. If I can't get that, I usually won't buy. FTFU, LBC, Abingdon, British Wiring, Rhode Island Wiring are all pleased to ship USPS and from UK I've had postal service from SVC and Holden. SVC had to ship some lamps by express... too big for Royal Mail... but we avoided UPS and the brokerage was not too painful.
Amazing how satisfying it is to finally have the chance to vent about UPS to people who know all too well what I'm talking about!
Peter

Peter Pope

"For auto parts coming into Canada from the US there is no duty (It's been that way for decades... the Auto agreement was the forerunner of the North American Free Trade agreement). But UPS doesn't mind that. They once charged me a brokerage fee of $65 to assess the import duty of... yes $0.00 !"

OT and only slightly related, but it reminds me of dunning letters we received which kept escalating to the point of threatening for an overdue amount of.........$0.00!

The fix was to send in a check for $0.00, no more letters.

Did you pay the brokerage fee for no duty?

I once bought some parts at B&G as I was on a layover near them(and wanted to visit). I ended up paying VAT and since I wasn't leaving via airline I ended up eating it. Makes me glad to live in a no tax state.
JE Carroll

Good thread. I got surprised when I bought something from Moss UK last year. Bill showed up from UPS for the customs fee after the fact. I guess I thought that would have been included it the cost of shipping from Moss. I wonder what would have happened if I had told them to blow it out their ass? I already had the part.

I am about to get hammered again as I need to order another part from Moss UK and I don't believe they have any other shipping options.
MG LaVerne

JEC: I had to pay the UPS brokerage fee on the import with no duty... They had my parts (so to speak).
Peter
Peter Pope

I've received an after-the-fact bill from DHL but it was for a rather small amount for a minor purchase; I don't think a brokerage fee was involved but I don't remember for sure.

In the future I will be sure to have the shipper mark whatever as antique auto or motorcycle parts.
JE Carroll

This thread was discussed between 07/12/2014 and 12/12/2014

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