Customs penalty from E-Cig.com
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Has anyone tried to log on to the e-cig site today? I have not been able to log on at all today. The last time I tried, all I got was a message that said "Service Unavailable". I'm hoping that either there is something wrong with my computer or they are just experiencing another snag on their website. With all of the customs issues lately, I just worry that they might be shut down. 
Update:
Nevermind......of course it is back up now that I asked. :mrgreen:
Update:
Nevermind......of course it is back up now that I asked. :mrgreen:
i know this is an old thread but im hopin to give it a boost cause im wondering how much are eu members expected to pay on an import from china. im thinking of getting 180 euro worth of e-crap which is actually just one piece and some carts...you all know the one,...we have quite a few new members now so what are your experiences getting goods from china? what are the eu rules? if its marked as a gift for under a certain amount, is there no duty?
few times my "e-cig pack" pass without custom, and ones it was stop; so, they did not care about "gift/sample" mark which was on ;-),custom ask for the invoice (print from e-cig order was ok), and then they charge 20% for all plastic/electronic thing and 74% for carts and e-liquid as a tobacco products. i think % more less the same for all eu countries.
at the moment import under 20eur going whithout any tax, i remember on e-cig forum was some link for the info, that after november it will be up to 200 eur import to EU..but cant find this link and no ecig forum anymore ;-)
thanks for that vafvaf...74% for e-liquid because it is classed as a tobacco product? is it really a tobacco product because it contains nicotene. surely if i import insecticide that contains nicotene it will not classed as a tobacco product. there must be someway around it this duty. so as the carts and the batteries are lumped together in one bundle, i could end up paying 74% on the whole deal...that is crazy!!
im sure the sellers out there know the deal here, they wouldnt be able to charge as little as they do if they were getting whamoed at customs like this....anyone care to reveal the method and earn some golden karma points?
im sure the sellers out there know the deal here, they wouldnt be able to charge as little as they do if they were getting whamoed at customs like this....anyone care to reveal the method and earn some golden karma points?
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probably could be some other way, but then we have to give a paper to custom where are ingredients of eliquid are listed, i found only e-cig certificate https://e-cig.com/shopping/shopcontent.asp?type=certifications, where it was clearly pointed -NATURAL FROM TOBACCO - so, it was clear for custom (74%)
i dont think they will tax74% for all; even if its in one bundle- when you wiil give them an invoice-they will make a separate vat% for each item-thats how it was in my case.
ps.but in future would be good to wait for those 200 vat free import ;-)
Trying to understand this thread. Is this holdup at customs happening in USA?
I have had numerous packages delivered from China and never had a problem and many were cartridges. Are they doing this random? Are we suppose to be paying additional taxes when these come in USA? Been getting packages from China since mid june.
I have had numerous packages delivered from China and never had a problem and many were cartridges. Are they doing this random? Are we suppose to be paying additional taxes when these come in USA? Been getting packages from China since mid june.
Dc2: for EU, the free amount at the moment is 22 euro; and in december they plan to pull that amount up to 150 euro. It's not do-able now, mostly (much too expensive) but from december on, it's just a case of ordering in more seperate orders if you exceed 150 euro. However, do take care: order the second package/order only after e-cig has sent off the first package from their factory. (I ordered in two seperate orders myself some time ago, that was due to wanting the part without liquid sent by air, while the liquid then had to be sent by land/ship. I did it with just a few hours inbetween... and e-Cig saw it, and put them together into one single package despite me ordering two packages... so take care for that) (I was really lucky that time: they sent all by air, despite being forbidden to do that... and no-one caught it on it's way here...).
As to customs: I have been told (by someone working with customs) that IF they get hold of it (only a modest percentage chance that your package will be taken from the line by customs to take a look into it)... that then you have to count with around 40% on top of your bill for customs.
However: some mail-companies, like TNT, have taken it upon themselves to 'play for being customs' themselves... they will open much more packages, or look at the invoice and go from that (whatever they fancy that day)... and then go and declare what they think is fair with customs themselves... 'service for you' they say... and on top of that 40% customs, they themselves will throw on another amount to 'pay for that service'.
That's when your package can get real expensive... sometimes they will ask 10 or 20 euro; but I've seen numbers of more then 100 euro (for a package holding maybe 150 worth total) that they threw on top of that for themselves.
So even outside of customs it's a gambling game.
I don't know what route your packages would be taking; but if you have any possibility at all to steer things (for instance by choice of transport either through air, land or SAL), try to get your package in through other hands then TNT (though EMS seems to be bad too... so avoid that too if you can); and try to get it coming in through Frankfurt or other places further to the east then that. First european point of arrival being in the most western part of europe (at least some UK-offices, south and west of the netherlands, worst of all belgium) could prove to be a hornet's nest for you, even more so when TNT is transporting. Though of course even through that route and company you cán get lucky... percentage chance is just higher that you won't be.
Hope this helps; and good luck!
As to customs: I have been told (by someone working with customs) that IF they get hold of it (only a modest percentage chance that your package will be taken from the line by customs to take a look into it)... that then you have to count with around 40% on top of your bill for customs.
However: some mail-companies, like TNT, have taken it upon themselves to 'play for being customs' themselves... they will open much more packages, or look at the invoice and go from that (whatever they fancy that day)... and then go and declare what they think is fair with customs themselves... 'service for you' they say... and on top of that 40% customs, they themselves will throw on another amount to 'pay for that service'.
That's when your package can get real expensive... sometimes they will ask 10 or 20 euro; but I've seen numbers of more then 100 euro (for a package holding maybe 150 worth total) that they threw on top of that for themselves.
So even outside of customs it's a gambling game.
I don't know what route your packages would be taking; but if you have any possibility at all to steer things (for instance by choice of transport either through air, land or SAL), try to get your package in through other hands then TNT (though EMS seems to be bad too... so avoid that too if you can); and try to get it coming in through Frankfurt or other places further to the east then that. First european point of arrival being in the most western part of europe (at least some UK-offices, south and west of the netherlands, worst of all belgium) could prove to be a hornet's nest for you, even more so when TNT is transporting. Though of course even through that route and company you cán get lucky... percentage chance is just higher that you won't be.
Hope this helps; and good luck!
flaming nora..thanks for the help katnik
so any product containing nic-liquid has to be shipped by land or sea?
and 40% is a standard eu rate on most goods at customs if caught? i thought it would be more like 5%...if i ask china to label the goods as being valued under €20 then i should be good or will they ask for the invoice?
so you have not experienced the 74% that vafvaf was talking about regarding tobacco products?
i guess i should just call the revenue myself and find out what they have to say about it but i hope some of the suppliers know the way to do this as otherwise they wouldnt be able to sell these products at the prices they do. i guess they have to be careful as to what they admit to though to avoid getting 'that' letter.
so katys, you get your supplies shipped to you directly from china sans middle-man and you pay nothing in the US?
so any product containing nic-liquid has to be shipped by land or sea?
and 40% is a standard eu rate on most goods at customs if caught? i thought it would be more like 5%...if i ask china to label the goods as being valued under €20 then i should be good or will they ask for the invoice?
so you have not experienced the 74% that vafvaf was talking about regarding tobacco products?
i guess i should just call the revenue myself and find out what they have to say about it but i hope some of the suppliers know the way to do this as otherwise they wouldnt be able to sell these products at the prices they do. i guess they have to be careful as to what they admit to though to avoid getting 'that' letter.
so katys, you get your supplies shipped to you directly from china sans middle-man and you pay nothing in the US?
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hi! the custom penalties 74% for tobacco product was taking from me directly by custom, the shipment was send by slow post, so i did not have any express / TNT inbetween me and custom ;-); btw all previous shipment by TNT pass without problem with custom.
dc2k08, i think its no sence for you to ask ecig for the specified invoice, very little chance that they will do it (read the stories from TB). probably it will come with the fake invoice for 3$ as usually. In case it would be stop by custom, i suggest you to send them printed real invoice,which you had after order....but lets hope you pack will pass without problem.
dont know about 40%, which katink mentioned as standard for EU; in my case i have got an official invoice from custom; where every items was specified by %vat, and for standard (usb plug, bat etc)it was 20%, and for tobacco product (e-liquid, cart) was 74%..
thats from my experience..
good luck dc2k08
so the whole process doesnt seem very standardised contrary to our eu masters' desires. perhaps this is why they are choking on the nice treaty. your order was itemized and katnik's not. and what tariff i will pay seems to depend largely on whether the boy checking my goods has had his tea and biscuits.
dc, I'm just talking about personal shipments for cartridges and other accessories. From places like Ecig, offer china. Was just wondering if suppose to be paying some kind of tax. Not dealing directly with manufacturer at this time.
That would probably be closest to the truth you could get...
I know for instance that TNT-offices differ from each other as to how they will act (and it seems also as to how much your bill from them will be..)
As for the 74%... sure, that is known in my country too... but it's for tobacco, not for e-cig liquid. And at least government in my country does admit that e-liquid is not a tobacco-product. And so customs will not be putting tobacco-customs price on it.
Guess UK-customs either made a fault, or has no directive from their government so basicly do as they please...
And the 40%.. that's what a customs-employee said (overall, average figure). And not something I experienced myself... I seem to live in the right part of my country, stuff sent to me comes in through Frankfurt and from there straight across the last border toward me... and even the TNT-office that my stuff goes through if it goes by TNT is an office with much easier going policy then a lot of their fellow-offices... just once I had to pay 20 euro, for a package of around 70 euro, that's all I have ever had myself as to extra bills (and that was an extra bill for 'TNT-invoice-service'... not customs itself). People in western and southern part of the netherlands are in far worse luck... their stuff often gets sent through belgium... so even within my tiny country there are real differences to be seen. Let alone all across europe
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your country very known to be tolerant ;-) in my they refer to ecig certificate https://e-cig.com/shopping/shopcontent.asp?type=certifications, where written NATURAL FROM TOBACCO; probably i can continue to discuss this issue with custom- they ask me if i have some other documents which showing that e-liquid is not tobacco product; but i did not-it was too long procedure for 2 bottles of e-liquid ;-)
i think the best would be to wait till december and make an orders under 150 eur ;-)
Well, if it happens to you again, I can think of at least one argument you could use.. and that is, that they can only charge 74% over the tobacco-essence part. They can't charge it over the roughly 80% PG in the liquid; or the 5% alcohol; or the 5% water; or the percentages of yet other ingredients in there. The 'natural of tobacco' can't be more then a few percent of the liquid, so that would be the percentage they could slam the 74% on, even if they do keep on saying that it is tobacco (which it obviously isn't, as tobacco is a solid)...
Well, if it happens to you again, I can think of at least one argument you could use.. and that is, that they can only charge 74% over the tobacco-essence part. They can't charge it over the roughly 80% PG in the liquid; or the 5% alcohol; or the 5% water; or the percentages of yet other ingredients in there. The 'natural of tobacco' can't be more then a few percent of the liquid, so that would be the percentage they could slam the 74% on, even if they do keep on saying that it is tobacco (which it obviously isn't, as tobacco is a solid)...
great idea katink ;-) i would kill them with such mathematics!!! but iam not ordering e-liquid from ecig any more. thanks ;-)
ps. than from those who importing the regular cigarettes custom have to minus % of paper and filters etc ;-)
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