Customs charges?!! An unhappy ebayer needs help!!?

I collect Barbie dolls ( sad, yesss!) and have recently been buying a few from ebay. So far three have turned up from the usa (Im in the UK) without a hitch, but today Ive recieved a flier from royal mail telling me I have to pay a charge of 16.50 for my item.
Can anyone explain what customs charges actually are? And how they calculate them, as I cant believe I have to pay that much on a doll which cost me all of 9gbp with shipping!
I feel totally ripped off, I though you only got charged customs on expensive goods?
Grr! Any answers will be appreciated, thanks xx

Thanks for your help so far...in answer, this doll is from 1989 and has only a small value to a collector, it is not available in shops and probably worth around 拢15-20. Hence the fact I thought I was getting a bargain on ebay!!

If you order stuff from overseas you (not your supplier) are the importer and you are the one who pays the duty.

Althgough I thought you don't pay duty if the value of the package is less than 拢18.

Customs do not claim duty if the amount of the duty is less than 拢7.

A charge of 拢16.50 on a package that cost less than 拢9 inc P&P sounds very wrong indeed. I think the seller must have put the wrong value on the customs label.

Royal Mail charge a handling fee of 拢8. So the VAT was 拢8.50. If VAT was 拢8.50, then the package was valued at 拢48.60, not the 拢9 you say. Sounds like a mistake.

Contact the number and explain that the thing only cost 拢9.

I would contact the seller on eBay, take a picture of the flyer you recieved and state that you want a refund or you'll be contacting eBay.

Same thing happened to me. It's the law. Sadly, the government will grab any cash from you that it can get its stinking, filthy hands on.

I think this money should be refunded from the Ebay seller as you have probably already paid for the postage cost. Really, it's down to the seller.

16.50 seems a bit steep.
What are they actually charging you for?
Customs charges are Import Duty (I'd be surprised if it were more than 5% of the value of the item) and VAT - 17.5% of the item value +duty+shipping. I would ask Royal Mail to provide a breakdown of the charge.

Sorry people, but the Ebay seller isn't responsible for Customs Duties. In fact, a lot of sellers state quite categorically that they are not responsible for any duties payable. Why should they be? It is the buyers choice to have the item shipped overseas where it may be subject to duty. It's buyer beware I'm afraid. Customs Duties are normally calculated on the VAT payable for the item if it were purchased in UK. What is the cost of the doll in the UK?

First off, as at least one other person has pointed out, eBay nor it's sellers are liable for any import duty, taxes, GST/VAT or any other charges levied on an item purchased through eBay.

Now down to brass tacks, according to the Royal Mail website, and I quote "If you are receiving a package from overseas, please be aware that it may incur customs charges on arrival in the UK. From 2 April 2007 any package that attracts customs charges will also incur a Royal Mail handling fee of 拢8."

source: http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/conte...

The import value before customs duty is determined by the nature of the goods, see section 2.3 of the page below:

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPorta...

This page also includes the information required to lodge a query about the customs charge, which would be worth doing.

A full list of questions regarding HM Customs is found at:
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPorta...

Good luck!