Sending things for repair internationally
December 12, 2020 8:47 AM Subscribe
So I have this relatively expensive item of clothing. I live in the US. The clothing was made by a company in the UK, and they offer repairs on their products. I sent them my item of clothing for repair. How should I have filled out the customs form?
I wasn't sure what to put on the value of the customs form, so I put the value of the item, and the clothing manufacturer ended up having to pay duties to get my item from the post. They paid something like £100, and while they were a bit annoyed, wouldn't accept my recompense (I was already paying for the repairs, and the shipping both ways). It doesn't really seem correct for them to pay duties on a thing they were simply repairing and returning, since they weren't actually like... importing it.
I think it's clear they wanted me to declare a value of zero on the customs form. But what's correct? Is there a way to say 'this isn't actually a thing being purchased'? Was declaring the full value the actual correct thing to do?
This happened a year or so ago, and has been a brainworm of confusion since then. Please hope me.
I wasn't sure what to put on the value of the customs form, so I put the value of the item, and the clothing manufacturer ended up having to pay duties to get my item from the post. They paid something like £100, and while they were a bit annoyed, wouldn't accept my recompense (I was already paying for the repairs, and the shipping both ways). It doesn't really seem correct for them to pay duties on a thing they were simply repairing and returning, since they weren't actually like... importing it.
I think it's clear they wanted me to declare a value of zero on the customs form. But what's correct? Is there a way to say 'this isn't actually a thing being purchased'? Was declaring the full value the actual correct thing to do?
This happened a year or so ago, and has been a brainworm of confusion since then. Please hope me.
When I send stuff from the UK to overseas that's a gift and only cost a few quid, I write NCV on the label in the bit where they ask for the value of the contents (ie. No Commercial Value). As far as I know that works OK. Come to think of it I don't know that the last thing I sent has actually arrived yet, but it's certainly worked in the past!
posted by penguin pie at 9:15 AM on December 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by penguin pie at 9:15 AM on December 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
Here’s the Customs and Border Patrol answer:
When exporting goods purchased overseas for repair, alteration, processing, replacement, exchange, upgrade, or for use abroad, it is recommended that the exporter fill out a CBP Form 4455 Certificate of Registration and include a copy with the shipment. A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer must physically see the goods being exported and sign off on the certificate.
posted by scorbet at 9:30 AM on December 12, 2020 [2 favorites]
When exporting goods purchased overseas for repair, alteration, processing, replacement, exchange, upgrade, or for use abroad, it is recommended that the exporter fill out a CBP Form 4455 Certificate of Registration and include a copy with the shipment. A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer must physically see the goods being exported and sign off on the certificate.
posted by scorbet at 9:30 AM on December 12, 2020 [2 favorites]
Another option is "Used clothing $1" or similar answers. I used to send used books to people through Bookmooch, and some of the packages had $100 or so worth of books in them based on the cover price, but the value of a used book is essentially nothing, so that's what I would class them as. That's not a legal answer, but it never caused me any problems.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:50 AM on December 12, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 9:50 AM on December 12, 2020 [4 favorites]
You say that you put the value of the item on the form, does that mean the original retail price? Surely the value of damaged, used clothing is significantly less than that.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 3:22 PM on December 12, 2020
posted by ActingTheGoat at 3:22 PM on December 12, 2020
The UK has very very low limits for the value of goods that will not see duty, like GBP18 or so. (The US is something much higher than that, like $850? Big difference, anyway.) So I think there are two things here.
First, if you are shipping an item that is going to stay in the UK, you will want to send it with a value lower than GBP18 by some rationalisation. Used goods are not worth what new goods are with, for instance.
Second, in your case you are not importing goods - it is not changing ownership, it's just visiting. In fact, this looks like the HMRC considers it 'importing for processing or repair' and it also looks like it's on the company, not you, to sign up for that. So it's quite possible they will get the duty back if they fill in the paperwork, and in this case they're more annoyed that you made the paperwork happen in the first place and they're not actually a hundred quid out of pocket, but a bit of processing fees instead, at least if they have planned for this sort of thing.
The website for the UK is HMRC - Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs - and it has all the details you might care about, albeit not necessarily well arranged.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 5:08 PM on December 12, 2020 [2 favorites]
First, if you are shipping an item that is going to stay in the UK, you will want to send it with a value lower than GBP18 by some rationalisation. Used goods are not worth what new goods are with, for instance.
Second, in your case you are not importing goods - it is not changing ownership, it's just visiting. In fact, this looks like the HMRC considers it 'importing for processing or repair' and it also looks like it's on the company, not you, to sign up for that. So it's quite possible they will get the duty back if they fill in the paperwork, and in this case they're more annoyed that you made the paperwork happen in the first place and they're not actually a hundred quid out of pocket, but a bit of processing fees instead, at least if they have planned for this sort of thing.
The website for the UK is HMRC - Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs - and it has all the details you might care about, albeit not necessarily well arranged.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 5:08 PM on December 12, 2020 [2 favorites]
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posted by so fucking future at 8:52 AM on December 12, 2020