Amazon.com

[Canary_Jules]

Okay, I'm not a happy bunny! I ordered three HD-DVDs from Amazon.com on their recent 3 for 2 promotion. Two of the HD-DVDs were shipped separately on Aug 29 and my Amazon account had these subtotalled at $39.90. There was a shipping charge of $7.97 and $17.29 in promotional certificates applied. The grand total for these two in my Amazon account was $30.58. Great, I thought, that will come in under the £18 customs barrier. Today I have been charged £12.20 in customs charges (£4.20 duty) and Royal Mail handling fees (an extortionate £8!!). Inside the box there is an invoice for the two HD-DVDs which exactly matches what it says in my account - total paid for the 2 $30.58. But on the outside of the box Amazon have declared the value as $39.90 plus $7.97, a total of $47.87. This put me over the customs limit - thus the charges. Here's what it says in my Amazon account:

Item(s) Subtotal: $39.90
Shipping & Handling: $7.97
Promotional Certificate: $0.00
Promotional Certificate: $-3.99
Promotion Applied: $-13.30
-----
Total Before Tax: $30.58
-----
Total for this Shipment: $30.58

I phoned Amazon.com and they have explained that because it was a 3 for 2 promotion the next disc (A Scanner Darkly - shipped on 4th Sept) will come through totally free - except that's not how it's organised in my Amazon account. That is showing a separate Scanner Darkly transaction:

Item(s) Subtotal: $19.95
Shipping & Handling: $3.99
Promotional Certificate: $0.00
Promotional Certificate: $-2.00
Promotion Applied: $-6.65
-----
Total Before Tax: $15.29
-----
Total for this Shipment: $15.29

So the moral of the story is... if you are ordering on one of their promotions don't believe the breakdown as you see it in your Amazon account. It may look like they are applying a discount evenly across each of your discs and billing you accordingly, and you may even think that by staggering the deliveries you can get under the customs bar, but don't be deceived! The customs declaration will be for the whole transaction not for the discs included in the box.

A very naffed off Jules

[nwgarratt]

Afaik, they have never taken into account promotional discounts such as 3 for 2 on the front of the boxes unless it is a proper sale price of a individual item.

[Canary_Jules]

I really wish I had known. I've been ordering from Amazon.com regularly for years and this is the first time I've been caught like this. I do think it needs to be made clearer because with the promotional discounts being applied across all three titles and with statements like 'Total for this shipment', and with that total being calculated on the price of the discs actually in the box, you think that the shipment value will reflect the 'Total for this shipment'. I've even got two separate billings on my credit card - $30.58 for when they sent the first two discs, and $15.29 for when they sent the last one. So it seems like they are operating two different accounting systems.

[enablerbro1]

Oh well, stiff bill from C&E and RM to look forward to then.


If amazon were really nice they'd ship to themselves in the UK and then ship to the customers.

[Canary_Jules]

Actually the customs bill is relatively easy to bear, at only just over £4 on my delivery, at least it's in proportion to the value of the contents. It's the Royal Mail charge of a flat £8 that's so hard to bear.

[nwgarratt]

Originally Posted by Canary_Jules

It's the Royal Mail charge of a flat £8 that's so hard to bear.

Don't select DHL or one of the fast delivery options then. Last time I heard DHL charged something like £13 plus the customs and VAT. It is probably higher now. Also, as they prepay the charges. A bill for the amount could come as late as 6 months later.

[bosque]

Those sturdy boxes and the shrink-rap packing Amazon use are very classy and usually ensure you get your DVDs in mint condition but they also seem to attract customs' officers attention which is why I stopped using them - I take my chances on the jiffy bags the other suppliers use.

[Canary_Jules]

Originally Posted by nwgarratt

Don't select DHL or one of the fast delivery options then. Last time I heard DHL charged something like £13 plus the customs and VAT. It is probably higher now. Also, as they prepay the charges. A bill for the amount could come as late as 6 months later.

Actually, I didn't. The package was sent via the slowest and cheapest route.

[anjo]

Check out additional information in post #1 Customs/Importing/Charges

You might be able to claim a refund, worth a try if you show them a copy of your cc statement and a printout of your amazon subtotals.

Sorry if I'm teaching granny to suck eggs!

[Canary_Jules]

Actually, that's really helpful. Thanks. I'm now sending a letter to customs.

[anjo]

Be interested to see how you fair and if you get a refund.

[Rom]

Yep, you should be able to claim a refund. But good luck to you. I have been phoning their line for a week now and it is either engaged or no answer and after about 2pm it goes to an answer phone saying thay are taking no more calls today! (This is not for DVDs though).

On the upside, I got my 6 discs from the promotion today. Same as a previous poster, they sent in 2 packages, full RRP on the box. But, Amazon sent to Germany first and then to me so looked like it was a european delivery - no charges

This was on the cheapest & slowest option also.

[Canary_Jules]

Actually mine also had a German sticker on it.

[Canary_Jules]

Dah! Dah! Guess what? A letter arrived from HM Customs yesterday to let me know that they are REFUNDING ME!!! Is this a first?! I have to post their letter to the Royal Mail for a refund on the handling charge now.

[mjn]

Why not use other suppliers where you won't get charged customs full stop, like amazon.de or movietyme.