Packaging, Shipping, Refunds and Replacements - Share your Experiences!

[Iron Fist]

Posted this is the wrong thread a few days ago I'm in the UK and wanted user feedback on shipping to the UK from US or Canada by Amazon, IST, etc in terms of timescales and do you get charged custom charges? cheers

amazon sellers or official amazon?

books are immune to customs and import charges, if you get charged any you can get them refunded by HMRC.

[zwixxx]

I thought comic books were immune but only if they cost < £15. Maybe this is something you really should go into a Post Office to clarify, cos having unexpected charges lumped on could very turn any bargain into a costly adventure.

[Balakin]

I thought comic books were immune but only if they cost < £15. Maybe this is something you really should go into a Post Office to clarify, cos having unexpected charges lumped on could very turn any bargain into a costly adventure.

I heard from several sources that books (and comics) are immune. The 15 pound limit is for everything else.
Check this site for example:
http://www.dutycalculator.com/countr...nited-Kingdom/

The duty rates applied to imports into the United Kingdom typically range between 0% (for example books) and 17% (for example Wellington Boots).

[Iron Fist]

I thought comic books were immune but only if they cost < £15. Maybe this is something you really should go into a Post Office to clarify, cos having unexpected charges lumped on could very turn any bargain into a costly adventure.

I'm afraid you're incorrect, any printed material bound is immune to charges and duties. The only way you'd get charged is if the forms were filled out incorrectly as price does not matter if they were done correctly.

Commodity code 4902900000 is for comics and they are immune regardless of RRP.

[Cold Water]

Why are they immune from custom charges??

[Iron Fist]

Why are they immune from custom charges??

Books just are. They're classed as zero rated meaning they're immune. This isn't just in the UK, it's all EU countries and the US.

Anything they class as printed matter such as novels, comics, magazine, brochures, pamphlets etc are duty free. Not sure about posters.

[zwixxx]

Luckily my incorrect understanding didn't come from being incorrectly shafted at the Post Office, rather from the incompetent worker behind the counter.

[edit] wait a mo, there's import duties AND VAT, right ?! Maybe the "if it is under 15 GBP then you ain't charged" referred to the VAT and not the import duties.
So whatisit: BOOKS / COMIC BOOKS, gets you out of the IDs
and value: <15 GBP gets you out of the VAT.
You're still gonna ask a knowledgable PO person before buying anything, right ?!

[Iron Fist]

Luckily my incorrect understanding didn't come from being incorrectly shafted at the Post Office, rather from the incompetent worker behind the counter.

[edit] wait a mo, there's import duties AND VAT, right ?! Maybe the "if it is under 15 GBP then you ain't charged" referred to the VAT and not the import duties.
So whatisit: BOOKS / COMIC BOOKS, gets you out of the IDs
and value: <15 GBP gets you out of the VAT.
You're still gonna ask a knowledgable PO person before buying anything, right ?!

You don't pay VAT on books. There is only VAT on ebooks, which obviously can't be imported for the obvious reasons.

If you get charged VAT then you can claim it back, just like duties.

[Balakin]

Books just are. They're classed as zero rated meaning they're immune. This isn't just in the UK, it's all EU countries and the US.

Anything they class as printed matter such as novels, comics, magazine, brochures, pamphlets etc are duty free. Not sure about posters.

well, I paid import charges for the Invisibles omnibus 1,5 a half-2 years ago when I still lived in Hungary (and we belong to the EU).
I think the reason why books are import fee free because they are considered as educational material, or something like that.

[Iron Fist]

well, I paid import charges for the Invisibles omnibus 1,5 a half-2 years ago when I still lived in Hungary (and we belong to the EU).
I think the reason why books are import fee free because they are considered as educational material, or something like that.

you should have been able to claim those back. any bound printed material is exempt. here you present a receipt to customs showing you brought a book and that the parcel was improperly labeled and you get refunded, i think minus £8 or something as a handling fee.

that should be the same as other eu countries considering it's part of our trade agreement, the US just has a similar position by coincidence.

[kreegz]

So I placed my first order with IST on Wednesday at like 6am. ordered the Planetary Omnibus and Deadpool and Cable omnibus.... my question is how long does it usually take to process an order. its basically been 3 full days and they still haven't been picked. is this normal? At least I'm in no hurry to get them. Also how is CGN with shipping books? Thanks guys.

**** edit **** says it shipped as of saturday now.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

My Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Vol. 1 Omnibus from amazon.com came with a massive dent at the bottom of the spine which caused the pages to come away from the spine and also created a crack in the board cover. The dust jacket was torn and was folded over and badly creased all along the bottom of the book. The back of the book was attached to a piece of cardboard and "encased" in a plastic foil other than the shrinkwrap and was in a regular amazon cardboard box. The box came in a large postal sack which probably had been thrown about causing damage to the book.

After a second email and second reply on the same day (I wasn't happy with the first response), Amazon created a replacement order and upgraded the shipping method to one-day shipping at no additional charge. The customer rep also informed me that he had contacted the fulfillment center and instructed them to check the item before packing and also to pack the item securely.

It arrived 3 days later in perfect condition. This time the book was slightly protected with crumpled paper and came only in a cardboard box with no postal bag. Personally, I think the postal sack for some reason entices postal workers and couriers to be more aggressive in handling packages by throwing them around as opposed to them having solely a cardboard box to deliver. I always dread the condition of a book when I see a postal sack.

[Captain Craig]

So I placed my first order with IST on Wednesday at like 6am. ordered the Planetary Omnibus and Deadpool and Cable omnibus.... my question is how long does it usually take to process an order. its basically been 3 full days and they still haven't been picked. is this normal? At least I'm in no hurry to get them. Also how is CGN with shipping books? Thanks guys.

**** edit **** says it shipped as of saturday now.

Their website says they typically aim for a 48hr turnaround. I've noticed if I'm ordering books released new that week and new books are all that's in the order the 48hrs for processing is usually spot on +/- half a day.

If I'm placing a mixed order, a few new books this week and something either from their clearance section or just elsewhere in their catalog it could take 4-6 days for some reason. I rationalize it as the new books are probably kept more readily near by and older books are "in the back" so their "Picked & Scan" indication sometimes says I new book is picked but an older book is not. Maybe because they want to spend that first 48hrs processing as many orders from Tuesday afternoon when new material goes up through Wed night. Anything else in an order is set aside to be gotten latter.

I've got plenty to read so I don't worry about it. Only once or twice have I ever had an order go over 7 business days(not counting Sunday) from point of order to arrival at my house. Even when the warehouse was in Indiana. Now they are in Memphis, 3hrs down the road and since then I usually get books in 4-5 business days.

[Deviskan]

I'm currently in the middle of a dispute with a private seller on Ebay...awesome!

I purchased a copy of 'The Boys Definitive Edition Volume 5' from them and clarified before the purchase that the item was 100% damage free (no crushing damage to any of the corners/edges of the slipcase, and fully sealed)...which they advised was the case.

I've since received the item...and as soon as I saw it I knew it would be damaged.

They had basically shipped it in a jiffy bag, with one thin layer of bubble wrap covering the book. Basically every corner of the slipcase has suffered crushing damage, together with some of the edges.

So i'm currently going through the Resolution process, as the Seller is claiming he doesn't accept returns...even though I've sent him photo's of the damage, and he has admitted that it's damaged (but apparently not damaged enough that he can make a claim from Royal Mail).

Fairly confident that Ebay will note this as 'Not as Described' and authorise a return/refund...but I'm still astonished that someone would post a book like this in a jiffy bag (and not think to themselves, actually maybe this should be posted in a protective box with cushioning all round it)!

[Balakin]

I'm currently in the middle of a dispute with a private seller on Ebay...awesome!

I purchased a copy of 'The Boys Definitive Edition Volume 5' from them and clarified before the purchase that the item was 100% damage free (no crushing damage to any of the corners/edges of the slipcase, and fully sealed)...which they advised was the case.

I've since received the item...and as soon as I saw it I knew it would be damaged.

They had basically shipped it in a jiffy bag, with one thin layer of bubble wrap covering the book. Basically every corner of the slipcase has suffered crushing damage, together with some of the edges.

So i'm currently going through the Resolution process, as the Seller is claiming he doesn't accept returns...even though I've sent him photo's of the damage, and he has admitted that it's damaged (but apparently not damaged enough that he can make a claim from Royal Mail).

Fairly confident that Ebay will note this as 'Not as Described' and authorise a return/refund...but I'm still astonished that someone would post a book like this in a jiffy bag (and not think to themselves, actually maybe this should be posted in a protective box with cushioning all round it)!

It's especially silly because probably he had to buy that jiffy bag, but usually everybody has some kinda cardboard box and some leftover newspaper in the house.