Page 1 of DVDSoon - beating Customs - but it`s hard work!

Ever since I got the `infidel` card my credit card statement has been littered with DVDSoon charges! Anyway, yesterday I decided to see if I could utilise some of these i points I`ve been amassing to buy a DVD. I ordered one for about 2000 i points. I looked up the invoice and it had 0 value! 0 will therefore print on my box or package. I also noticed that I couldn`t cancel the freebie! So beware on that!
The trick, if you haven`t already sussed it, is to save up your i points to spend on items over £18. The snag is you`ve got to spend an awful lot to get to that situation! I`ll have to check out this business of bonus i points if you order more than 1 dvd on an order etc. All of a sudden i points have become potentially very useful!

i have a better way, but needs some prep. i am not sure how well it will work. here`s how it is so far:

i got one box set charged by customs - i wrote them a letter and enclosed the invoice to show how much i paid i.e. less than £18. they refunded me the customs charges, but royal-kiss-my-ass-mail don`t refund their handling charge of £4.

so for a box set arriving this week, i have sent customs the following letter:

Quote:

Dear Sir/Madam,
Telephone Conversation Ref.: ****;
Ref.: Charge Number ****

Please find enclosed a copy of a letter I sent you last month regarding in incorrect charge placed on a DVD box set ordered through DVDSoon.com, a Canadian based retailer. This appeal was upheld and a refund was issued shortly thereafter.

In order to avoid having to pay the non-refundable Royal Mail handling fees, I would like to inform you of a box set that was shipped on February 18, 2005 that will show a value of CAD$51.98 on the customs declaration and will be with you in the next few days.

As you can see from the enclosed invoice/shipment notification, this is in fact incorrect as the total I paid was CAD$38.98 after taking into account the free shipping offer as well as the 25% discount applied to the order, which is below the £18 tax-free limit for merchandise.

I trust the above is sufficient to avoid any charges being placed on this order, including the Royal Mail handling fee. However, should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.


will let you know how it works out.

This item was edited on Wednesday, 23rd February 2005, 20:08

Good idea - thanks for that - look forward to how you get on.

Certainly IF they do charge, you should seek the repayment of the "royal mail" penalty as well ;)

Good luck and await your experience with interest....

Geo_

Surely the fact that customs refunded you the customs charges, is an acknowledgment that it is the value that you actually pay, not the value of the item, that customs fees are calculated from. If you got any written confirmation with your refund from customs acknowledging this, then maybe you should forward it to DVDSoon, who seem to believe that they have to put the full retail price on the box and not the price actually paid.

Saqib
Interesting idea. Which customs address did you send your letter to?

DVDSOON aren`t putting the full retail price, rather they put their discounted price on the box (their current standard selling price). They haven`t ever put their infidel prices on. This remains a problem.... >:(

ravedave:
the prob is that canada customs and revenue canada are the same department, so the company has to state that they shipped out a dvd of value such and such to revenue canada, and then show them they only charged 75% of value for infidel customers. the item they shipped out must have a value that tally`s with canada customs. so while it is not accurate for Uk customs, it is infact correct for canada customs, which is all dvdsoon really care about.

geo:
it`s not even their current selling price - it is the price at the time you ordered.

steve:
all my stuff comes thru mount pleasant. their address is:

Quote:
HM Customs & Excise
Mount Pleasant Postal Depot
Farringdon Road
London
EC1A 1BB


i should hopefully hear something thru this week/early next. will keep y`all updated.

I would email postwatch about the Royal Mail, they have levied a charge to collect import duty which was raised in error.

Either they or HMCE should refund you as that is in breach of your human rights which allows you to freely import DVD`s without charge if under £18 in total value!

there is a Human Right to Import DVDs???

Surely DVDsoon could just put something along the lines of:
Retail value: $53
PRice paid: $37

or something...

hmm that`s a good idea actually. i actually never thought of that - i will contact dvdsoon and see what they say about this as a possibility. the more of you that do the same, the better.

on a side note - both i heart huckabees and the shield (the item marked 51.98 ) shipped the same day - i got huckabees today but no shield - maybe my letter worked?

will let y`all know.

This item was edited on Thursday, 24th February 2005, 12:58