Has HLJ changed its shipping policies?

[exhaust smoke]

Just received one of my orders from HLJ yesterday (it consisted of a Fujimi Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V and Tohge FTO).

Anyway, I was surprised not to have received a Customs charge for it, as it was £19GBP including the shipping, and in the UK anything over £18 will be subjected to a charge. I thought I got lucky until I looked at the address label. Turns out that HLJ only declared the total cost of the kits and did not include the cost of shipping.

Does this mark a change in their shipping policies? Has anyone who has received a order from HLJ recently noticed that they only declared the total cost of the merchandise only?

[joecwlaw]

The labels on my parcel from hlj have the merchandise cost and postage fee written seperately.

Originally posted by exhaust smoke
Just received one of my orders from HLJ yesterday (it consisted of a Fujimi Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V and Tohge FTO).

Anyway, I was surprised not to have received a Customs charge for it, as it was £19GBP including the shipping, and in the UK anything over £18 will be subjected to a charge. I thought I got lucky until I looked at the address label. Turns out that HLJ only declared the total cost of the kits and did not include the cost of shipping.

Does this mark a change in their shipping policies? Has anyone who has received a order from HLJ recently noticed that they only declared the total cost of the merchandise only?

[fredo]

I don't know how it was before but it seems quite normal to me !
The taxes are on the item's value, not on shipping costs.
I often buy at Ebay and the sellers declare the item's value on the box (not the shipping fee).

Last time I was frightened : the price was 6.00 USD. The seller forgot to write the decimal point (so he wrote 600 USD). The belgian customs wanted me to pay taxes on 600 USD !!!
Luckily, they were comprehensive : I sent them the printscreen of Ebay and they delivered the item to me without any tax.

[joecwlaw]

Originally posted by fredo
I don't know how it was before but it seems quite normal to me !
The taxes are on the item's value, not on shipping costs.
I often buy at Ebay and the sellers declare the item's value on the box (not the shipping fee).

Last time I was frightened : the price was 6.00 USD. The seller forgot to write the decimal point (so he wrote 600 USD). The belgian customs wanted me to pay taxes on 600 USD !!!
Luckily, they were comprehensive : I sent them the printscreen of Ebay and they delivered the item to me without any tax.

600usd

[clatescivicr]

Something like this happend when I sent an Enzo to Vric. I put the cost at 28.00(estimate) and since I was in a rush it didn't write it very neatly and they made him pay custom fees for 280.00! I can't believe it! It still blows my mind that they did that to him.

Originally posted by fredo
I don't know how it was before but it seems quite normal to me !
The taxes are on the item's value, not on shipping costs.
I often buy at Ebay and the sellers declare the item's value on the box (not the shipping fee).

Last time I was frightened : the price was 6.00 USD. The seller forgot to write the decimal point (so he wrote 600 USD). The belgian customs wanted me to pay taxes on 600 USD !!!
Luckily, they were comprehensive : I sent them the printscreen of Ebay and they delivered the item to me without any tax.

[Vric]

Originally posted by clatescivicr
Something like this happend when I sent an Enzo to Vric. I put the cost at 28.00(estimate) and since I was in a rush it didn't write it very neatly and they made him pay custom fees for 280.00! I can't believe it! It still blows my mind that they did that to him.

Haha I think you miss understand. it wasn't your enzo (since you shipped it as a gift, I didn't pay anything)

It was an order from Ebay. I got a PDA for 200$US used and UPS charged me 180$ of shipping/ custom / dutty / penality and other stuff..

I got a refound for about 90$ from custom fees (Canadapost), but UPS never ever refound me. they tell they sent the check, but never received it.. UPS got problem with delevery ? hahaha
It was suposed to cost about 40$ and finally cost me 90$ (since there is no custom fees on USED electronic, only taxes)

anyway just a small story of why I hate UPS and why I will never use them anymore

[exhaust smoke]

Going back to my previous HLJ orders, they used to write the merchandise and shipping costs as one whole total, therefore, I had to pay customs for those totals.

I wonder if I can reclaim my money if it is charged on merchandise costs only. I have kept the receipts and correspondence with HLJ.

[joecwlaw]

Originally posted by exhaust smoke
Going back to my previous HLJ orders, they used to write the merchandise and shipping costs as one whole total, therefore, I had to pay customs for those totals.

I wonder if I can reclaim my money if it is charged on merchandise costs only. I have kept the receipts and correspondence with HLJ.

THAT SUCKS......i would suggest you send an email to hlj and see what they can compensate to you.

[SwooshICE]

ya merchandise and shipping costs were combined for me too

[clatescivicr]

I thought you had a problem with them not being able to understand the amount for the enzo?? I could have sworn it was you, but I guess it was someone else that bought from me. I still have a few models left vric

Originally posted by Vric


Haha I think you miss understand. it wasn't your enzo (since you shipped it as a gift, I didn't pay anything)

It was an order from Ebay. I got a PDA for 200$US used and UPS charged me 180$ of shipping/ custom / dutty / penality and other stuff..

I got a refound for about 90$ from custom fees (Canadapost), but UPS never ever refound me. they tell they sent the check, but never received it.. UPS got problem with delevery ? hahaha
It was suposed to cost about 40$ and finally cost me 90$ (since there is no custom fees on USED electronic, only taxes)

anyway just a small story of why I hate UPS and why I will never use them anymore

[flyonthewall]

I got a package from HLJ on Friday, the value was declared but not the postage. Total declared was $32 (£19) and surprise, surprise!...Muggins gets yet another customs charge of £7.40 To make matters worse and to rub it in even further, the cost of the order was £17.60. I purposely made sure that the value would come to less than £18 so i wouldn't have no charges Customs will be getting a call from me tomorrow!

[Vric]

Originally posted by clatescivicr
I still have a few models left vric

cool, but i'm still waiting for my HLJ order to came.. it been 23 days since it was shipped and 1 month today since I made my order..

they are a lot slower that i was thinking

[exhaust smoke]

Customs will be getting a call from me tomorrow!

Chris, any results from the call to Customs??

[gundam1969]

I've started ordering just one kit at a time; it seems the only way to avoid charges.

i've had better luck with Hobbysearch than with HLJ.

Paul.