DS Lite - First look!

[Geezer]

I can think of 3 occasions where it has happened to me:

Pearl White PS2 from play-asia delivered by TNT-?40ish customs charge about a month after delivery.

White PSP from Yesasia-?15.97 customs charge about 2 weeks after delivery.

A few US DVD box sets sent via DHL, ?23 customs charge about 2 weeks after delivery.

Why would it not be legal? they pay HMCE on your behalf and recoup the money from you within a reasonable timeframe.

It's happened to others on here too.

[Jebus]

Why would it not be legal? they pay HMCE on your behalf and recoup the money from you within a reasonable timeframe.

It's happened to others on here too.

I'm saying that because they aren't giving you the option to refuse the item, thus not incurring the charge! Don't take my word for it because I work for Royal Mail not them, but if we tried that we would probably be taken to court, and lose!

With a customs charge, the company pays the bill on your behalf, adds a bit for their troubles (?4.00 in our case) and delivers it to you, you DO have the choice to refuse it...3 weeks ago I sent back ?200+ worth of customs charges that were refused. Okay, after the first time you know they do it, but the first time it happens (and if it happens to me I'l play ignorance despite you telling me) you aren't to know if not informed and therefore they have no right to bill you, because you weren't given the option or the right to refuse the item.

As I say, I'm not certain but it seems dodgy as **** to me.

Oh and "a month" That is most certainly not a reasonable timeframe in my eyes. Christ, the amount of stuff I order, if I got another bill a month later I'd wonder what the hell was going on.

Of course if they do say "You may be billed for the Customs duty afterwards, are you sure you want to sign for this?" (or thereabouts) then that's fine, no problem...but I'd still rather pay there and then.

[Matt Horne]

It all depends on the courier... some will call you first and demand payment before delivery happens.. others will bill you afterwards. You legally have to pay import duty/vat so in that respect they are doing you a favour by not holding up your shipment. There view is if you did not want to pay it why order something over ?18.

Best thing that can happen is they screw up working out the customs charges.. then you ring them up to complain.. they investigate and usually then cancel the charge completely

oh and charge are usually : (duty may be different..)

total cost inc shipping * 4% duty * 17.5% VAT + handling charge..

[wicky]

I got charged customs on my original ds on launch and i forgot to pay it... but they haven't sent me any reminders or anything !!

[shane3107]

My Ice Blue DS Lite arrived today. Shipped on Monday from Yesasia which is pretty damn quick IMHO.

I'm really impressed with it and really love both the unit size and the brightness of the screen. I had a quick blast on Metroid using the stylus and found it infinitely more playable than it was using the stylus on the "old" DS. My hands just felt more natural and less strained than they were before.

I really like the colour but I can see the Ice Blue model definitely being an acquired taste as it were!

I can see the DS lite being really popular when it finally arrives in the UK.

[watusi]

got my ds lite, its very nice but with a ?37 customs charge its been pushed into the "cost much more than it was worth category.

[wicky]

awww ..... thats a bit steep

where did you order from and how did you ship?

[watusi]

from playasia, chose ups shipping without thinking. Should've used EMS really. shipping was ?22 (inc. case and charger) ?26 customs, then ****ing ?11 brokerage fee on top of that.

[wicky]

from playasia, chose ups shipping without thinking. Should've used EMS really. shipping was ?22 (inc. case and charger) ?26 customs, then ****ing ?11 brokerage fee on top of that.

I have done exactly the same

was it dhl too ?

[watusi]

nope UPS

[wicky]

lol doh stupid question

i have a cold my brain isn't working

[NekoFever]

I ordered mine from PA with EMS shipping so I'm hoping I'll get lucky. When I was in Japan I sent a ton of stuff home via EMS and didn't get charged duty on any of it but I'm not sure if I just got insanely lucky or EMS ship packages with some kind of ninja to fight off customs officials.

[watusi]

I've always been lucky with EMS too. Was gonna amend the shipping to EMS but playasia shipped the order within two hours of me placing it!

[Kotatsu Neko]

EMS ship packages with some kind of ninja to fight off customs officials.

I'd pay extra for that. Decapitations please!

[NekoFever]

Not in the PAL version.