By Rosie Murray-west, Financial Mail on Sunday. Hundreds of thousands of online shoppers are running the risk of expensive returns, high handling fees and unknown customs charges by ordering goods from the Far East. Comments posted on British parenting website Mumsnet are already suggesting the Chinese site as a place to buy toys for Christmas, including copies of popular dresses from the Disney film Frozen, superhero masks and items featuring images from computer game Minecraft.

Rosalind Hardy, who is a recent convert to buying from China, with her Tardis case. Rosalind Hardy is a recent convert to buying from China. But she says overseas buying is not without its dangers.

One did take two weeks but the other took a month — I was just about to complain when it turned up. The year-old youth worker from Newcastle upon Tyne turned to Etsy, which includes large numbers of Chinese sellers on its site, after a recommendation on social media website Twitter. Rosalind, who is married to Tim, 36, a library manager, adds: Even Etsy, the alternative gift buying website that focuses on handmade items, now hosts thousands of shops in China and Hong Kong that ship to the UK.

Buying from China - Do You Pay UK Import Tax & VAT? | eBay

A search on the site reveals more than , items in China and 87, in Hong Kong that can be posted to Britain. Steve Heywood, from eBay, says the rise in crossborder trade between the UK and China reflects a long-term globalisation trend. Although ordering from overseas offers the chance for customers to buy cheaper goods, some are finding that items can take weeks to arrive. They are also expensive to return if they are faulty. In many cases postage costs may be more than the cost of the item, meaning that exchanging faulty goods is not viable.

Consumers who buy from overseas are also at risk of large customs and VAT bills, as well as added handling charges from postal companies. Heywood admits that many customers do not know the rules surrounding UK customs and VAT charges when buying from overseas. These can land the unwary with a hefty bill, especially if they are buying higher value items.

International postal operator DHL has now added a section to its website pointing out the rules on duty and taxes. For first-time overseas buyers, it can be difficult to work out whether the items that have been purchased will incur extra costs, since the rules differ depending on how the item is marked, as well as its value.

Import Duties and International Taxation | eBay

To complicate matters, many items shipped from China or anywhere outside the European Union are not likely to be checked by Customs, meaning there is an element of luck over whether you pay the charges. So I ordered dresses on eBay from Guangzhou, in China, a good six weeks before they were needed, and the seller promised them within the month.

Unfortunately, the seller — or the international post — did not deliver on the promise, and there was no sign of the dresses three days before the party. I was therefore relieved when Argos had a surprise delivery. In the end I opted to keep the costumes to give as gifts, but it was an expensive lesson to learn about buying from abroad — and the importance of reading any small print first.

The good news is that ordering lower value items from China or elsewhere is unlikely to land you with any extra costs. Import VAT is charged at the same rate as VAT, so you will pay a standard rate of 20 per cent on most products.

VAT is levied on the total cost of the goods, including postage and packaging and any insurance. The level of customs duty you pay depends on the item purchased, its value and where it is imported from. If your item is late, faulty or unsatisfactory, your consumer protection varies according to the website you bought the item through. AliExpress offers a full refund if you do not receive the order within the delivery time promised by the seller. However, you will need to scrutinise the small print carefully to work out who will pay return shipping costs if an item is faulty or not as described — as sellers on the website have different rules.

EBay buyers should not have to pay return postage if an item does not match the listing description, as this postage should be paid by the seller.

Etsy requires buyers to scrutinise the policies of its sellers in terms of shipping costs and refund policies. If you buy products from abroad via Amazon Marketplace you will pay to return unwanted items, but should be able to request prepaid return delivery or a refund if goods are not as described or faulty.

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The wisdom of US Buyers buying from China - Pros & Cons | eBay

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