Just ordered Dan's starter pack and it arrived a few days ago. What I hadn't anticipated was the UK customs bill that accompanied it. The items cost $34.02, that's about ‚£22.51. The UK customs charge was ‚£12.14.
Eekkkkk! I noted from the label on the box, when I finally wrested it from my local sorting office operative and got it home, that had the contents been under ‚£18 (for VAT purposes) in value, I would have avoided the charge.
The exact wording is:
'Goods purchased and imported into the EU with a value over ‚£18 (for VAT purposes) and over ‚£135 (for import duty purposes), or goods imported from one private person to another private person as a gift with a value of over ‚£40, are subject to Customs charges.'
I'm just glad to get the stuff to be honest, but with more careful ordering I could have dodged the charge. One tube of Dan's BP costs $16.52, that's about ‚£10.93, which would presumably have no charge on it. However the big bottle costs $32.03, that's ‚£21.19, so that would attract the charge.
Moral of story, only order one tube of BP at a time, and make it the standard sized one. I think there are plenty of alternative options for cleanser and moisturizer available here within the UK. Hope this helps someone avoid the expensive error I just made. 
Just ordered Dan's starter pack and it arrived a few days ago. What I hadn't anticipated was the UK customs bill that accompanied it. The items cost $34.02, that's about £22.51. The UK customs charge was £12.14.
Eekkkkk! I noted from the label on the box, when I finally wrested it from my local sorting office operative and got it home, that had the contents been under £18 (for VAT purposes) in value, I would have avoided the charge.
The exact wording is:
'Goods purchased and imported into the EU with a value over £18 (for VAT purposes) and over £135 (for import duty purposes), or goods imported from one private person to another private person as a gift with a value of over £40, are subject to Customs charges.'
I'm just glad to get the stuff to be honest, but with more careful ordering I could have dodged the charge. One tube of Dan's BP costs $16.52, that's about £10.93, which would presumably have no charge on it. However the big bottle costs $32.03, that's £21.19, so that would attract the charge.
Moral of story, only order one tube of BP at a time, and make it the standard sized one. I think there are plenty of alternative options for cleanser and moisturizer available here within the UK. Hope this helps someone avoid the expensive error I just made.
It is mad isnt it! I couldnt believe it when the postman gave me the slip to go pick it up! Its mad coz I ordered Acnescript from america and spent bout £30 and it got here in about 13 days and just got put through the letter box!! random isnt it! Dans stuff takes forever to arrive....still waiting for my AHA!!
Hey Ellie!
I got hit by it too, I oredered the stater kit and my custom charge was ‚£18, Your right though about the cleanser and moitrizer, I hope we can find something here for us in the UK, because the postage and customs hit really hard! there so mean. 
Cetaphil's now avaible in lloyds pharmcy think I might try that soon as my acne.org cleansers super low and I can't afford all the extra charges right now :'(
Alot of companies i have ordered from
in the states have either not put the price
on the box or lied about it so we dont get caught by the
customs charges, a bit cheeky i suppose but im not going to complain!
I just wish Dan realised if changed the system alot more people would be ordering from him.
Yeah. I think companies have to be careful though, that they stay on the right side of the law.
It is annoying. The level at which the charge kicks in should be increased more often. I think it has been ‚£18 for donkeys ages. Just another money making ploy on behalf of the government, like when house prices started to rocket, and they didn't increase the level at which people paid inheritance tax.
My sister was suggesting that she make a separate order for me, and that way I could order 2 things at once. Might be worth considering? 
I ship all the time ( in my job) and we dont put the full price of our software on the shipping documents. We put a nominal replacement value of $5.00. That way the client does NOT have to pay any import tax ! Maybe Dan could do this with his shipments to the UK.. ? then we wouldn't have to pay the tax. I might even order some then 
Don
Two threads on the same topic merged.
Marking products that aren't gifts as gifts or marking them with a lower shipping value than they actually have in order to get around customers is not only dishonest, but it's against the law. DanielKern.com could get into serious trouble for doing so. Not only that, but they could be restricted from shipping their products internationally as a result.
Thanks T.M. I actually went ahead and ordered the full kit (though the standard size, not the 16oz.) and it arrived today without any customs charge, which was nice!
It does seem to be entirely down to luck though, as far as I can tell. I ordered a couple of LPs only the other week from the States on which I paid a customs charge, and they were about the same value as the regimen ($30 or so).
^^^ you shouldnt get any charges if you go for the 8oz.
You only get charged if the product costs over 15.
Tricky is this the case even if the product works out under 15 but with the standard shipping goes over?
and didn't someone say it was 18 and over - can anyone confirm this?
It's 15 not 18. If the value of the goods (not shipping cost) is higher than 15 you have to pay the VAT on top and a handling fee (8 for royal mail).
Any goods less than 15 are exempt and will not incur any costs.
It used to be 18 but since November 2011 it has unfortunately been reduced to 15.
It's 15 not 18. If the value of the goods (not shipping cost) is higher than 15 you have to pay the VAT on top and a handling fee (8 for royal mail).
Any goods less than 15 are exempt and will not incur any costs.
It used to be 18 but since November 2011 it has unfortunately been reduced to 15.
lol the 16oz moisturizer worked out like 15.60 and i bought it yesterday before you posted that!