What are they?
When you buy from sellers outside of your country, import charges – including taxes and customs fees – may apply for the country where you’re receiving your collectables. These charges are decided on by the country you’re based in, and are usually based on the item's price, weight of the package, its dimensions and country of origin.
Who bears the responsibility?
As a buyer, it's your responsibility to check which customs and import charges may apply, and to pay them.
The seller whose collectables you bought might be able to give you some information about import charges. But before you bid on, or go for an instant buy item, our pro tip would be to check with your country's customs office for more specific details on the value of customs charges for an item of those dimensions, cost and weight (e.g. Pokemon cards or Funko dimensions).
What happens when you buy an item from an international seller?
When buying from an international seller, keep in mind that shipping can sometimes take longer and cost more than buying from a seller in your own country.
If the seller posted your order and charges need to be applied, you’ll be contacted by the carrier in your country if you need to pay any VAT, duty or delivery charges (‘handling fees’) to receive your collectables. They’ll send you an invoice stating exactly which fees you need to pay.
Usually, any customs charges can be paid online, with the carrier in question — see here how to pay customs fees with Royal mail.
The delivery office will normally hold your package for about 3 weeks. If you have not paid the bill by then, your parcel will be returned to the seller. If this is the case and you don’t want to pay the customs fees, please get in touch and we can ensure the items were returned and reimburse you.