but since its not in the original box wont it be obvious its not from a retailer and its a second hand item not a new item ?
what about people who buy stuff off ebay from private sellers, they wouldnt have the original receipt
I don't know how else to explain this...
- If you don't send them a receipt through mail or e-mail, they will consult some retailer store and assume that's the price you paid for the hardware.
If it was something ancient like a Geforce 3 or something, it might pass and they won't charge anything. If it's something that's still being sold on many places (e.g. a Geforce 670), they will write down the price of the new item from some random retailer and charge you the V.A.T. over that.
It doesn't matter if's wrapped in the original box, an old unrelated box or a couple of used diapers. The x-ray scan will show you're importing electronic components and so they'll open the package to see what's inside the package. Then they'll keep them in a storehouse for over a week, until they decide to send a letter to the receiver, asking for the receipt in order to charge the receiver for the VAT..
Then the receiver gets the letter asking for the receipt, sends them the receipt and then the package goes from one place to another, where it awaits for another 1-2 weeks for some dude to check if the receipt corresponds to the package. Then it goes to some other room where it waits to be sent.
In the end, you have to pay them for:
1 - the VAT for the item,
2 - VAT for the shipping costs,
3 - a friggin'
rent for
the room space where they keep the package (which depends on how much time
they keep it in there)
4 - VAT over that rent
5 - operational costs for tearing up your package, checking what's inside
6 - VAT for the operational costs
In the end, you usually have to pay some 30-35% more than whatever is in the receipt you send them.
This is for stuff coming from outside the EU, of course.
The customs usually claim that all packages go through a random verification and each one has ~40% chance of being held for control. Which is a load of bullshit.
They will personally pick everything larger than a letter that comes from the USA, Hong Kong, China, Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. They know very well where people try to get their electronics from.
Again: this is what happens in Portugal. I have no idea if the customs are equally
anal about international mail packages in the UK.
