Deliveries to EU

[Rosbif]

I got a newsletter from R*mm*rs a few days ago that might be of interest to people on the forum living in the EU

https://rimmerbros.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/t/5DE08E4D8442A3F62540EF23F30FEDED/CFF86C24625AFD4CC4DA2C823DDA3384

 

[DVD3500]

Thanks!

The most problems I had heard of was randomness in what does and doesn't get caught up in customs.

Two guys literally ordered the same part on the same day and one had to pay extra and the other didn't!

Seems to me the ones who have benefited the most have been the couriers as they are charging anywhere from 5 to 50 of your local currency per shipment even if things are "tariff free". At least this might take a little bit of the randomness out of it...

I had heard however that some industries were getting extended grace periods (mostly in the food industry) until October as Brexit PLUS Covid was just too much to bear... One Spitfire driver's wife works at customs here and she basically said there are so many probs on this end what with staffing, illness etc that they are waving things through...

There was a special on the BBC (I get FreeSAT as I am far enough West and have a large enough.... dish...) about Brexit and how things are going. They highlighted all the great new trade some companies were doing (mostly fish and food) because the EU was being very annoying with paperwork. The only thing I found slightly odd is they had begun trading with countries with which the UK had no special agreement (at the time of filming) so they had to meet the same rules as were in place when the UK was within the EU. That has changed though to be honest. I had read about a new Canadian, Australian and US accord not too long ago.

No worries though, once Blue Lightning is back on the road in 2-3 years' time I will darken Her Majesty's shores with my American drawl!

 

 

[Rosbif]

9 minutes ago, DVD3500 said:

I had read about a new Canadian, Australian and US accord not too long ago.

Yes it seems they have one now, to replace what they had as part of the EU. What the benefits are for either side I don't know.

 

10 minutes ago, DVD3500 said:

I had heard however that some industries were getting extended grace periods (mostly in the food industry) until October as Brexit PLUS Covid was just too much to bear...

I've seen references to an extension even beyond that, Boris is thinking it over as it is the UK that are due to introduce tarifs/quotas/restrictions on goods from the EU. The UK is suffering a bit more, it seems, from Brexit & Covid disruption than mainland EU.

[DVD3500]

To avoid this thread going into a spiral for Brexit nonsense I reckon people should google about what the deals do and do not include... 🙂

Personally I liked cinemas and other things limiting the number of people going in. Germans, in general are horribly habitual. My Mom knew it was 10 am on Saturday because the neighbor was washing his car (technically not allowed...), it was 10:30 because he was trimming the lawn and 11 because his wife was cleaning the window sills...

Back when we were in the office people complained about long lines at lunch... whereby "lunch" was only from 12:00 to 12:30 .... if you went just before 1 PM and you could sail through... Same with traffic jams. If we left the house at 8:20 we got to work in less than 10 minutes. If we left around 8:30 we would get stuck in at least a 20-30 minute traffic jam.

We basically left it to 9:15 or later and sailed through...

Same thing at the various outdoor pools and swimming holes... I liked having more space.

I am not anti-social. Germans are though! 😄

🙂

After the initial drought paper products we have not had wont for anything since say May of 2020...

 

[Topic63]

If your sending anything to Germany be sure NOT to use DPD, there are massive issues with DPD at the moment not only from a customs perspective but their delivery service in general to Germany.

Items I sent out at the end of June are still missing although DPD assure me they are being returned to sender, I doubt I’ll ever see them again? Thankfully I did have them fully insured but still took over 3 months to get my money refunded. 

[DVD3500]

Well in Dec of 2020 I had some parts sent to me and DPD claimed they couldn't be delivered. Something about "incomplete address"...

By doing a few online tricks I found out they had asked the seller for a new address but she was away. (she had given me a different number than I had received through the intermediary selling site...)

So I tried writing messages, emails and calling any number I could find.. Nothing...

Finally I resorted to something I can count on one hand I have done in my life: Shaming

I went to their Twitter and facebook accounts as them where my stuff was.  The immediately asked me to private message them and it arrived in two days. (should have been one day but they claimed I wasn't around which was utter bull$hit as I was working from home).

I asked repeatedly for an explanation and never got one.

Looks like you might have to shame again...