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Christmas 2019 could be cancelled, says parcels expert

[ December 4, 2018   //   ]

ParcelHero head of consumer research, David Jinks warns that next year’s Christmas could be cancelled if there is a no deal Brexit.
He says: “I don’t want to sound like the Grinch; but if we experience a hard Brexit, the red tape and unanticipated duties to pay on gifts from the EU means there’s likely to be many empty spaces under the Christmas tree next year. And remember that people buying eBay or Amazon goods from the EU next Christmas will need to factor in additional time for Customs clearance. We’re even expecting experienced online traders purchasing EU-sourced items for peak period will find their stock caught up in border delays as clearance issues mount up.”
He adds: “Even under normal conditions 12% of all overseas gifts missed Christmas day entirely last year, and over 30% were significantly delayed. Next year Brexit chaos could mean 25% of all presents miss the Big Day.”
Inexperienced parcel senders could be confused by unfamiliar customs requirements, he explained, adding: “Under a no-deal or Norway-style arrangement there will be new forms to fill in for items being sent to the EU, and duties to pay on gifts worth over £135 coming into the UK, if we mirror current regulations for items arriving from beyond the EU, which seems likely. These duties are expected to be in the order of 2.5% of the value of the gifts.
“Shippers will need to understand that, when sending presents to the EU next Christmas, they must be sure to specify what is inside the package on the Custom’s documentation. On average parcels labelled simply ‘gift’ or ‘present’ were held 30% longer in Customs last Christmas.”

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