EORI and threatening to return goods.

[hollyone]

Hi folks

Ive been importing off and on for a while and recently I had a consignment from China. I get a call from a courier firm asking me if I have a permit number. Its called an EORI, basically its an international license to trade. In return for this license you get your name picture and personal details handed to every single Government entity in the EU. The shady reason for this is so that all the information relating to import and export is monitored and goes through a system called CHIEF. This system alerts each international agent what is coming through the corridors of Europe and back out again. The courier inform you that without this number your stuff is dust. They then send you a form to fill out confirming you are willing to have your details splashed all over Europe. The Eu see this as phase 1 to restrict and limit trade and create a more harmonious zone. Meaning those that are poor remain this way and those that are not soon will be. I have said i am not happy with this and signed below wording I have composed like this signature will provide me the same rights as though it had not been signed. I also stated in several places thatbthe form means to me notification and not registration.

The great thing about this new system is that the EU can legislate what you bring in, who brings it in and what you do with it.


I received this from the EORI ATEAM after

Good Afternoon

An EORI number is the number which is used to clear commercial goods through the Customs procedure. The number is cleared through a system called CHIEF

Although there is no statute in place there are certain requirements that have to be adhered to in order for an EORI number to be issued and one of them is the requirement of certain documentation . This documentation is only needed when the number is applied for as once a number has been issued it can be used for other imports and exports without notifying us .

Your Freight agent is meant to wait until a number has been issued before clearing your goods although I see in this case by looking on the track and trace website of UPS the goods have already been delivered to yourself.

The information that I requested are the supporting documents requested in question 16 of the form and as I also CC’d your freight agent into the email sent to yourself I mentioned an OPSYS print as this is the (couriers) version of an Airway bill .

I have read your additional information that you placed on the form and as I advised in my first paragraph all commercial imports/exports need to be cleared through CHIEF and once you have an EORI number this number can be used throughout the EU.

A number can be closed by HMRC and in fact is very rarely closed by the holder. It is closed if it has not been used in a two year period or if we are advised that the import/export will be used once and it is closed when we are advised of VAT registration having taken place as we then close the NON VAT EORI and transfer the EORI to a VAT number . This then allows the importer/exporter to reclaim their Import VAT .

As advised in my previous email in order for me to issue an EORI number I need a copy of photo ID , a copy of the invoice and airway bill and without these the application will be refused .

I hope my explanations have been of some help

Regards
Julie Furlong
EORI Team
CITEX Cross Cutting Group
Local Compliance
13th Floor (South) Government Buildings
Ty Glas
Llanishen
Cardiff
CF14 5YA

02920 327060


So good people those still with a degree of sense and freedom what do I do? If I have another item coming in they are most definitely going to be arsey. They want my details and my freedom in return they give me the right to trade. What is my legal position (sorry lawful) and have the EU, the monster corporation shredded all notions of decency and justice?

More reading....

Where is all this heading - Read below.

The nightmare of online shopping in Bulgaria
Mar 15, 2010 | 1 Comment(s)
 

 

This article is translated by Survival Bulgaria Blog from the original publication in the newspaper Dnevnik by Elenko Elenkov which is here.
You do online shopping?
Here is what you should do in order to release a shipment from the (Sofia) Customs in Bulgaria. As of 1 January 2010 the value on which you have to pay VAT for any packages received outside EU is 15 EUR. This means that what is described below is most likely to happen for any online purchase which value exceeds the cost of a pair of socks.
The place where all packages from abroad arrive (in the described case it was a pack of t-shirts) is called “Sofia Customs Post Office” and is located at 84 Veslets Str. Near the train station.
And so on the note is says that I should go to…
Counter 23

Although the building of the Customs is renovated and looks more or less OK the counters from 23 to 31 are located in an extension which looks like scenery for The X Files. Exactly the same as the one where the American Government is keeping the proofs for extraterrestrial life. You are passed by people with carts carrying boxes labelled with the familiar world brands such as ?bay, ?mazon, USPS, UPS, etc.
In the best case scenario on Counter 23 you should pay the mysterious “fee for values” amounting to 4 BGN and to collect your package. My case is not this one since I ordered t-shirts from the USA.
The lady working on the counter looked at me suspiciously and says – “your package needs to be inspected. I will call” and at the moment she said so she called. In a little while came a person without uniform who asked me: “Is this about you?”
“I guess so”
“I will call an inspector”
“Well, fine.”
The guy disappeared and came shortly to call me to a hidden door leading to
Counter 30, but this time inside
This counter is something like a internal shack in which are located counters from 26 to 31. It is sounded by fan-heaters because there is no central heating.
I am now on the territory of the Customs Officers and I can see the people standing outside. Suddenly a Customs Officer came together with the person who “took me” from Counter 23 and they brought my box with t-shirts. Both of them had Stanley Knives with which they opened my box.
Inside, of course, they found t-shirts, invoice and couple of pins – a gift from the online shop.
“What is this?” asked the Customs Officer.
“T-shirts,” I answered in reply, “they should have be Christmas gifts but…” I was trying to build relation with the customs officers.
“What are these pins?”
“Well, pins. A gift. The shop gives them with every purchase.”
“Why they are not on the invoice? They don’t have value.”
“I guess they have some value,” I was telling them, “but they are gift. I haven’t ordered them.” and I start feeling that I am entering into some useless discussion because the officers think that I a doing some crazy smuggling of pins from California.
“Your need to get an EORI number and to fill a declaration for customs duties and VAT,” the Customs Officer said firmly.
“But the value does not exceed 150 EUR” I told him thinking that I know my rights.
“As of the new year the VAT is calculated on any package for individuals which value exceeds 15 EUR.”
“But the package was here before the new year?” I said with hope.
“Look, I cannot give you the package unless you pay the VAT.”
“??”, I said anticipating that the worst is yet to come.
“Go to counter 17 to get an EORI number and then come back here for declaration.”
“What is this EORI?”
“They will tell you…”
Counter 17 – registry office
At Counter 17 nobody wants to tell me what EORI is, but I have to fill one form with all my personal data that you can imagine. The lady there reviews the form and then she told me “Now you have to go and make a copy of your ID card.”
“Why do I need to copy it?” I asked knowing my rights under the Law for Protection of Perosnal Data. “All data is here and you can make sure that everything is correct after you compare them with my ID card.”
“Don’t argue with me. These are the requirements.”
“What are these requirements. In which law?” I asked again.
“Look, we have been on a special training in order to be able to work with personal data” said the lady.
“That’s wonderful but where does it say that you need to photocopy my ID card?”
The lady waived with her hand and left the matter to another lady to deal with me. The other lady knocked on the window on the counter showing me an excerpt from some magazine hanged there. In it was stated that according to Decree No. 4 from 3 June 2009 issued by the Minister of Finance the EORI register should be made for all entities in the Community. Probably “Community” means EC. I guess that this is something like an ID number but for the Customs. Great.
“But this is an excerpt from a magazine”, I told her.
“This is Customs Chronicle, Sir!” said the lady indignantly.

http://dnevnik.bg/shimg/zx450y250_838596.jpg

Customs Chronicle
“There is no doubt that this is Customs Chronicle,” I said, “but this is not a law and it has not been voted by the Parliament. You cannot make copies of my ID card.”
Here the lady with a swift move showed some receipt with her name on it certifying that she passed a training for work with a personal data.
“Why do you need to know that I have brown eyes?” I asked them “In the Law for Protection of Personal Data there is a clause which says that you should not collect more data than those necessary.”
She looked me in the eyes without understanding the joke (on the Bulgarian ID cards it is written the colour of the eyes), and here I understood that the cause for protection of my personal data is lost and that I will have to allow the State to break the law in order to be able to collect my t-shirts.
And then politely guided I headed to the place which is famous that has “xerox” in it which is…
Desk 21
The “xerox” at the Customs Office is not cheap at all. The service costs 0.40 BGN per page. After two unsuccessful attempts I had to pay 2 BGN for copying services which on the top of that break the law since they are photocopying my ID card.
I asked the lady “why it is so expensive” and she answered me “don’t you see that two pages jammed!” That is how I understood that failures of the Customs equipment is not a problem of the Customs but of those who are using their services. That was me.
And then with my filled form for EORI numbder and illegally copied ID card I headed to…
Room 13 – EORI number
Room 13 is not a counter. It is located at the third floor of the Customs Office – where the administration is. The purpose of this whole room is one person, probably University graduate, to enter manually filled by you EORI form in a..........if you like this story go to the whole page here http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/news-The-nightmare-of-online-shopping-in-Bulgaria-193