With the holidays coming up, many people shop online to take advantage of deals from stores in other countries. If you’re one of those people, you may be wondering what happens when Evri is your courier. 

Here’s a look at what to expect when Evri delivers you a parcel from abroad as well as how to use them to return it. And most importantly – how to reclaim customs charges on items you return.

What to expect when Evri delivers you a parcel from abroad?

Evri is part of the Hermes group. They used to be known as Hermes in the UK before rebranding to Evri in 2022. Like all courier companies, they’ve had to make some changes in their international delivery operations to UK-based customers..

Before you receive a parcel from abroad, the UK Customs authority inspects your shipment and calculates the customs charges you need to pay for your import. Once they arrive in the UK, your goods will be classified using the tariff codes and released from customs after the clearance process.

But before you receive them, Evri will ask you to pay customs charges.

Here’s what you can expect on the receipt.

Customs duty

Customs duty is a tax applied on goods you order from abroad worth more than £135. The tax rate depends on the value, type, and origin of the goods.

A big plus is that the customs duty rate is 0% for goods that have been produced in the EU. This is because the UK and the EU signed something called the Rules of Origin Agreement as part of the Brexit negotiations.

We always recommend asking the seller to attach a customs declaration form with the shipment to make sure you get that 0% preferential duty rate.

It’s good to know that the customs duty is also charged on gifts from abroad worth over £39.

Import VAT

Import VAT is another tax you need to pay if your order exceeds £135 for Evri to deliver your parcel.

The import VAT rate is usually 20% of the total value of the order, including the value of goods, shipping costs, insurance and any payable customs duty.

Import tax is applied to all goods above the threshold value, no matter the country they originate from. 

Excise duty

Customs officials charge a special duty rate for goods such as tobacco and alcohol, whether couriers deliver them as gifts or not. The UK government introduced excise duty to reduce the purchase of harmful products from outside the country.

Even if you return these items abroad, HMRC won’t refund the excise duty.

Calculate Evri customs charges upfront

Not everyone will know in advance what sort of customs duty charges they’ll owe once a parcel lands on UK shores. But for an accurate estimate, we’ve created an import duty calculator. All you have to do is enter the type and value of your goods and choose a courier. You will get an estimate of customs charges in just a few seconds.

If you’ve already bought something outside the UK and plan to return the items to the retailer, you can also use the calculator to give you an estimate of import duties you could get back from HMRC. 

What if you need to return the parcel?

If you need to return a parcel abroad, you can use Evri to send it. 

Make sure to wrap up the goods so they don’t get damaged in transit and fill out the customs declaration form. 

Returning your parcel with Evri

To start the process, you need to confirm the return with the retailer. Evri will ask you for an order reference number, email address, and a reason for returning the package. Then it’s up to you to choose the return method.

Evri offers three options:

  1. ParcelShop drop-off


EVRI has more than 7,000 + ParcelShops across the UK, which you can find in corner shops, kiosks, petrol stations and independent businesses. You can print the label at home and book the return of the goods online or use their Print ParcelShop device if the return is free.

ParcelShops are convenient because they are open seven days a week, often with extended opening hours. 

You can find your closest Evri ParcelShop on their map. 

  1. Locker drop-off:

You also have a choice to drop your parcel at one of their 3,000+ locker locations. You will need to print the return label at home.

Here’s how to use an Evri Locker drop-off:

  1. Book return online using the Evri app
  2. Select the nearest Locker location
  3. Scan the barcode on the shipping label 
  4. Put the parcel in the locker, and the courier will pick it up

The locker door will open automatically. If you need a bigger locker for your parcel, you can click ‘“too small” on the screen, and they will open a locker in a different size.

You can choose between Standard delivery and the Next day delivery.

  1. Courier collection

You can also choose an option for a courier to collect your parcel at any address. This may work for larger packages. Their working hours are Monday-Friday from 8 am to 8 pm and from 8am to 6 pm on Saturdays. Evri doesn’t collect on Sundays or holidays.

To book a courier, you need to fill out a form with:

  • The postcodes you’d like to return your parcel to
  • Your parcel’s weight

You will also need to select a courier collection and delivery service. The courier collection is a bit more expensive than ParcelShop and Locker drop-off.

Reclaiming customs charges on returned goods

If you need to return a purchase abroad, you should be able to get a refund on your import duty and VAT from HMRC.

To be eligible for a refund, you need to meet these two criteria:

  1. It should be less than 365 days since you returned the parcel
  2. The amount of your initial order can’t be less than £135

You can also reclaim customs charges in these cases:

  • If you paid customs charges, but you didn’t receive your item
  • If you didn’t receive a full refund from the seller
  • If you received a refund from the seller, but you didn’t return the item
  • If you decided to return just one item from the order initially worth more than £135

There are two ways to initiate the claim and get a refund:

  1. Reclaim import charges with HMRC
  2. Reclaim import charges with Duty Refunds

If you decide to do this on your own, be ready to invest some time to complete the process. You will need to collect the paperwork – a customs clearance letter from the courier and proof of returned goods from the seller, and then fill out the HMRC C285 form.

Once you have everything ready, gather the paperwork, print out the form, and post it to HMRC. It could take them weeks to process your request, and your claim will be rejected if you make any mistake.

Luckily, a much more convenient option to reclaim customs charges is with Duty Refunds.

How to reclaim customs charges with Duty Refunds 

Duty Refunds is the UK’s leading import VAT and customs duty refund specialist. We can help you recover your import duties if you return your parcel abroad.

To start the process, all we need from you is some basic information about your order and your tracking or waybill number. Once you complete our online form, we will confirm your eligibility and start working on your claim.

We will ask you to upload some courier documents so that we can gather all the needed information. If you don’t have them, we’ll work with the courier you used to collect the paperwork.

Once everything is ready, we will submit your claim to HMRC. The entire process takes about 3-6 weeks, after which you’ll receive a refund in your bank account.

We charge you a service fee of 15% of the total refund amount. This only paid after HMRC approves your claim. 

FAQs

How long do Evri returns take?

Evri says that most international deliveries take between 3-7 days, but that you should leave 14 for the seller to process the return. 

If you haven’t heard anything from the seller after 14 days, you may want to start an investigation process for your parcel.

In this case, you have two options:

  1. If the return was free, ask your seller to start an investigation on your behalf
  2. If not, contact Evri customer service to start the investigation on your own.

Is Evri the same as Hermes?

Yes, Hermes rebranded to Evri on 11 March, 2022.

Where do I return Evri parcels?

Evri offers three options to return your parcel:

  1. ParcelShop drop-off
  2. Locker drop-off
  3. Courier collection

Why is there a customs charge on my parcel?

HMRC charges customs duty on imported goods. If your import is worth over £135, you will be charged import duty and VAT.

Before the courier company delivers a parcel to you, they will send you the payment instructions for the customs charges. You need to clear the bill to receive the parcel.

What happens if my Evri parcel is not delivered?

If you aren’t at the address at the time of delivery, the courier will try to deliver it three more times on different days. If the courier can’t deliver your packagecop for any reason, they will return it to the seller’s address.

If the courier has not delivered your parcel, you need to inform your seller about this case so they can contact Evri customer service.