Scam warning for Irish consumers ahead of change to customs charges 

After this month, there will be a customs duty of €3 for each item in a parcel of goods bought online from non-EU countries. File picture

Consumers have been warned of new scams circulating ahead of changes coming into force for customs charges from outside the EU next month.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) also told shoppers who want to escape unexpected bills to order items before July 1 and check delivery dates ahead of the new regime kicking in.

“We saw a spike in scams when Brexit customs changes came in, and we expect to see the same with these new changes,” the watchdog’s director of communications, Grainne Griffin, said.

“Scammers will look to exploit the situation and use it as an opportunity for fraud. All online shoppers should be alert for scam texts and emails.” 

From July 1, consumers who shop online from companies outside the EU, including the UK, will face customs charges on goods valued at €150 or less.

Currently, there is no such customs duty, meaning purchases made on online retailers for less than the amount incur no extra cost from popular e-commerce sites like Temu.

After this month, there will be a customs duty of €3 for each item in a parcel of goods bought online from non-EU countries. 

This could mean a consumer could pay the €3 more than once if buying multiple items.

Some websites may collect it at the point of sale, but others may not, meaning that the consumer may have to pay an extra charge before the goods can be delivered.

When announcing the move, the European Commission said: “This temporary measure responds to the fact that such parcels currently enter the EU duty free, leading to unfair competition for EU sellers, health and safety risks for consumers, high levels of fraud and environmental concerns.” 

The CCPC has warned that this new regime could create fertile ground for scammers to try to dupe consumers, as more deliveries become subject to customs charges and people fall for scam payment links.

It said that any requests for payment that claim to be from Revenue are definitely a scam, as these charges are never paid directly by consumers to the Revenue Commissioners.

An Post has also advised that they will never send you a click-through link to pay charges.

“As consumers, we are most vulnerable to scams when we’re busy or distracted,” Ms Griffin said.

“Treat any text about customs charges with extreme caution. Take your time and don’t rush into paying anything.

“If you pay through a scam link, you’re handing your card details to scammers so you could lose much more than that first payment.” 

Aside from the fraudsters, Ms Griffin also said that purchases made now are subject to the new charges if the package reaches Ireland after June 30.

Consumers should therefore carefully check delivery dates if making purchases from outside the EU from now onwards.

“If customs charges are not paid in advance, then consumers will also have to pay an administrative fee to the delivery company, pushing the overall cost even higher,” she said.

“We are warning consumers to be very careful shopping online this week, and in the coming weeks, to avoid being stung with an unexpected bill from the delivery company.”