Locky boxes

You may have noticed that Locky boxes are appearing everywhere, mainly in supermarkets. They are free to use and very convenient, especially if you live in an area not easily served by CTT or the courier companies. Also, very useful if you are not always at home. But how do you use them? Some online retailers offer to deliver to Locky boxes, others don’t, as yet. Amazon Spain seems to offer this, but it’s complicated to set up.

There is a better way, but you will need to be patient to set it up. It took me thirty minutes, but once done, it’s easy to use for all deliveries.

Locky will allow you to register and set up a ‘virtual’ address. You will need to choose which Locky boxes you wish to have your order delivered to, and CTT will then set up a ‘virtual’ address for you, it’s in Lisbon, but the system tracks where you want to receive your delivery.

You will get a text to your registered phone, and you just need to enter the PIN to open the box where your delivery is. The instruction screen at the Locky boxes are also in English, so once you have navigated the CTT Locky site and set everything up, the rest should be simple.

The site you need is https://www.locky.pt/home/como-utilizar/enviar/ and it’s probably best described as ‘user hostile’ but it's worth persisting. Once you have done it, you won’t have to do it again. You will need to register, supply all your information, including your mobile number, and then choose the nearest and most convenient Locky boxes for you.

The system will give you a virtual address, (it’s in the main sorting office in Lisbon) be sure to write it down! The site doesn’t offer English, but Google Translate will help, or a Portuguese-speaking friend. Be sure to exactly enter the address you are supplied with. Order from whichever supplier or online shop you like and simply use your unique Locky Box address.

How to beat Brexit and UK packages to Portugal

Since Brexit, it has been almost impossible to buy anything from the UK, but many companies have resolved this problem. If your order costs £135 or less when you buy online, you shouldn’t face any additional fees on top of the order price or any import duties. Any VAT charges at this point should be clearly listed on the receipt or invoice but it’s a bit complicated to prove the value of that VAT has been paid in the UK

This is what the EU rules say. If the value of the gift is £39 or less - import VAT, customs duty and handling fees should not apply.

Between £39 and £135 - the 20% rate of import VAT applies to the total cost of the item and shipping. As you’re paying import VAT you may also have to pay courier handling fees but you won’t have to pay customs duty as the gift’s value is below the £135 threshold for items.

Over £135 - at this point, customs duty will kick in in addition to import VAT and courier handling fees. The same as if you bought the item(s) yourself.


Many UK retailers getting wise to these rules

Many UK retailers have now customised their postage systems in order to offer safety and customs are paid and quoted before delivery. For example, eBay says “If your seller is posting your item through eBay International Shipping, you'll pay for postage and VAT, if it applies, at checkout. I have tried this, and it works very well, and everything is quoted and subsequently paid in advance.

Royal Mail offers a service with customs, if applicable, pre-paid. According to their site. “For those customers who are not IOSS registered, are sending items valued above €150 or would rather navigate customs clearance upfront we offer a Postal Delivery Duties Paid Solution (PDDP) to a limited, but growing list of EU destinations. (Portugal included) Postal Delivery Duties Paid (PDDP) is a service whereby duties are handled by Royal Mail and the overseas delivery partner so that the recipient does not incur any additional cost at the doorstep. Instead, VAT and duties are calculated and collected at the point of sale and paid to the EU tax authorities via Royal Mail”.

Amazon UK offers a similar service. For deliveries of goods sold or fulfilled by Amazon to the EU, you will either be charged VAT or an Import Fees Deposit at checkout. The price you are charged will not increase post-checkout unless you are a business customer.

Other companies, such as the popular vitamin supplement supplier, Healthspan have adapted other means to deliver quickly and without customs problems or charges, they seem to ship via Holland. It works.

Check out what your preferred UK company can now offer

It’s quite obvious that many UK companies have now found a way to work with Brexit conditions. What was a problem now isn’t to any degree. If you are buying anything from the UK under the VAT included price of £135 you shouldn’t experience delays or customs charges, as long as your chosen company knows how to properly label your order. If the company you want to order from isn’t sure how to do this, tell them to use Royal Mail, they seem to know how it’s done.

Author

Resident in Portugal for 50 years, publishing and writing about Portugal since 1977. Privileged to have seen, firsthand, Portugal progress from a dictatorship (1974) into a stable democracy. 

Paul Luckman