Dean Dunham helps reader who was told they have to pay a hidden customs charge

A reader said: I bought a shelving unit online and have received a letter saying I have to pay customs duty as the goods are being shipped from China. I had no idea this was not a UK seller - what are my rights? Dean Dunham replies: As a general rule, you must pay excise duty on goods purchased from outside the UK if they are worth more than £135, and this is collected via the company delivering the goods to you. This is one reason why it is so important to know who you are buying from and where they are based. A new consumer law called the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act - known as the DMCC - particularly focuses on ensuring that traders' actions do not harm UK consumers.