Customs

General Information

What are customs fees?
Customs fees are taxes, duties and administrative charges that may apply when goods enter a different customs territory.
Depending on the destination and shipment, they can include customs duty, import VAT or GST, customs-clearance charges, brokerage fees, postal handling fees or carrier administration fees.
Not every parcel will attract every type of charge. Taxes or other amounts shown and collected at checkout are separate from any additional import-related charges unless checkout expressly states that those charges have also been prepaid.
How can I reduce the possibility of customs fees?
The best way to reduce the possibility of import charges is to choose a product that can be produced within the customs region of your delivery destination whenever possible.
For example, a customer in Romania can look for products that are available from an EU production location, while a customer in the United States can look for products produced within the United States customs region.
Use our Shipping From... page to browse products by production location and customs region.
Producing a product within your customs region generally reduces international customs processing, but it cannot guarantee that every local tax, fee or special-territory charge will be avoided.
Why do governments impose customs fees?
Governments impose customs fees for several reasons. They may use them to create public revenue, protect local industries from certain imported products, support economic or geopolitical policies, enforce sanctions, and stabilize markets.
Customs systems are also used to verify the value and classification of goods, collect trade statistics, prevent prohibited products from entering a country and check compliance with local safety or product rules.
What is the difference between customs duty, import VAT, sales tax and handling fees?
Customs duty is a tariff applied to certain imported goods.
Import VAT or GST is a consumption tax that may apply when goods enter the destination customs territory.
Brokerage, clearance or handling fees are administrative charges that may be added by a courier, postal operator or customs representative for processing an international shipment.
These are separate types of charges even when they appear together on the same payment request.
When can customs fees arise?
Customs charges may arise when a parcel enters a customs territory different from the one in which it was produced or dispatched.
Castle Of Gifts works with production partners in several countries. Some products can be produced in several locations, while others are available from only one production region.
Open the Shipping section on each product page to see the production locations currently associated with that product.
You can also use the Shipping From... page to find products that are available from production locations within your customs region.
Do customs fees apply to every international order?
No.
Customs treatment depends on the customs territories involved, the product type, value, origin, production or dispatch location and the rules in force at the destination.
Products moving within the same customs territory will often avoid normal import customs processing. Products entering from another customs territory may be subject to import charges.
Some territories also have special VAT, customs or local-tax rules even when they are politically connected to a larger country or region.
For more detailed information, see our Customs & Import Fees Guide.
Can customs fees apply even after I have paid for shipping?
Yes.
Your shipping charge covers the transportation and fulfilment-related delivery costs shown at checkout. It does not automatically include customs duty, import VAT or GST, brokerage, clearance or carrier handling charges imposed separately during import.
If import charges have been prepaid, checkout or the relevant shipping documentation should indicate this.
Are customs fees charged by Castle Of Gifts?
Usually not.
Post-dispatch customs charges are generally assessed or collected by the destination customs authority, postal operator, courier or customs representative.
Castle Of Gifts does not determine those amounts and does not receive payments made directly to those third parties.
How will Castle Of Gifts warn me when customs charges may apply?
Castle Of Gifts compares the production locations available for each product with the customs region associated with your delivery destination.
When a product may be produced outside your customs region, a Customs Information notice may appear on the product page after you add the product to your cart.
The warning can also appear in the cart and during checkout when one or more products in the order may be produced outside your customs region.
The notice does not mean that you will definitely be charged customs fees. It means that additional import charges are possible depending on the actual fulfilment route, parcel and destination rules.

Who Pays Customs Charges? 

Who is responsible for paying customs duties: the seller or the customer?

Unless a particular import charge is expressly included or prepaid at checkout, the recipient is responsible for customs duties, import taxes, customs-clearance charges, brokerage fees or carrier handling charges requested by the destination authority or delivery provider.

Because customs charges vary by destination and shipment, customers should check the import rules applicable to their delivery destination before ordering.

You can use the Shipping From... page to find products with production options within your customs region.

Are customs charges included in the product price? 

Not automatically.

The product price does not automatically include customs duties, brokerage fees, postal handling charges or other amounts that may be assessed when a parcel is imported.

Taxes or other charges displayed at checkout are included only to the extent specifically shown in the order total.

Any additional customs-related charges requested after dispatch remain separate unless checkout expressly states that they were prepaid.

Are customs charges included in the shipping charge?

No, unless checkout expressly states otherwise.

The shipping charge covers the delivery service shown during checkout.

Customs duty, import taxes, brokerage, customs-clearance, storage or carrier administration charges may be assessed separately.

Can the recipient be required to pay customs charges? 

Yes.

When customs charges or additional information are required, the courier, postal operator, customs representative or customs authority may contact the person named as the recipient.

The recipient may need to make a payment or provide documents before the parcel can be released or delivered.

What happens if I send an order directly as a gift? 

An item purchased from Castle Of Gifts remains a commercial purchase even if you intend to give it to someone as a gift.

The recipient may therefore be contacted regarding customs clearance or import charges, and customs documentation may show the genuine value and description of the goods.

Sending an ecommerce purchase as a gift does not automatically make it eligible for private gift exemptions.

What should customers in the European Union know about low-value imports?

The former general customs-duty exemption for ecommerce imports with a value of up to €150 ended on 1 July 2026.

Qualifying low-value ecommerce consignments entering the European Union from outside the EU are now subject to the EU's temporary €3 customs-duty mechanism.

The mechanism is applied according to the customs declaration and tariff classification of the goods and should not be interpreted as an automatic €3 payment charged directly to every customer.

Import VAT, customs procedures and carrier or postal handling charges may also apply depending on the shipment and the arrangements used for import.

Products produced and delivered within the EU customs area generally avoid this international import process.

How Customs Fees Are Calculated 

How are customs fees calculated? 

Customs authorities use different calculation methods.

Factors may include:

  • the declared or transaction value;

  • product classification;

  • country of origin;

  • production or dispatch country;

  • delivery destination;

  • materials;

  • quantity or weight;

  • applicable tariff rate;

  • applicable VAT or GST rate; and

  • available exemptions or trade arrangements.

The final assessment belongs to the relevant customs authority or authorized customs representative, not Castle Of Gifts.

What is a product-classification-based customs calculation?

Different products can be assigned different customs or tariff classifications and may therefore be subject to different rates.

For example, clothing, printed paper products, decorations, accessories and household goods can fall under different tariff categories.

This means that two products with the same retail value do not necessarily create the same customs charge.

What is a percentage-of-imported-value calculation? 
Some charges are calculated as a percentage of the customs value. For example, if goods are declared at $350 and the applicable duty is 10%, the customs duty may be calculated as $35, before any import tax or courier fees are added. We have put together an international guide with the procedures for each country.
What is a per-pound or weight-based rate? 
Some customs systems or product categories can use a charge based partly on weight, quantity or another physical unit. This means that the amount can increase according to the weight or number of imported products. We have put together an international guide with the procedures for each country.
Can Castle Of Gifts tell me the exact customs cost before I order?

No.

We cannot reliably calculate charges imposed by every customs authority or carrier.

Rates, thresholds, exchange rates, tariff classifications, trade arrangements and carrier fees can change.

Our customs notices are designed to tell you when import charges may be possible, not to calculate the final amount.

For an estimate, consult the official customs or tax authority for your delivery destination.

Does the declared value affect customs fees? 
Yes. Customs authorities commonly use the declared or transaction value as part of the calculation. They may request an invoice or payment confirmation if the declared value is unclear or appears inaccurate.
Does the country where the product is made or shipped from affect the charge? 

Yes.

The country of origin, production location and dispatch location can affect customs treatment, tariff classification, available trade preferences and the route through which a parcel enters the destination.

The Shipping section of each product page lists the production locations currently associated with that product.

If several production locations are listed, the actual fulfilment location may depend on the delivery destination, availability, production capacity and the fulfilment system used by the production partner.

Castle Of Gifts cannot guarantee that a particular production country will be selected unless the product page expressly states otherwise.

Use the Shipping From... page to identify products that have production options within your customs region.

Where can I obtain an estimate? 

Use the official customs or tax authority website for your delivery destination or contact that authority directly.

Postal operators and couriers may also provide import-cost calculators or information about brokerage and customs-clearance fees.

Any estimate should be treated as guidance because the final amount can depend on the actual parcel, tariff classification and customs assessment.

How Customs Charges Are Collected

How are duties collected? 
The importer or carrier declares the products and their value to customs. The customs office assesses the goods and calculates any required charges when the parcel reaches the border or import facility.
The customs authority may collect the amount directly, or the courier or postal operator may collect it on the authority’s behalf. If payment is not made, the parcel may be delayed.
When will I be asked to pay? 
Unless a charge is clearly collected during checkout, customs duties and import taxes are normally requested after the parcel reaches the destination country and before or at delivery. The exact stage depends on the local process and carrier.
Who may contact me for payment? 
You may be contacted by the courier, postal operator, customs broker or customs authority through the email address, telephone number or postal address supplied with the order.
Can the courier add a customs-clearance or brokerage fee? 
Yes. A courier may charge for preparing declarations, advancing taxes, presenting the shipment to customs, storing it or communicating with the recipient. Such a fee can apply even when the customs duty itself is zero.
How can I check whether a customs-payment request is genuine? 
Match the sender with the courier named in your shipping confirmation and confirm that the tracking number, recipient and parcel details are correct. Use the carrier’s official website or customer-service number rather than an unverified link in a message.
Should I pay customs charges to Castle Of Gifts?

No.

If a post-dispatch customs payment is required, follow the instructions provided by the official customs authority, postal operator, courier or authorized customs representative handling the parcel.

Castle Of Gifts does not request separate customs payments after dispatch.

Always verify payment requests through the carrier's or customs authority's official website before paying.

Will my parcel be delivered before customs charges are paid? 
Usually not. The parcel can be held until payment and any required documentation are received. Holding periods may be limited, so please respond promptly.

Customs Documentation

What information is shown on a customs declaration? 
A customs declaration may include the sender and recipient, product description, quantity, value, weight, country of origin, tariff classification, shipment purpose and tax or registration references required for the route.
Why must the product value be declared? 
Customs authorities use the value to calculate duties and taxes, apply exemptions and verify trade information. Incorrectly lowering or hiding the value can lead to delays, reassessment, penalties, seizure or other legal consequences.
Can you declare my order as a gift? 

No.

A product purchased from Castle Of Gifts is a commercial sale and customs information must describe the transaction accurately.

We cannot mark a commercial purchase as a private gift simply to reduce or avoid customs charges.

Can you declare a lower value? 
No. We must provide truthful customs information and cannot understate the price or provide misleading documentation.
Can you remove the value from customs documents? 
No. Even if a retail receipt is not placed inside a parcel, the value may still appear on an electronic declaration, commercial invoice or shipping document where required.
Why might customs ask me for an invoice or proof of payment? 

Customs may request documentation to confirm the value of the goods, identify the products or calculate the applicable charges.

Your Castle Of Gifts order confirmation, receipt or other available purchase document may be used as evidence of the transaction.

Customs Clearance and Delays 

Can customs inspect my parcel?

Yes.

Customs authorities may inspect, scan or open a parcel to verify its declaration, value, classification, safety, restrictions or compliance.

Customs inspections are outside Castle Of Gifts' control.

Can customs clearance delay my order? 
Yes. A parcel may wait for inspection, classification, payment, documentation or release. Customs delays are separate from production and normal transport time.
Why does tracking say that my parcel is held by customs? 
It generally means that the parcel is awaiting routine processing, payment, inspection or additional information. Check the tracking page and your messages for instructions.
Can Castle Of Gifts contact customs on my behalf?

We can provide order-related documents or information that we hold, but the recipient may still need to communicate directly with the customs authority, postal operator or courier.

Some authorities will discuss an import only with the recipient or an authorized representative.

What should I do if the parcel remains in customs for a long time? 

Check the carrier's official tracking page first and contact the carrier or postal operator handling the parcel.

Ask whether payment, identification or additional documentation is required.

If you need an order confirmation or another document available from Castle Of Gifts, contact us with your order number and tracking number.

Multiple Products and Separate Parcels

Can separate parcels from one order be charged separately?

Yes.

Products in one Castle Of Gifts order may be produced by different production partners or in different locations and may therefore arrive as separate parcels.

Customs authorities, postal operators and carriers can process each parcel separately.

This means customs or handling charges may also be assessed separately for different parcels.

Can one order have several customs declarations? 
Yes. When products are produced or shipped separately, each parcel can have its own declaration, tracking number, value and customs decision.
Why might I receive more than one customs-payment request? 
You may receive a separate request for each parcel, carrier or import entry. Match every request to the correct tracking number before paying.
Can items made in different countries have different customs charges? 
Yes. Different origin, value, product category, carrier and import route can lead to different assessments, even when the products were bought in one checkout.

Refused or Unpaid Customs Charges 

What happens if I refuse to pay customs charges? 

The parcel may be held, returned, abandoned or disposed of according to the customs authority's and carrier's rules.

Storage, return, disposal or administration costs may also arise.

Refusing customs charges does not automatically create a right to a refund.

Any refund or other remedy will be handled according to the Castle Of Gifts Returns policy, the parcel's final status and the circumstances of the order.

Will a parcel returned because of unpaid customs charges be sent again?

Reshipping is not automatic.

Contact Castle Of Gifts after the tracking information confirms that the parcel is being returned.

Whether reshipping is possible depends on the product, production partner, parcel status and reason for return.

Additional production, shipping or handling costs may apply.

The applicable outcome will be determined under our Returns policy.

Can I receive a refund if I refuse customs charges? 

Refusing customs charges does not automatically qualify an order for a refund.

Many Castle Of Gifts products are made specifically after an order is placed.

Any refund review therefore depends on our Returns policy, the final parcel status and any costs associated with return, storage, disposal or failed delivery.

Can Castle Of Gifts refund fees collected by customs or a courier?

Normally, no.

Customs duties, import taxes, brokerage fees and carrier handling charges paid directly to third parties are not payments received by Castle Of Gifts.

Questions about the calculation or reimbursement of those amounts should normally be directed to the authority, postal operator or carrier that collected them.

Regional Information 

Do customs charges apply to orders delivered within the European Union? 

Products produced within the EU customs area and delivered to another destination within that customs area generally do not undergo normal import customs processing at an internal EU border.

However, products entering the EU customs area from outside it may be subject to import procedures and applicable charges.

Some European territories have special VAT, customs or local-tax rules and should not automatically be treated in exactly the same way as ordinary EU destinations.

Check our Shipping From... page for the customs-region classification used by Castle Of Gifts.

Can customs charges apply when a product is fulfilled outside the European Union?

Yes.

A parcel entering the EU from a non-EU customs territory may be subject to customs procedures, import VAT, applicable customs duty and postal or carrier handling charges.

Since 1 July 2026, the former general customs-duty exemption for ecommerce consignments valued at up to €150 no longer applies.

For more detailed information about current EU import rules, see our Customs & Import Fees Guide.

Can products in the same order be dispatched from different customs territories? 

Yes.

Castle Of Gifts works with production partners in several locations around the world.

Products in the same order can therefore be produced, packed and dispatched separately, and each parcel can follow its own customs route.

Do the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway and other non-EU countries have separate rules?

Yes.

These destinations have their own customs territories, VAT or tax systems, import thresholds, declarations and carrier procedures.

For the production and customs regions currently used by Castle Of Gifts, check the Shipping From... page.

For exact national import rules, consult the official customs or tax authority for the delivery destination.

Can customs rules change after I place an order? 
Yes. Rates, thresholds, procedures, sanctions and carrier fees can change. Customs normally applies the rules in force when the parcel is imported or cleared.

Contact and Assistance 

What should I do if I receive an unexpected customs charge? 
Check the tracking number, product, amount and identity of the carrier or authority. Ask for a breakdown of duty, tax and carrier fees. If you believe the amount is incorrect, contact the collector before the payment deadline.
Who should I contact about the amount charged? 
Contact the customs authority, courier, postal operator or broker named on the notice. They calculated or collected the charge and can explain the rate, value and fees.
Where can I find the production locations of a product?

Open the Shipping section on the product page.

It lists the production locations currently available for that product.

If several locations are shown, this does not guarantee which location will fulfil your particular order. The actual production facility may depend on your delivery destination, product availability, production capacity and the fulfilment system used by the production partner.

You can also use the Shipping From... page to find products that have production locations within your customs region.

How can I contact Castle Of Gifts?

For general assistance or documents relating to an existing order, use our Contact page or email info@castleofgifts.store.

Include your order number and tracking number where relevant.

We can provide information relating to your Castle Of Gifts order, but the customs authority, postal operator, courier or customs representative remains responsible for the final import assessment.

Customs

General Information 

What are customs fees? 

Customs fees are taxes, duties and administrative charges that may apply when goods enter a different customs territory.

Depending on the destination and shipment, they can include customs duty, import VAT or GST, customs-clearance charges, brokerage fees, postal handling fees or carrier administration fees.

Not every parcel will attract every type of charge. Taxes or other amounts shown and collected at checkout are separate from any additional import-related charges unless checkout expressly states that those charges have also been prepaid.

How can I reduce the possibility of customs fees?

The best way to reduce the possibility of import charges is to choose a product that can be produced within the customs region of your delivery destination whenever possible.

For example, a customer in Romania can look for products that are available from an EU production location, while a customer in the United States can look for products produced within the United States customs region.

Use our Shipping From... page to browse products by production location and customs region.

Producing a product within your customs region generally reduces international customs processing, but it cannot guarantee that every local tax, fee or special-territory charge will be avoided.

Why do governments impose customs fees? 
Governments impose customs fees for several reasons. They may use them to create public revenue, protect local industries from certain imported products, support economic or geopolitical policies, enforce sanctions, and stabilize markets.
Customs systems are also used to verify the value and classification of goods, collect trade statistics, prevent prohibited products from entering a country and check compliance with local safety or product rules.
What is the difference between customs duty, import VAT, sales tax and handling fees? 

Customs duty is a tariff applied to certain imported goods.

Import VAT or GST is a consumption tax that may apply when goods enter the destination customs territory.

Brokerage, clearance or handling fees are administrative charges that may be added by a courier, postal operator or customs representative for processing an international shipment.

These are separate types of charges even when they appear together on the same payment request.

When can customs fees arise? 

Customs charges may arise when a parcel enters a customs territory different from the one in which it was produced or dispatched.

Castle Of Gifts works with production partners in several countries. Some products can be produced in several locations, while others are available from only one production region.

Open the Shipping section on each product page to see the production locations currently associated with that product.

You can also use the Shipping From... page to find products that are available from production locations within your customs region.

Do customs fees apply to every international order? 

No.

Customs treatment depends on the customs territories involved, the product type, value, origin, production or dispatch location and the rules in force at the destination.

Products moving within the same customs territory will often avoid normal import customs processing. Products entering from another customs territory may be subject to import charges.

Some territories also have special VAT, customs or local-tax rules even when they are politically connected to a larger country or region.

For more detailed information, see our Customs & Import Fees Guide.

Can customs fees apply even after I have paid for shipping?

Yes.

Your shipping charge covers the transportation and fulfilment-related delivery costs shown at checkout. It does not automatically include customs duty, import VAT or GST, brokerage, clearance or carrier handling charges imposed separately during import.

If import charges have been prepaid, checkout or the relevant shipping documentation should indicate this.

Are customs fees charged by Castle Of Gifts?

Usually not.

Post-dispatch customs charges are generally assessed or collected by the destination customs authority, postal operator, courier or customs representative.

Castle Of Gifts does not determine those amounts and does not receive payments made directly to those third parties.

How will Castle Of Gifts warn me when customs charges may apply?

Castle Of Gifts compares the production locations available for each product with the customs region associated with your delivery destination.

When a product may be produced outside your customs region, a Customs Information notice may appear on the product page after you add the product to your cart.

The warning can also appear in the cart and during checkout when one or more products in the order may be produced outside your customs region.

The notice does not mean that you will definitely be charged customs fees. It means that additional import charges are possible depending on the actual fulfilment route, parcel and destination rules.