Woman left stunned after being charged an extra £82 for £200 coat because of Brexit

A surprised online shopper represented a cautionary tale for some after bargain-hunting turned into a costly ordeal in the post-Brexit economy.

Londoner Ellie Huddleston was stunned to discover that she would have to pay an extra £82 in charges after ordering a £200 coat online as a treat to herself during January sales.

She told the BBC she had picked up the items from European fashion brands – only to discover the bargain prices came with many hidden extra costs.

The 26-year-old was told she needed to pay more charges to receive the parcels, from two separate orders – coming to a total of £140 – on the additional customs duties and VAT that now apply to goods sent to the UK from EU countries.

Huddleston caught unaware of the fact that those rules have changed since the UK's official exit, the BBC said.

"I had no idea at all I was going to be charged any more for deliveries after Brexit. The extra costs were definitely a bit of a shock," she said. When the UK was part of the European Union's customs union, goods could move freely between the country and other member states without import taxes being charged.

Another customer, Graeme from Manchester, faced a similar experience – he paid £300 to buy two pairs of winter boots from a German store and was hit by a £147 charge before the boots were delivered.

"It was virtually impossible to find out what the charges would be beforehand," he told the BBC. "I didn't imagine that it would be half as much again."

Sharing the story on Twitter, MP Ed Davey wrote that Boris Johnson’s trade deal is the “only trade deal is history to put up barriers to trade, increase red tape for business, raise costs to consumers”.

While some commented on the story that this was just a sign that people should only shop in the UK, others shared their own experiences dealing with the new taxation rules following Brexit.

Either way, as annoying as it seems, no one should really be that surprised. As one user put it, “We got what we voted for. This is the consequence of leaving the EU.”

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