Claiming A Refund For A Customs Fee Paid On A Returned Item

Up until a couple of weeks ago this was a new one on me....yes having to pay a Customs fee on a returned item, in other words having to pay import VAT on my own item to get it back!

I'm totally aware of the Customs charge that has to be paid on items imported into the UK from outside the EU that have a value of more than £15 but when a customer from the US asked if she could return a silver bangle recently as it was too large and she wanted a smaller size of course I said yes that's fine, just send it back and I'll get a smaller size made. She was happy to pay another shipping charge for the replacement so all I had to do was wait for it to arrive...

It wasn't until the postman left a card informing me there was a customs charge to pay on something - I wasn't sure what it was at that point and thought maybe I'd forgotten I'd bought something lovely.....then it suddenly dawned on me what it was for. The returned bangle! So after feeling quite annoyed and thinking the profit on this bangle is slowly disappearing, I then thought that surely you shouldn't have to pay a Customs charge on a returned item. I decided to investigate....

After a quick bit of Googling I found a form to download on the GOV.UK website. The form is BOR286 and can be used if you believe that "Customs Duty or import VAT has been incorrectly calculated on your imported item" or if like me you've paid a charge on a returned item.

It's just a one page form and you need to send all the labels attached to the package by Customs {I just sent the whole packaging!}, plus proof of the sale and that the item is a return.
I sent the form and all the proof they asked for to the Border Force address and had a reply about a week later to tell me they would refund the Customs charge - great! The don't refund the Royal Mail £8.00 handling charge however which is understandable as that isn't anything to do with them and was actually more than the Customs fee I paid {how annoying!} Still at least I'll get something back.

So what could I have done to avoid this? Asking my customer to mark the customs form she attached to the package as "returned goods" which obviously never occurred to me. But now I know and if it ever happens again I'll make sure I do just that.

Copyright © 2015 Cinnamon Jewellery. All rights reserved.

New Designs - Enamel Earrings And Copper Bangles

I've been trying out some new designs with my enamel earrings recently by combining a layer of etched copper and a layer of enamel beneath it. The copper layer has pierced out sections which allow the enamel colour to show through as the earrings are worn. I've made just two pairs for now in orange and blue and it's possible the design idea may evolve if I think hard enough about it....... :D

I've also made a few new copper bangle designs partly as a result of a custom order for two bangles in sterling silver. Having copper wire meant I could try out what my customer was asking for using a less expensive metal first until a decision was made.
This inspired me to make a couple of new designs and an improved version of a recent addition to my bangle-ing enterprises.
The first is a hammered copper bangle made from 4mm round wire.

I kept the round shape by hammering the texture before the bangle was soldered {which was quite a lot of hammering!} instead of what I normally do which is to solder the wire then hammer the texture when the bangle is on the bangle mandrel which results in the wire being flattened slightly. The result is a lovely chunky, substantial bangle.

The second new design is a triple set of textured bangles with three rounded square shape rings linking them together.

I also made another loopy bangle this time making sure I had enough wire to form 7 loops instead of the 6 loops I made with the first attempt. The loops are also more upright than the first bangle.
I think it looks like a little copper tiara.......

Having an odd number of loops in the new version means the straight part of the wire is at the same level at either end of the loops rather than at opposite points as it was with the first attempt you can see in the photos here...

I'm very tempted to make a bangle that is almost entirely loops with a small section of straight wire for the join. I think that idea might need a bit of tweaking and the copper wire a lot of annealing but I'm sure it will be do-able!

Copyright © 2015 Cinnamon Jewellery. All rights reserved.

A New Copper Loop Bangle And How I Made It

I started making copper bangles sort of by accident. I had some thick gauge copper wire and didn't know what to do one night at a jewellery class I was at so decided to experiment. And I haven't looked back. They have proved to be very popular especially with men buying gifts for their copper wedding anniversary -  usually leaving it to the last minute! 

So it makes sense to expand on the designs I make which is why I experimented with this loop bangle recently. I cut a length of 2.6mm {10g} round copper wire and annealed it so it would be easier to shape. I guessed the length I would need - I had no idea how long the wire would need to be at this point. I used a bezel mandrel to form the loops starting at the centre point of the wire.

I had enough wire to form six loops with some left for the straight section. I annealed the wire again and hammered the curved sections then used a texturing hammer to add some pattern to the loops and the straight wire.

The next step was to solder the loops at the point where they touched each other. This would give the bangle stability. Without thinking I bent the ends of the wire up then realized I'd bent them the wrong way! I wanted to solder on the back of the loops {what would become the inside of the bangle} to minimize the amount of solder getting onto the front textured side of the wire. * I've since realized I didn't need to bend the ends of the wire at all, I can still solder the loops with the straight bits sticking out at either end!* ** Edited {again!} to add the reason I bent the wires in the first place was so the bangle would fit in my pickle pot - I knew there was a reason :D

I overcame my slightly senile moment by building a mini mountain from broken bits of soldering block so the wire ends could hang over the edges.

After soldering. 

A bit of clean up to do but most of it's on the smooth side so not too difficult to do.

After cleaning up the solder joins I straightened the wire and cut the bangle the right length for a medium size.

  

Flux applied and ready for soldering the join.

The bangle cleaned up and shaped before oxidizing in LOS.

 It was the prototype after all and it would look better with another loop. I always think an odd number looks better than an even number with things decorative. I've worked out the length of wire I need to start with to allow for that plus next time I need the get the loops a bit more upright and graduated in size which will hopefully stop the bangle sitting at an angle as much.

But for a first attempt I'm happy with it and it's just been listed on Etsy. I can see a few decorative options for the design too - I'm thinking silver balls and possibly coils.... :D

Hallmarked!

A bit late but this is the hallmark for my sterling silver bangles! I was so excited to see it when my bangles arrived back from the London Assay Office. I asked for a 3D laser mark as big as they thought suitable as my stamp is quite small at 0.75mm. I'm pleased to say I've sold a few of the hallmarked bangles too!

Copyright © 2015 Cinnamon Jewellery. All rights reserved.