VAT on goods bought online from overseas

Shei

Registered User
Messages
81
A pal of mine got a call from Customs to say they had apprehended €80 worth of goods she had bought online from Hong Kong and that she owed them €20 in VAT. Busted, she paid up, but although Customs said they posted the goods on, she never received them.

She is gutted because Customs say they have no system to provide a receipt to prove they posted it, so she has no way to prove to the post office that it was posted.
She is wondering if it's a one off. Anyone else have this experience/