Need Help Shipping Camera Outside US to UK

[Kumachrome]

Hello, hope this is the correct forum for this.
Anyway, some backstory: I'm attempting to ship my Leica M2 for a paint and CLA service by Cameraworks-UK. I used USPS. Everything was smooth until customs got a hold of it. It was held for about 14 days in customs, then cleared, finally. Arrives at their local post office and has some customs charges and VAT that needs to be paid. Now, the thing is, unless Cameraworks can sort them out, it will likely be shipped back to me. If this is the case, I was hoping you all could give me some tips on properly shipping my camera. Keep in mind, none of this has been Cameraworks' fault. They have been extremely helpful with the whole situation and have kept me updated on everything. Very nice people with excellent customer service.
So, for my US friends who may have shipped things to the UK: how did you get it through smoothly? I noticed on the USPS customs form that there was no lines to fill out commodity codes or anything like that. Moreover, did you write "repair and return" under "reason for export?"
Any tips would be appreciated so that if I need to reship it, it'll go smoothly. Should I suck it up and pay the extra money and use USPS or Fedex?

 

[Huss]

When I shipped my Nikon F2s to Sover Wong in the UK, I clearly wrote on the slip that the camera was being sent for service and was going to be sent back to me. Otherwise the UK customs people want to tax it. I used FedEx.

 

[Vince Lupo]

Yes I think you need to indicate that the camera is being sent for repair and will be returned (I believe you can write on the Customs form something to that effect), thereby avoiding any tax or duty.

 

[sepiareverb]

I've got a lens going to them currently sitting still in Customs. They have recently said on their FB page (the day after I sent my lens) that shipping by USPS is not recommended, as the contractor that the Post Office uses is the problem. UPS or Fed-Ex etc. have a different means of going through customs.

I had been given the correct codes and descriptions to use, and noted 'for repair and return' on the paperwork but the package is stranded nonetheless.

 

[Kumachrome]

sepiareverb, where did you fill in the information for the commodity codes? I couldn't find any lines for that on the customs form that USPS gave me.

 

[sepiareverb]

I placed them in the description of contents area. There was no particular place for them that I found either.