These rules only apply to sales by professionals to private persons (B2C).
For example, an online purchase made by a Belgian consumer on a British or Chinese platform:
Please verify whom you buy from and especially whether the VAT and the import duties are included in the selling price, so as to avoid any surprises. Check your order and your invoice!
More info on the website of the Federal Public Service Finance: for private individuals // video private individuals
A shipment coming from a country outside the European Union can be subject to a check and various duties and fees: VAT, import duties (also called “customs duties”) and excise duties (only on specific products such as alcohol, tobacco, etc.).
“Customs formalities” are administrative formalities concerning the collection of the various duties and fees.
Some Internet traders give an estimation of the customs duties and formalities beforehand as soon as the order is placed.
Some postal operators will ask a compensation for performing those customs formalities, payable in addition to the duties and fees; others have already integrated those costs in the fixed costs of their products/services.
Yes, provided that there is an interruption of at least 8 hours.
Operators are - in the case of a financial compensation - free to determine the way in which they grant the compensation (this can be a credit note for instance, or it can be in the form of a discount on the amount of the fee on the invoice).
They have to communicate the manner of their choice to the end-users in a transparent manner.
When operators wish to compensate the subscribers (or users of prepaid cards) affected in kind (e.g. a free movie), they have to communicate this clearly and give the end-users the choice between this form or a financial compensation.