Buying from china into UK as private individual. Seller asking for EORI

I am a private buyer and trying to buy a sewer pipe camera from aliexpress (£350). The seller has contacted me asking for an EORI. Everything I've researched tells me that because it's for personal use and is not a controlled good means I do not need an EORI. Can they just ship it and then when it gets to customs, customs contact me to tell me what I need to pay to have it delivered and for any other charges?

As a private individual you definitely don’t need an EORI number to import into the UK. The customs declaration should instead just mention your name and address. Goods are customs cleared by a customs agent so it is they who will notify you of the charges due . There will be customs duty and import VAT. Check with the seller what arrangements they have for customs clearance in the UK. You may find you need to sort out the UK customs clearance agent yourself.

If I did need to sort out customs clearance agent how would I go about that? Anytime I've previously bought something from abroad I just get contacted by a delivery company about any charges to pay before they deliver it.

If the goods are being sent by one of the courier companies such as FedEx, UPS, DPD etc they will also do the customs clearance part as well as delivery. They will usually advise what to pay as they pay HMRC on your behalf. It difficult to advise if you don’t know how the goods are being shipped to you. If needed You can check the internet for customs clearance agents or use the HMRC list. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/appoint-someone-to-deal-with-customs-on-your-behalf https://www.gov.uk/guidance/list-of-customs-agents-and-fast-parcel-operators

I've checked the tracking and it's UPS Expedited. So that sounds good at least. Bit surprising that people/companies shipping stuff all over the world don't know the details on customs clearance/EORI requirements etc Thanks for the help. I'll have a look at customs clearance options just in case it does come to that.

If it’s UPS then they will most likely do the customs clearance. There isn’t a universal customs requirement as each country has its own rules and regulations and registration requirements . For every shipment there is a declaration to the country the goods are leaving and a declaration to the country they arrive at. A commercial importer into the UK does require an EORI which is a registration number to identify them so these overseas sellers are probably aware of that and ask as routine..

Hi,
You do not need an EORI number if you are moving goods that are both:
•    not controlled goods
•    for personal use only
Get an EORI number
Thank you.

Hi david bostock,
You will be contacted by Royal Mail, Parcelforce or the courier company if you need to pay any VAT, duty or delivery charges (‘handling fees’) to receive your goods.
They will send you a bill stating exactly which fees you need to pay.
They will normally hold your parcel for about 3 weeks.
If you have not paid the bill by then, your parcel will be returned to the sender.
Tax and customs for goods sent from abroad
Thank you.
 

Quick update. UPS delivered the package a few days ago. No customs/delivery charges which was a surprise.