BBC News
By Lucy Hooker
image captionLili Piraki was sent earrings from Greece, but had to pay to receive them
A couple of weeks ago Lili Piraki, a London-based journalist, was surprised by a text out of the blue from delivery firm DHL.
She was delighted to hear a friend had sent her a present: a pair of gold earrings from Greece. She was less impressed that she would have to pay nearly £30 in taxes to receive the gift.
The extra charges are a result of new post-Brexit rules that came into force on 1 January.
Despite the free trade deal agreed before Christmas, which promised to smooth the UK s exit from the EU, new taxes and charges now apply to almost everything that goes back and forth between the two, including gifts, second hand items, products bought on Amazon or eBay and from private sellers.