shipping from usa

[pauldiving]

has anyone bought kit from the usa?

i have been quoted 50 bucks to ship something from florida

any problems with customs slapping large charges ontop...

thanks in advance

[nickb]

HM Customs & Excise have cottoned on to the large amount of revenue available from taxing personal imports.

Whereas you were unlucky to be charged duty & VAT in the past, you're now extremely lucky to get away with it, for expensive stuff at least. I'm guessing that the thing you're thinking about buying is expensive if it's going to cost $50 to ship.

The rates of duty vary and you'd be wise to find out the prevailing rate for the stuff you're after. VAT (at the standard rate of 17.5%) is also added after the addition of duty and shipping.

Oh yes, and the shipping company will be after their pound of flesh too. Expect to be charged around £15 for the privilege of them collecting the tax.

[Johnonthesevern]

If you can (and you didn't hear this from me) get the shop to put warranty repair on the parcel. This would imply that duty had already been paid.

I got stung on my DUI drysuit and was told the warranty repair thing afterwards.

Worth a go.

John

[Ferg3333]

I ordered a camera, had to pay about £40 in import costs and £15 to parcelforce, they would not put warranty repair on he form so expect to pay vat plus £15 on your order

[big_si]

I'm not sure how much the Duty's going to be yet (as it's just clearing customs at the moment) (between 5% and 9% apparently) but the shipping for a large sofa, chair and footstall from New York is $1600

Still the whole lot works out cheaper than buying a similar standard of sofa (just the sofa) over here! Bit of an extravagent holiday souvenir

[NotDeadYet]

Originally Posted by nickb

Oh yes, and the shipping company will be after their pound of flesh too. Expect to be charged around £15 for the privilege of them collecting the tax.

Yep, HM Licensed Pickpocketing plc took £22 tax and Parcelfarce had £13 admin on a small valve from Canada. For what? You even have to pick it up yourself because they won't deliver til it's paid.

On the other hand, I bought a torch from Dive Rite last year worth twice what the valve was worth and didn't pay a bean.

[Whoji]

I have bought many things from the states via the net.
It transpires that not all parcels are value checked. Only a percentage.
Charges are added on to anything over £50 in value that they check.

[Madfish]

Do be aware if you are pulling the old 'warranty repair' thing as DHL will ask for proof of posting to the States in the first place for the repair. There is a space on their humungous form just for that purpose. Also, firms such as DUI etc will have no part in it ..........

Di

[Mal Bridgeman]

I could not advise fraudulent behaviour like suggesting something was a repair when it wasn't ........... but it is important to ensure the correct TARIC code is used to describe the items.

I recently imported a load of stuff from the US and having the correct TARIC code made life a lot easier when HMC&E rather significantly overcharged me.

HTH
Mal

[GLOC]

Yep, when I got some stuff shipped across (2 x strobes worth £1200) I got the guy to put the correct TARIC code and nothing appeared