Importing from the US - an example

[dedee]

I have been looking at the costs of an 8"x3" DMT Duosharp Whetstone from the UK and Woodcraft.com in the USA.

UK prices appear to be from £99.99 Stakiesharp - but no online ordering & no delivery prices.
Axminster are £117 (free delivery) and Machine Mart £93.94 (£101.93 inc delivery but I could collect from local store)

Woodcraft costs are as follows

$85 x 1.7 exc rate 56.66
Shipping (USPS) 12.00
VAT @17.5% x 56.66 9.91
Import Duty (can it be more than 10%) 5.66*
Royal Mail Clearance charge 13.50

Total 97.73

I have looked around the HMCE site & it seems that access to the Import Duty Tariff list is by subscription only. I would interested to know what import duties have been paid by people here.

I have bought items from the US in the past when I could not find the same product here in the UK. But if the above figures are anywhere near correct ( please do not hesitate to let me know) then buying, at least, lower value items from the states is not economical unless the catalogue price is somewhat less than 50% of the uk price

Andy

 

[gidon]

Andy

I have been looking at the costs of an 8"x3" DMT Duosharp Whetstone from the UK and Woodcraft.com in the USA.

You and me both!!

The news I got from the chap on the sharpening stand at Yandles was that Starkiesharp has gone bust! Not sure if this is true.

The cheapest I found them was at DM-tools (I got the extra coarse / fine one) - and they stock the full range. I too got the same quote from Woodcraft. And amazon.com have them for an amazing $54! But won't ship to the UK.

When I looked up the import duty it was about 5% - but others I'm sure will have first hand experience.

Cheers

Gidon

 

[Chris Knight]

I have had a variety of experiences with stuff ffrom the States involving duty, no duty etc etc.

The best experiences have been when having stuff shipped by USPS (Postal Service NOT UPS the carriers!!) and in general on these occasions there has been nothing to pay when the cost in the US was less than $100.

 

[dedee]

Gidon

The news I got from the chap on the sharpening stand at Yandles was that Starkiesharp has gone bust! Not sure if this is true.

I rang the number onthe webpage & got a voicemail from Richard Starkie & a mobile number. The mobile appears to be switched off.

Chris,
Even with no import duty there is little or no saving. Have you had to pay the VAT and Royal Mail clearance charges?

Andy

 

[Rattie]

I only buy from the states when there is either a massive saving or the product is not (yet) available in the UK. Buying in the UK adds significant consumer rights benefits - especially when buying online due to the distance selling laws. Not to mention you get your stuff quicker.

Waterhead37 is sopt on about USPS. Couriers will always pony up the taxes at the port, and charge the recipient a wedge for doing so. USPS parcels are subject to the whim of customs, and most often go through without taxation.

Martyn

 

[dedee]

Martyn,
are you suggesting that I am likely NOT to be charged either VAT nor import duty & possibly, therefore, not Royal Mail's clearance charge as well?

Andy

 

[Chris Knight]

Even with no import duty there is little or no saving. Have you had to pay the VAT and Royal Mail clearance charges?

Andy,
generally not with USPS

 

[Vormulac]

I have bought plenty from the states in the past and been regularly battered with all manner of taxes, fees and other treasury kick-backs. Apparently you will pay import duty on anything that is valued over £27 - whether you pay anything further for clearance or whatever appears to be on a whim.
The only time I ever managed to actually get an item imported without the government going through my pockets was when the dealer stateside had the presence of mind to list it as 'Value $0 - warrenty replacement'.

 

[Michael S]

I have looked around the HMCE site & it seems that access to the Import Duty Tariff list is by subscription only. I would interested to know what import duties have been paid by people here.

I don't see how HMCE can get away with charging for this info as it is freely available from the eu. You could do worse than checking here:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/dds/cgi-bin/tarchap?Lang=EN

The TARIC code for hand sharpening stones is 680430000 which at present seems to be zero rated . A friend of mine ordered some Lego from the Us and was stung by the horrendous import levy - it is about 17% atm and rising. You might want to check that for yourself before ordering as if you have to pay the additional levy you are charged VAT on the declared value + the declared postage + import tariff. Oh and then add on the handling fee.... :evil:

Hello to everyone BTW....I've been lurking for a few weeks. What a good forum!

-Michael

 

[Adam]

Hello to everyone BTW....I've been lurking for a few weeks. What a good forum!

-Michael

Hello there

Another one out the woodwork...... :lol:
Adam

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Michael

Welcome to the wonderful world of ukw.

Cheers
Neil

 

[dedee]

Michael,
Thanks for that I'll have a poke around tomorrow. From other experiences on this forum the amount of duty paid seems to vary with the shipping method used rather than the actual tariff code!
I did in fact order the Duo Sharp stone from Woodcraft about 3 weeks ago and requested surface mail. I'll let you know what duty (if any) I end up paying when it arrives.
Andy

 

[Charley]

Welcome to the forums Michael

 

[houtslager]

hi there Andy, you would have got it this weekend if you sent it to my US address

 

[Alf]

I don't see how HMCE can get away with charging for this info as it is freely available from the eu.

'Cos no one's said they can't yet?

Hello to everyone BTW....I've been lurking for a few weeks. What a good forum!

Welcome. With those sorts of comments I like you already...

Cheers, Alf

 

[dedee]

The Duo Sharp stone turned up yesterday, nothing to pay, no VAT, no import duty, no handling charges. Total cost to me £51.82. That's a saving on Machine Marts price of £42.12 or nealy 45%.

I'm happy.


Andy

 

[ike]

Good one!.

My parcel of goodies turned from LV yesterday. Also no VAT and duty. A total saving of 40% over UK source. Even had I paid VAT etc, I'd still be well ahead, although to be fair to Brimarc, the particular items were a special offer stateside only. At the usual price, I'd only be saving 10 -15% at most and so wouldn't bother - I'd go to Brimarc, given they're such a nice bunch to deal with!

cheers

Ike

 

[gidon]

The Duo Sharp stone turned up yesterday, nothing to pay, no VAT, no import duty, no handling charges. Total cost to me £51.82. That's a saving on Machine Marts price of £42.12 or nealy 45%.

Excellent - that's a huge saving! And Axminster charge £120 for the same stone I think!

Cheers

Gidon (tempted to put an order in for exactly the same thing myself ...)

 

[ike]

Gidon,

Getting cheaper week on week!

 

[mahking51]

Bought a dozen Hanes T shirts online, came to about $80 plus postage of $40 ie $120 USD

When they arrived got hit with a £42 bill for a mixture of 9% EU surcharge on US goods!, Customs duty; VAT and ParcelFarce handling fee.

Went ballistic with C&E, found out that they had charged as if the price was £120 not dollars; because goods were cotton not synthetic the EU charge did not apply; they got the duty wrong etc etc.

two months later got a refund of about a tenner!

What a shower!

Basically if it is over £36 most things attract duty and VAT on the invoice price PLUS postage costs. Naturally the VAT is compounded on the cost +postage+duty figure.

Always try to get the goods sent to a friend in a US state with no sales tax and then get them to send the stuff on as 'gifts'.

Obviously this is a pain with large heavy items and pobably not worth it.

The above is just FWIW.

Regards
Martin