Thread: shipping from america, help from uk members

SRD is, in my opinion, one of the best suppliers of anything I have worked with. If they have what I want I order it from them. I don't even care if they are charging more, but they usually charge the same or less compared to other places. Many times when I've placed an order I received a shipped notification within less than 10 minutes. I understand that going over the pond to my favorite place in the world that things can be bottlenecked in customs. But, after all, you good fellows lead the world in knowing how to "Que"

Oh believe me I am a great querererer and I have no quarrels with srd because they have already shipped the item and a very good price. I just didn't realise I now have to pay hm revenue tax/duty as I have never ordered anything from abroad before. If it is going to be a lot I would have just bought it from strop-shop uk in the first place but I was trying to save my pennies

Originally Posted by 1holegrouper

SRD is, in my opinion, one of the best suppliers of anything I have worked with. If they have what I want I order it from them. I don't even care if they are charging more, but they usually charge the same or less compared to other places. Many times when I've placed an order I received a shipped notification within less than 10 minutes. I understand that going over the pond to my favorite place in the world that things can be bottlenecked in customs. But, after all, you good fellows lead the world in knowing how to "Que"

Don't feel bad. In the U.S if you ship from overseas via the Postal service and you're unlucky enough to get snagged by U.S Customs you will pay the mail man an admin fee in addition to the Customs Duty. Ask me how I know-har har.

Originally Posted by bombay

Oh believe me I am a great querererer and I have no quarrels with srd because they have already shipped the item and a very good price. I just didn't realise I now have to pay hm revenue tax/duty as I have never ordered anything from abroad before. If it is going to be a lot I would have just bought it from strop-shop uk in the first place but I was trying to save my pennies

no not always.

its import duty if you want to look into it.

most of the time they wont charge you buy look out for a card through the door for a charge if you don't receive parcel as quick as you think you should get it.

if they do charge you they wont release it till fee is paid. its the same in the us except the amount is a lot higher than in the uk

Originally Posted by shanky887614

no not always.


its the same in the us except the amount is a lot higher than in the uk

Tell me about it. Once when I got back from Japan the US customs guy said, "That's a nice watch, did you buy that on your trip?" and I ended up paying $40 VAT on a $120 watch.

The trouble in the UK is the individual VAT assessor - he goes by a book of tables of the worth of comparable items made in the UK. If he's feeling charitable you get a low charge, if not a high one. The actual handling fee is something else and you cannot contest it, but you can contest the import duty. You need plenty of proof, though. I have done it once - successfully. I got charged a £15 handling fee on a box for a baby speedgraphic camera - an empty box! plus a £25 import fee. God knows where they ascertained the value of the box from, but it only cost me $10 US on Ebay and shipping wasn't much more. They do add the actual shipping fee to the stated value of the item on the green label though. I managed to get £20 back, but they wouldn't waive the handling fee.

The annoying thing is that you have no option other than to pay for the item before you oppose them - if you don't, they keep it for a while then send it back whence it came from.

They didn't use to stop many items - I guess they worked in a ratio of items sent to items with customs labels on, but now they have got 'hot' and seem to stop a lot of things. If you see something you like from a non-EU country and you live in the UK, the safest bet is to imagine that the actual price you will pay is the dollar value of the item plus the shipping costs but expressed in sterling instead of dollars and add a £20 handling fee, and you won't be too far off the mark.

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by 1holegrouper

Tell me about it. Once when I got back from Japan the US customs guy said, "That's a nice watch, did you buy that on your trip?" and I ended up paying $40 VAT on a $120 watch.

Just be happy you weren't wearing a new Rolex. The guy would have taken it off your wrist and confiscated it and you would be out some real cost.

Is it illegal to buy a Rolex in Japan?

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Is it illegal to buy a Rolex in Japan?

Not at all. It is however generally illegal to import it to USA.
Restrictions on Importing a Rolex in the United States | Crown & Caliber

Originally Posted by gugi

Not at all. It is however generally illegal to import it to USA.
Restrictions on Importing a Rolex in the United States | Crown & Caliber

Interesting,never knew that.