Buying Electronics from US suppliers

D

DickB

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 Dec 2002
Messages
786
Location
Surrey, UK
Visit site
I am considering purchasing a new chartplotter. With the $ rate so good US prices look pretty good. Given that I can get over the hurdle of buying with a CC across the pond (by phone & t'Internet), has anyone done this, and did you get charged a lot of import duty / VAT by Customs?

cheers,
 
I have just bought a Scanmar Monitor windvane steering system from the USA and I expect delivery any day now. I paid for it with a credit card because I have one that gives cashback. However, the official exchange rate at the time I made the purchase was 1.964 but the card company applied a rate of 1.910.

This is what Scanmar told me about import duties when I enquired what the likely cost would be:-

" The UK VAT cost runs approximately 16%-17% of the product cost. The Custom Duty runs approximately 2%-3% ,so one can figure the import duties at about 20% of the purchase. I would like to point out that when you buy direct from the factory that you are the importer and thus you avoid any cost of a middleman."

So, at the moment, I am waiting with baited breath to see what I get stung for! If you ask me again in a week or so, I'll let you know.

I wish I had not dithered and made the purchase just before Xmas, when the official rate was 2.04! Now it's about 1.966.
 
I used to import classic auto parts from the US.

One thing to remember is that the supplier SHOULD remove the US sales tax, as this is the tax you are paying in Duty.
However this rarely happens, as it's just makes their accounts more complicated.

Duty's vary but if it's shipped UPS get your wallet out, US/UK Postal service (royal mail) 50/50 chance depending on how it's marked and packaged and also depending on the overall value/contents marked on the package.

Just be carefull the the shipping + Duty + wavering C/C charges, don't equate to buying here. But do your numbers and sometimes it's worth it!
 
Hi, i just bought some snap davits for my boat from a US supplier. The cost of the items was $333 plus $50 carriage which equated to £199. Customs charged it duty and it cost me another £40 so about 20% of original cost. You may be able to get the supplier to mark the customs declaration as a gift or lower value but this may well affect any carriage insurance. Good Luck
 
I've no experience of getting from the US, but recently bought a yachtie lectronix , about £100 from Hong Kong via ebay.

It was a pay-pal purchase from a Mr.Chan of Kowloon. Excellent service, here within a week, aptley described on the packet as Toy.
 
[ QUOTE ]
One thing to remember is that the supplier SHOULD remove the US sales tax, as this is the tax you are paying in Duty.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hadn't thought of that! Thanks for the suggestion; I have just e-mailed my supplier to make sure.
 
[ QUOTE ]
nd did you get charged a lot of import duty / VAT by Customs?


[/ QUOTE ]

Further to my first post, a charming lady telephoned me yesterday afternoon and asked me to pay a large sum of money, amounting to 17.7% of the supplier's invoice, which included carriage.

So HM Government has taken several hundred pounds from me. For doing what exactly? /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
I've done this occasionally but always found the hidden handling charges really pushed the price up. I think you would need to be talking about an expensive item with a big discount or something you can't buy over here at all to make it worth while.

An alternative is to get friends who are visiting the US to pick it up for you. There are branches of West Marine practically everywhere. It is pretty well impossible to avoid US sales tax this way, but they may be able to include it in their gift allowance when they come back, avoiding or reducing UK tax.

Is it the case that new equipment on a British yacht has to be CE marked? I know this applies to radios, and generally those bought in the US are not. Don't know about chartplotters.
 
I tried recently to order a Furuno Radar (not sold in Europe due to marketing constraints) in the states and the shops refused to accept foregn credit cards. One guy wanted $400 for a third company doing the credit card check, another guy wanted instead $800 for shipping. Finally I did order the radar from Defender (US). It was not the cheapest source, but I was able to pay with my cc without an additional surcharge. Shipping cost was reasonable.

I tried West Marine as well, but they did not answer my e-mail.

www.defender.com has a special order department selling parts which are not in the catalog.

Peter
 
[ QUOTE ]
I tried recently to order a Furuno Radar (not sold in Europe due to marketing constraints) in the states and the shops refused to accept foregn credit cards.

[/ QUOTE ]Yeah, this has been coming in over the last couple of years. No large US company will now accept foreign credit cards for payment over the phone. Small businesses still might if they know you, and credit card payment via the internet seems to work OK. All in the name of security of course, but the US is a long way behind us in that, no chip-and-pin for example.

I was getting round this problem with a credit card on a US bank account, which I've had for years. But last December my account was arbitrarily closed, and the balance returned, less a hefty charge for the privilege. As a foreigner without a US social security number, I'm no longer allowed a normal US bank account, it seems. Anyone know a way round that one?

(No, not a metallic label printed with a 9-digit number, thank you Captainslarty).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top