Buying second-hand marine electronics from USA

[Ric]

I am looking at buying a second-hand raymarine MFD from the US on eBay. Are there pitfalls in doing this? I know the Euro and US units are labelled differently but is this just for compliance reasons rather than anything substantial? And am I going to get whacked with customs charges?

 

[harvey38]

I think you should be OK for both compatibility and customs/import taxes as long as the sender declares it as a gift with a low value if they use FEDEX or UPS etc.

 

[st599]

Customs and Duty are now automated for goods entering the UK. eBay handle it.

If the item is under £135, eBay will collect the due VAT and Customs Duty and send it to HMRC, if over £135 they flag that to then it's up to you to pay on delivery in the UK.

To work out how much, you'll need to work out the Import code for the item and look up the duties due.

 

[mullet]

Customs and Duty are now automated for goods entering the UK. eBay handle it.

This is not always the case. This IS true if the seller uses eBay's Global Seller Program - the taxes are calculated and charged at checkout, then they send it to a processor who sends it on to the UK. You can get an estimate of total shipping and tax before pressing "buy" but it may be slightly different when you come to pay (don't ask me why). If this the seller uses GSP keep in mind that it is not geared up to handle returns at all (I had to deal with one recently for something that arrived damaged and whilst I did get a full refund [and was told to keep the damaged item] it was a royal pain) so you want to be confident that whatever you buy is correctly described, exactly what you need, and works as it should.

But sellers aren't obliged to use this program and some items are not allowed to be sold through it (wristwatches are one, for example). Sellers can send things internationally themselves, independently of eBay's shipping service, in which case it would pass through customs and you'd have to pay a handling fee to the carrier as well as VAT at 20% and duty (if applicable). Parcel Force charged me £12 for handling on something that arrived a couple of weeks ago.

I think you should be OK for both compatibility and customs/import taxes as long as the sender declares it as a gift with a low value if they use FEDEX or UPS etc.

I doubt you'd find many commercial sellers willing to understate the value of the item to help you evade tax (law breaking is not generally a good long-term business strategy, though some people may be able to point out some examples to the contrary...) and many private sellers won't do it because it generally invalidates postal insurance. In short don't expect to avoid the taxman.

 

[Bilgediver]

I am looking at buying a second-hand raymarine MFD from the US on eBay. Are there pitfalls in doing this? I know the Euro and US units are labelled differently but is this just for compliance reasons rather than anything substantial? And am I going to get whacked with customs charges?

The Global system that Mullet refers to is effectively door to door but the charges at the front end are often on the generous side to cover all eventualities +. I often contact vendors and suggest US Mail. this will come to the local mail parcel office from where I get notification and collect and pay any charges. These are usually very modest and cover VAT and duty. Some packages come straight to the door charge free.

 

[PilotWolf]

Buy it for me and I’ll forward the gift…

W

 

[Alfie168]

Looking at descriptions of stuff from USA sellers in general there seems to be far more hyperbole used about condition. Just get lots of photos and a statement that it is in good working order and that any faults or imperfections are declared before you commit.

 

[Hoist]

MFD's usually suffer more from heat and sun damage from USA. Make sure its shown as working and ask if it was inside or outside the vessel

 

[Topcat47]

Also you may find the the description of the item is not precisely correct. I bought a "new Old Stock" depth gauge for my boat and it wasn't compatible with my unit, despite coming from the same manufacturer and having the same name as my old unit. the connections weren't right.