Cheap Chinese AIS Transponder ordering

I agreed the price subject to it covering all charges. Maybe they paid it as an ebayer would? Bargain price though for GPS 'plotter' and AIS 'RADAR'. Bonus of the transponder. All for less than the black and white NASA 'RADAR'.
 
Lazy Kipper said:
Definitely no import duty on consumer electronics to private customer.
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Maybe, but that does not include VAT. You have been lucky.

From hmrc website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/buying.htm

All other goods
If you order or send purchased goods other than alcohol, tobacco, perfume and toilet water from a country outside the EU then you:
don't have to pay Excise Duty
may have to pay Customs Duty on goods with a value that exceeds £135

will have to pay import VAT on goods with a value that exceeds £15

Note that on all goods from outside the EU, Customs Duty is waived if the amount of duty calculated is £9 or under.
 
Troubadour said:
Maybe, but that does not include VAT. You have been lucky.

From hmrc website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/buying.htm

All other goods
If you order or send purchased goods other than alcohol, tobacco, perfume and toilet water from a country outside the EU then you:
don't have to pay Excise Duty
may have to pay Customs Duty on goods with a value that exceeds £135

will have to pay import VAT on goods with a value that exceeds £15

Note that on all goods from outside the EU, Customs Duty is waived if the amount of duty calculated is £9 or under.
Click to expand...

Furthermore, couriers or the Royal mail may well charge a fee for acting as your import agent in the collection of these fees! Royal Mail certainly do - I've paid it on packages from the USA. Of course, they can't check every package, and rely on the customs statement on the outside mostly. The carrier shouldn't accept it without a customs statement. But if the customs statement is honest, you should at least have paid VAT. And if the customs statement isn't honest and the package gets checked, someone is going to get clobbered with a fine plus the duty - and it seems to me that you're the only one they can reach.
 
Lucky? Maybe, but the price quoted in China was including all fees, charges and duty so I reckoned that included VAT, just as when I buy stuff from China on eBay. Thanks to Neeves who gave me some inside knowledge on its 'real' price which added leverage when negotiating.
 
Lazy Kipper said:
Lucky? Maybe, but the price quoted in China was including all fees, charges and duty so I reckoned that included VAT, just as when I buy stuff from China on eBay. Thanks to Neeves who gave me some inside knowledge on its 'real' price which added leverage when negotiating.
Click to expand...

I've bought stuff from China on ebay too and every time on the web page it has disclaimed any import charges or duties, here are 3 examples just copied quickly from different items:

Note that we will apply all measures to avoid import duties and/or taxes as much as possible. However note that ultimately it is the importer's (or customer's) responsibility to pay for all duties / taxes.

Buyers are responsible for additional COD charges, VAT, Customs fees, AND/OR Duty for importation (if any).

We are not responsible for any customs duty incurred at foreign customs.

If you reckon VAT was paid, do you have an invoice showing it?
 
Lazy Kipper said:
Lucky? Maybe, but the price quoted in China was including all fees, charges and duty so I reckoned that included VAT, just as when I buy stuff from China on eBay. Thanks to Neeves who gave me some inside knowledge on its 'real' price which added leverage when negotiating.
Click to expand...

Just to clarify:
* There should be no import duty due on this item.
* It is liable for VAT on entry to the UK, however you may have got away with it.

What have I missed regarding this inside knowledge on the real price?

I promised them a review on my Bavaria Yacht forum, and I managed to negotiate it down to $260 plus $49 for HK Post. In the past I have found that slow delivery methods are less likely to get picked up for VAT payment, including one for over £3000, which was nice :)
 
DHL were $45 and another $14 for Paypal fees which is fair enough -it's the safest way of paying. I've checked the DHL importation document and it quite clearly says nothing extra to pay. You got a better deal than me on price - it pays to keep negotiating, I clearly gave up too soon and paid $280. Someone out there can get it for below $250 :)

Still £207 for a 50 channel fixed GPS, an AIS reciever, colour AIS plotter screen and AIS transponder? Nothing like it from the big boys for less than £750. Thanks go to Bi111ion for a real find.
 
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