Import Duty on Electronics

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dralex

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I followed Cliff's suggestion of doing international searches on E Bay and have found a plotter I want- how is the import duty calculated and is US kit compatible with UK?

<hr width=100% size=1>Just enjoy it.
 
I bought a new switch panel this year from the US,
-import duty was charged at (I think) 4% of the items value,
-VAT at 17.5% of the items value AND the cost of the postage (outrageous but that's the way it works apparently!)
- carrier charged a customs clearance fee of around 8 pounds.

Rumour has it that some ebay sellers will agree to declare the value of the item artificially low and also tick the "gift" box on the customs declaration if asked nicely so as to minimise or even completely avoid the import taxes. THis would of course be tax evasion and I would not do this personally, nor would I advise anyone else to do so !



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As an example I recently bought a navigation light from US. The cost of the goods themselves was £150, the cost of duty, VAT and carrier handling charges was £45.

A few years ago you used to hear of it being common for goods to arrive in UK without having to pay any duty at all - but I suspect with the increase in internet-based shopping Customs are getting much tighter.

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The saving needs to be pretty significant to make it worth all of the hassle, particularly with the potential probs associated with trying to sort out faulty/damaged goods etc.

I know that we can't afford to be ripped off, but I am wary of forever chasing the cheapest kit. There is a danger that the smaller shops, with experienced, on-hand, staff, will be driven out of business. Rather like the supermarkets have cleared our high streets.

<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.
 
The saving I've found is massively significant- it would take a lot of additional costs to bring the price anywhere near UK prices. From my recent personal experience of certain chandlers, I would say I knew far more than they did and found it a very frustrating. I expect to be able to go to a specialist shop and ask for specialist advice. I find it depressing that I can know more about some products than the people selling them, and so feel that if I do the research and know about the product, why not find the best value source? If certain shops want to stay in business, then they need to offer me the knowledge base I want.
All IMHO- sounds like a bit of a rant.

Alex

<hr width=100% size=1>Just enjoy it.
 
Hi dralex.
A friend of mine bought goods from the US, He said it was so much cheeper, After paying duty he only saved £5. wasn't worth all the hassle.



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Perhaps it was an item on which you had concentrated. Personally I haven't been in the retailing business very long but I have always been hugely impressed by the knowledge of staff at the larger chandlers. Having worked on a few boat show stands I can say that the varied amout of knowledge that is needed is vast and I think they do very well.

<hr width=100% size=1>John
http://www.on-line-marine.com
 
It was actually pretty common stuff to do with mainsheet travellers- they didn't even know which catalogue to start looking in . I agree that the knowledge base needed is very wide, but that's what they do. Conversely, I have also had some amazing service from more specialist retailers, so I'm not slating all suppliers, just a couple I've dealt with in the last year.

My problem is that I'm a catalogue anorak. I also get loads of information from the forums now as it usually produces balanced responses, so now I tend to go shopping knowing what I'm looking for.

<hr width=100% size=1>Just enjoy it.
 
The unit in question is only available in the US (an orca green LED combined Anchor/Tri Light).

I've usually used US suppliers only for goods that are not readily available in UK. Up until recently I don't think that you could save significantly by importing electronics from US, by the time you've worked out the fully cost.

However with the dollar significantly weaker now than it was last time I did the sums that might have changed.

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West Marine will give you prices for UK delivery including tax and shipping. If you can't get the specific item from them you'd at least get an idea of the costs by looking for something similar.

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Borderline...

Sounds borderline to me. By the time you've added shipping, duty and VAT, you'll be close to £800, and you can buy a C70 here for that.

Incidentally, I've found when buying stuff from the US that our beloved Customs & Excise people can be very creative when deciding how much they think the shipping cost is, when they're calculating VAT.

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You\'re right...

Cheapest C70 I've seen on US sites was $1110 plus around $100 UPS shipping. If paying by credit card, it's difficult to predict the exchange rate they'll use, but assume it'll end up around £660. Add duty at say 4% and VAT at 17.5%, and it's around £806 for starters.

You can order a C70 from MES for £808 inc delivery.

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