G
Guest
Guest
What happens when you buy stuff rom West Marine in the USA? How much is added on at the British Customs? Do you have the hassle of extracating your goods from an airport or is it all sort of automatic?
pvb
Well-known member
Easy process...
Stuff I've ordered from West has simply arrived at my door, delivered by Parcelforce I think. Customs duty, VAT, etc, is all handled for you. Couldn't be easier. And it's fast too!
They have a UK freephone number (0800 895473) which patches you through to the US, so it only works between 1300 and 2200 GMT, Mon-Fri. If you call them, they'll quote you an all-inclusive price which covers UK duty, VAT, delivery.
Stuff I've ordered from West has simply arrived at my door, delivered by Parcelforce I think. Customs duty, VAT, etc, is all handled for you. Couldn't be easier. And it's fast too!
They have a UK freephone number (0800 895473) which patches you through to the US, so it only works between 1300 and 2200 GMT, Mon-Fri. If you call them, they'll quote you an all-inclusive price which covers UK duty, VAT, delivery.
charles_reed
Active member
Mailorder from the States
The shipper pays the duty and passes the VAT and Customs on to you.
Unfortunately, until you've completed the transaction, you don't know how much it all will cost.
My experience is that if you can get the goods at the same no of dollars (or less) than £s in the UK, you'll just be in pocket.
The enormous savings reported by enthusiasts, are due to faulty math in many cases.
Generally it pays to buy by mail-order from the US, stuff that is made in the States.
If you want to purchase European goods buy from Holland, France or Germany.
The only common factor - unless you are an economic masochist - don't buy in the UK, prices are high, service grudging and courtesy nil - with a very few notable exceptions.
The shipper pays the duty and passes the VAT and Customs on to you.
Unfortunately, until you've completed the transaction, you don't know how much it all will cost.
My experience is that if you can get the goods at the same no of dollars (or less) than £s in the UK, you'll just be in pocket.
The enormous savings reported by enthusiasts, are due to faulty math in many cases.
Generally it pays to buy by mail-order from the US, stuff that is made in the States.
If you want to purchase European goods buy from Holland, France or Germany.
The only common factor - unless you are an economic masochist - don't buy in the UK, prices are high, service grudging and courtesy nil - with a very few notable exceptions.
pvb
Well-known member
Not quite...
You said that you don't know what it's all going to cost until you've completed the transaction. That's not true in all cases. West Marine have been quoting a firm, all-in, delivered to your door, price for UK orders - have they stopped doing this?
Incidentally, which online chandlers would you recommend in Holland, France and Germany?
You said that you don't know what it's all going to cost until you've completed the transaction. That's not true in all cases. West Marine have been quoting a firm, all-in, delivered to your door, price for UK orders - have they stopped doing this?
Incidentally, which online chandlers would you recommend in Holland, France and Germany?
G
Guest
Guest
Re: Easy process...
Easy BUT, if you import stuff yourself via an auction or private sale from a small organisation, C & E will charge you an import tax [usualy a small amount] and VAT at the current rate on the SELLERS declaired value. Now here comes the catch, if the item has been insured for transit, the lowest declaired value is $100 as set by the insurance Co's . Therefor you may have bought an item for say $30 arranged shipping and handling + Insurance, BUT when its delivered to your door another $ 17.50 [UKP equivalent] Plus ANOTHER handling charge for the pleasure of being charged VAT. Oh and another thing to some of the C&E officers $100 = £100 and they try to get you to pay £17.50, and guess what the ONLY way to get that rectified is to pay the overcharged amount and enter a LONG refund proceedure.
Easy BUT, if you import stuff yourself via an auction or private sale from a small organisation, C & E will charge you an import tax [usualy a small amount] and VAT at the current rate on the SELLERS declaired value. Now here comes the catch, if the item has been insured for transit, the lowest declaired value is $100 as set by the insurance Co's . Therefor you may have bought an item for say $30 arranged shipping and handling + Insurance, BUT when its delivered to your door another $ 17.50 [UKP equivalent] Plus ANOTHER handling charge for the pleasure of being charged VAT. Oh and another thing to some of the C&E officers $100 = £100 and they try to get you to pay £17.50, and guess what the ONLY way to get that rectified is to pay the overcharged amount and enter a LONG refund proceedure.
Peter_the_Grate
New member
I've bought a couple of things recently, from West Marine (WM). The handheld VHF I bought was on special offer ($79, normal price $139 - discontinued) and came to £96 when all the shipping and VAT etc were added. Still a good buy for what is a WM badged ICOM. However, when I was in Le Havre on Saturday, a suspiciously similar looking (and spec'd) handheld was on sale for 950FF, about £90, in USHIP (www.uship.fr). If you're planning to spend a lot, the saving might pay for a weekend in France and then some.
G
Guest
Guest
Re: Mailorder from the States
Am reluctant to contradict someone who seems so sure of his facts, but my experience cruising down the Atlantic coast of France and the Rias this year showed French and Spanish prices just as high, and often higher than the UK. For example, I am in the market for a Garmin 128. French prices range from £250 to £275 and the Spanish prices are higher. UK price £200
Rope is cheaper, but not much else. And the choice in the foreign chandleries that I visited was worse
Am reluctant to contradict someone who seems so sure of his facts, but my experience cruising down the Atlantic coast of France and the Rias this year showed French and Spanish prices just as high, and often higher than the UK. For example, I am in the market for a Garmin 128. French prices range from £250 to £275 and the Spanish prices are higher. UK price £200
Rope is cheaper, but not much else. And the choice in the foreign chandleries that I visited was worse
