Anybody had success buying gear on web from states

[matiboy]

If anybody has had any success buying gear direct from a US website please let me know

I get the impresion many US firms are not willing to ship to UK

Examples of cheaper gear are handheld VHF, gps , etc

[DJL]

I bought a handheld radio a few years back from West Marine, although we won't tell the RA that.

[Ribald]

I've bought a few odd & sods from the States via the web over the past year with no probs. However, by the time carriage and customs duty ( ) have been added the savings may not be that much. Also, what do you do if it goes wrong?

[narked]

Quite a few US based retailers I've looked at online refuse to ship electronics stuff outside of the US. Plus knowing what a lot of delivery companies are like with regards to the safe, careful handling of delicate goods, don't think I'd fancy chancing it anyway.

But yeah, the prices are generally much lower. For example the basic Garmin eTrex is about £130 over here, and in the States retails at about $130, which works out cheaper.

Matt (who needs fancy electronics for a SIB anyway) Brown

PS: Keith, are these brackets some sort of condition you get when you get into the world of SIBs? Can't seem to get rid of em...

[Richard B]

Worst thing is when you get clobbered for duty. Customs seem good at knowing what they're looking for. They can sniff out software a mile away, not sure about electronics. I was browsing thru' Ebay this morning, and noticed lots of feedback from people who'd bought digital cameras from a Singapore trader who offered a good deal, but lots of buyers got stung by customs.

Last year my sister sent me a present from New Zeland which Parcel Force added £60 c.o.d. onto for duty paid... She'd been so thoughtful, I didn't have the heart to tell her of my misfortune!

)so how do these bracket things work?(

[sirzap]

you can private message me and we could discuss what you want...cheers

[Mike Garside]

matiboy, it can and, for me anyway, it does work.

I have used West Marine because, having been into one of their stores in Charleston, South Carolina, I know they are part of a very big chain. My experience of dealing on line with them is first rate.

For example, I ordered a Bennett trim tab rig, from in May this year and having paid by card on-line the stuff was with me in 48 hours.

The usual dollar for a pound exchange rate applies, so my thousands dollars bought kit including freight that would have cost a grand in the UK. That saving came to 360 quid before tax.

I did get clobbered for duty, freight tax and VAT which added about 130 quid making the nett saving about £230 - 23%. Not bad.

There are obviously down-sides to buying from abroad but if the purchase is big enough - say, a new SIB for Narked - it could be worth it. And try haggling. When I told them the saving wasn't big enough they increased the discount.

Check out www.westmarine.com

You can even phone them free on a UK number...

0800 895473 though I haven't tried this myself yet. They respond quickly and politely to emails.

Finally, I did check with Customs and Excise on what is taxed and what is not. Worth doing. Apparently flow meters are not taxed if imported from the USA. My next purchase is a Floscan fuel guage and I may buy that from West Marine. It's just a bit iffy because the thing is not that expensive and the saving may not be worth the hassle if it goes wrong.

Hope that's of help

[Keith Hart]

PS: Keith, are these brackets some sort of condition you get when you get into the world of SIBs? Can't seem to get rid of em...

Hmmmmm....

Well lets consider this. Which came first - the bracket or the SIB?

I think you'll actualy find that the sort of person attracted to brackets are the same sort as are attracted to SIBs.

Consider this about brackets, or to give them their full title Semantically Insertable Brackets or SIB's as they are known in the literary world:
1. Brackets are very soft, they have nice rounded edges
2. They are versatile, they do not need any special place to insert them. Just read around, find a nice looking sentence and insert your brackets.
3. They are inexpensive
4. They do not require many words to keep them going
5. Brackets can be carried around in your head. You do not require a large expensive dictionary to transport them about.
6. You can not read huge tracts with brackets, BUT you can put brackets where normal sentences can't go.

Compare to normal sentences, Regular Incomprehensible Bumpf, or RIBs as they are known in the literary world, and you will see just how useful brackets are.

Keith ((double strength)) Hart

[Garygee]

Hi Folks

I have also looked at the states and agree once you add the import duty etc is not worth doing.

However !!

You can often buy cheaper from other EU countries and there is then no import duty, VAT etc to pay as long as you pay the duty required in the country of purchase.

Its great to see just how much we get ripped of in this country, great ant it

Regards Gary

[Manos]

I have been reading your comments about bying staff from the US and that is expenssive due to UK import duty and tax.Over the years I have bought quite a few things (the latest being two state of the art racing seats for my new RIB with pre-pressurised shockers @ 30lbs, 4 point safety belts etc etc).
Please note that when you buy something from the US ask the supplier not to put a value on the package and to write on it the words either 'GIFT-NO VALUE' or 'SAMPLE-NO VALUE' in that way you avoid VAT, tax and the like in ANY of the European (EEC) States.

Hope I helped.

[narked]

Yep, samples and gifts are tax free. You could argue that the store was sending you the stuff as a gift after you gave them a gift of a few thousand dollars. Could work!

Keith, ah that explanation does seem very logical, and amusing too!

Matt (it's a SIB thing) Brown

[Keith Hart]

Please note that when you buy something from the US ask the supplier not to put a value on the package and to write on it the words either 'GIFT-NO VALUE' or 'SAMPLE-NO VALUE' in that way you avoid VAT, tax and the like in ANY of the European (EEC) States.

The problem here is if HMC open the package and find the invoice! If they do that then you will get clobbered.

I've purchased stuff from the USA via the web and not had a problem. Sometimes I'v had to pay tax, others not.

We export quite a lot to the USA. I am sometimes asked to declare 'no value'. This is a risky business and I say that I can't do it.

We live in a world-wide global market place. Buy from the web after you are sure you are dealing with a reputable company. I'm sure you will have no problem. I'll most likely get my sonar (fish finder) from one of the on-line dealers in the USA.

Keith Hart

[Scotty]

Please note that when you buy something from the US ask the supplier not to put a value on the package and to write on it the words either 'GIFT-NO VALUE' or 'SAMPLE-NO VALUE' in that way you avoid VAT, tax and the like in ANY of the European (EEC) States.

Hope I helped.

Jeez Manos you sure helped someone here today ! The customs people. You dont really believe that they will accept a "gift" as an excuse for seats or electronic goods do you ? And for someone who is advertising ribs at "up to 30% discount here on this board you are sure to draw attention to yourself from the revenue people. "DOH"

[Manos]

Well guys there is no need for the supplier from US to put the receipt in the parcel.
Actually most of the suppliers in the US know that and they usually send you the nreciept with different post.
The parcel has no reciept and the supplier says is 'a gift' or 'a sample' .

[dbillyboy]

Hey Scotty I think that you are being a bit hard on Manos. He was giving us all a piece of advice based on his own experience. Whether you choose to take that advice or to ignore it is up to the individual. Personally I would take the chance but you may not want to.
TLS.

[Manos]

Just a quick note what ever we import in this country as a business (as far as ou RIBs and other equipment is concerened) is done properly. It comes on a cntr and clears customs as everyone elses. Sop we the VAT, and by the way SAfrican imports don't pay tax any way

However, if one know the tricks of the trade I don't think that is any harm in sharing them

Wouldn't you do the same (I wonder)??

[matiboy]

someone in the states purchased the item, say a vhf for example, then posted it to the UK

That person in the states was then reimbursed privately by bank transfer from person in UK ?

I thought that when you travelled to the USA anyway you were able to have a certain allowance for purchases to bring back tax free ?

Anybody clearer on this position

Oh and thanks for the examples posted of how people have saved money, this is exactly how this forum can be usefull in sharing good ideas

I do not mean ideas how we can rip off the HMC & Excise, but examples of where genuine savings have been made, a bit like importing cars from europe and the process

So loads more info please !!!!!

[Manos]

I believe what you want to say is that do you pay VAT and Tax in the UK if a friend of your who lives in the US buys something there on your behalf, sends it to the UK 'as a gift' and you pay him in the US by bank transfer??
Well, you will not pay VAT or tax in the UK PROVIDED that the customs receipt on the parcel which was completed in the US stated clearly that this is a 'gift' and ''has no value'.
On the other hand, if you travel to an non EEC country you have a tax free allowance on various goods/items.
The amount of the allowance depends on the country you are travelling to. I think in the US is something like $ 500 or $ 1,000(but check these figures). You can bring items that you baught in the US to the UK (up to that value) without paying tax or VAT. However, you will have to pay tax in the US.
Nevertheless, your best bet is to call Customs & Excise help line and they will be able to help you. They will also send you a book informing you about all these things.
But one should not look far, similar items are competitively priced in the EEC too. I believe that in Greece right now you find very cheap electronics i.e. VHFs, GPSs, TVs, Stereos etc as well as cars (believe it or not- cheaper than in the UK).
Italy is also competitive. Spain, Portugal, France, Germany and UK expenssive (UK being the most expenssive of all these countries- UK reminds me of HARODS ).
I also think that in Holland one can find some competitively priced electronics equipment too. And as we all know there is NO IMPORT TAX OR DUTY to items bought from an EEC Member State.

Now you will be wondering how do I know all these.
Am I a customs officer???
The answer is simple I had to learn it all and MUCH MORE in order to be able to get the most competitive deal for my customers.