A Bit of Advice Please....
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Tourer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 327
Likes: 0
From: Birmingham _ England
A Bit of Advice Please....
Hi All ,
I have found site in the US that will export me a set of forward controls for my Dyna street bob , the price is brilliant. I have had good comms with the shop "ALs Cycles". They will send them for total cost including insured shipping $339 Dollars.
In the "Rip Off" UK i cant get them for any less than £299 which is $581 Dollars. As you can see i am making a significant saving by having them imported. Now my problems and questions start here , am i likely to have to pay v.a.t and duty on this item ? or is it exempt from such ridiculous charges ?
Many thanks in advance
-=BJ=-
I have found site in the US that will export me a set of forward controls for my Dyna street bob , the price is brilliant. I have had good comms with the shop "ALs Cycles". They will send them for total cost including insured shipping $339 Dollars.
In the "Rip Off" UK i cant get them for any less than £299 which is $581 Dollars. As you can see i am making a significant saving by having them imported. Now my problems and questions start here , am i likely to have to pay v.a.t and duty on this item ? or is it exempt from such ridiculous charges ?
Many thanks in advance
-=BJ=-
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 148
Likes: 14
From: Just North of Inverness,Scotland
RE: A Bit of Advice Please....
Hi Jay
In my experience it is a bit of a lottery and it depends on the delivery method the shop uses,if its UPS they pretty much always charge you the duty and VAT at this end but if it is normal post they only hit you now and again for some reason.
I asked the same question a few years ago on a BMW forum before I bought some bits for the States and it seems to be pretty much the same all over the UK.
I was lucky with the stuff I bought and was never charged,based on this my wife bought me a digital camera for my birthday and was stung by the post office for about 40% of the cost of the camera which had to be paid at the Post office before the parcel was handed over.
Its worth taking the chance as it probably wouldnot be any more than buying from a UK dealer.
I am having the same dilemma at the moment over a Screaming Eagle seat.
Good Luck!
In my experience it is a bit of a lottery and it depends on the delivery method the shop uses,if its UPS they pretty much always charge you the duty and VAT at this end but if it is normal post they only hit you now and again for some reason.
I asked the same question a few years ago on a BMW forum before I bought some bits for the States and it seems to be pretty much the same all over the UK.
I was lucky with the stuff I bought and was never charged,based on this my wife bought me a digital camera for my birthday and was stung by the post office for about 40% of the cost of the camera which had to be paid at the Post office before the parcel was handed over.
Its worth taking the chance as it probably wouldnot be any more than buying from a UK dealer.
I am having the same dilemma at the moment over a Screaming Eagle seat.
Good Luck!
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 269
Likes: 2
From: ACE Cafe, London, England.
RE: A Bit of Advice Please....
BJ,
As mentioned above it does depend on how it's sent.
Unfortunately, as a commercial retailer, it's likely they will send declared insured delivery, UPS/DHL etc, in which case you WILL almost certainley get stung for the duty. And remember, you pay VAT on the total cost of the item and shipping cost, not just the item itself.
You could ask them if they are willing to send it as a personal post item, but you are taking the risk of unrecoverable loss if it goes missing. Also, as a retailer, many US companies won't do this as effectivley they are falsefying the custom declaration.
My mate in California sends my stuff this way though as he's an individual and officially the items are now used as he's bought them
I've yet to get stung for duty, but I'd be screwed if it went missing as it can't be insured for the true value.
As mentioned above it does depend on how it's sent.
Unfortunately, as a commercial retailer, it's likely they will send declared insured delivery, UPS/DHL etc, in which case you WILL almost certainley get stung for the duty. And remember, you pay VAT on the total cost of the item and shipping cost, not just the item itself.
You could ask them if they are willing to send it as a personal post item, but you are taking the risk of unrecoverable loss if it goes missing. Also, as a retailer, many US companies won't do this as effectivley they are falsefying the custom declaration.
My mate in California sends my stuff this way though as he's an individual and officially the items are now used as he's bought them
I've yet to get stung for duty, but I'd be screwed if it went missing as it can't be insured for the true value.
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 327
Likes: 0
From: Birmingham _ England
RE: A Bit of Advice Please....
Thanks Guys , i am going to take the chance , i happened to have a brief chat with a customs officer who works on a site near to my employer , he says similar to you guys that its a bit of a lottery but the chances are it will go straight through customs with no problems.
Either way i think they will still be cheaper than here in the UK.
BTW Geeram hows the ride mate , i have 220 miles on the bob already , parked up today though as the weather is crap !!
-=BJ=-
Either way i think they will still be cheaper than here in the UK.
BTW Geeram hows the ride mate , i have 220 miles on the bob already , parked up today though as the weather is crap !!
-=BJ=-
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 269
Likes: 2
From: ACE Cafe, London, England.
RE: A Bit of Advice Please....
ORIGINAL: Bobber Jay
BTW Geeram hows the ride mate , i have 220 miles on the bob already , parked up today though as the weather is crap !!
BTW Geeram hows the ride mate , i have 220 miles on the bob already , parked up today though as the weather is crap !!
But the crap weather has given me a chance to sort the garage out and also today I fitted the Vance&Hines slip-ons........so it sounds like a proper Harley now...and I can go ride without any embarrasment....
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 773
Likes: 1
From: NZ but live in Dorset, England
RE: A Bit of Advice Please....
BJ ... I've had to pay for each of three deliveries I've received in the last few weeks ... dunno if its because I do a lot of internet shopping. Its usually just the VAT rate on the declared amount ... I did pay £6 duty too for some panniers. Sorgys offer a 'gift' service ... you pay less duty but there's a risk of loss ... take your choice and pay your monies ... its all going to be cheaper than buying in the UK.
Have spent today building a ramp into the house to ride the bike up when she gets here Wednesday ... I'm offering several animals to the weather gods for no rain on my ride back from the dealer [sm=hail.gif]... about 1 1/2 hrs. GeeRam has convinced me to fit the slip ons next weekend ... the kids have to get used to missing me as the summer arrives.
Mat
Have spent today building a ramp into the house to ride the bike up when she gets here Wednesday ... I'm offering several animals to the weather gods for no rain on my ride back from the dealer [sm=hail.gif]... about 1 1/2 hrs. GeeRam has convinced me to fit the slip ons next weekend ... the kids have to get used to missing me as the summer arrives.
Mat
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