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Customs in bringing items in from the US?

Article about: Hello, I am thinking of buying a Luftwaffe visor cap for \\$530 from the US into the UK. I've looked on the government's website and cannot find anything definitive. Could anyone give me an id

  1. #1
    RTH
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    Default Customs in bringing items in from the US?

    Hello,

    I am thinking of buying a Luftwaffe visor cap for $530 from the US into the UK. I've looked on the government's website and cannot find anything definitive. Could anyone give me an idea of what sort of customs/tax I can expect to pay with this item?

    Many thanks

  2. #2

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    The standard rate for customs charges is a VAT of 20 percent, so you'd be looking at another 100 USD on top of the price tag before shipping costs are taken into account. When it arrives in the UK the courier (usually ParcelForce in my experience) will pay the customs charges for you, then hold the item at their depot. They'll send you a letter with information on how to pay the charges, and once you've done that they'll ship it out to you. It's convoluted and costly, but as long as you plan ahead and set aside some spare cash it shouldn't be a problem.

    Personally, I don't buy expensive items from abroad anymore for this reason. The 20 percent VAT adds up very quickly on more expensive items. Of course, the dealer or individual you're buying the item from could always under-declare the value, which is technically illegal, but given these are antiques rather than manufactured goods with a set value, it's up for debate whether that's the case.

    Regards, B.B.

  3. #3
    RTH
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    Quote by BrodieBartfast View Post
    The standard rate for customs charges is a VAT of 20 percent, so you'd be looking at another 100 USD on top of the price tag before shipping costs are taken into account. When it arrives in the UK the courier (usually ParcelForce in my experience) will pay the customs charges for you, then hold the item at their depot. They'll send you a letter with information on how to pay the charges, and once you've done that they'll ship it out to you. It's convoluted and costly, but as long as you plan ahead and set aside some spare cash it shouldn't be a problem.

    Personally, I don't buy expensive items from abroad anymore for this reason. The 20 percent VAT adds up very quickly on more expensive items. Of course, the dealer or individual you're buying the item from could always under-declare the value, which is technically illegal, but given these are antiques rather than manufactured goods with a set value, it's up for debate whether that's the case.

    Regards, B.B.
    Thanks very much - I think I'm going to try and negotiate the price to $500. Does that sound reasonable? The idea of under declaring it sounds daring, but I'm not sure whether the seller would like to. It's from virtual grenadier you see.
    RSH8.png

  4. #4

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    Looks like a nice cap, and that offer sounds more than reasonable. If it's coming from a dealer, they will refuse to under-declare the parcel's contents. They prefer to err on the safe side of the law for obvious reasons, being a business rather than a private individual. If you've got the cash handy to cover the import charges, I'd say go for it.

    B.B.

  5. #5
    RTH
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    Thanks for the advice . Yes, I think I'm going to got for it. When you say that offer do you mean mine or the sellers?

    many thanks

  6. #6

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    it is a bit of a lottery, I have recently had items from the sates, one with import dues, the other did not, but it does make me wary of buying from the states, and I should say it has been like this for many years, it is not something new because of brexit.

    undervaluing could be a problem if items are lost in the post
    Regards,

    Jerry

    Whatever its just an opinion.

  7. #7
    Dos
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    Under declaring an item is possible since it is not a new item, and the price is often up for debate. Like Jerry mentions, it could become a problem if the item is lost and was insured by the shipping company. High end dealers sometimes offer private insurance for the parcel or you could arrange it yourself. I would insure it no matter what. Overseas shipments sometimes get lost due to errors in the logistics system. Good luck,

    -Dos

  8. #8
    RTH
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    Good evening,

    Sorry to raise this thread again gentlemen, but I'm looking at a cap worth £408 from Germany and just wondering whether I will have to pay customs on it given how recently really that the UK officially left the EU. Would really appreciate it if anyone has the answer please.

    Many thanks

  9. #9

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    Quote by RTH View Post
    Good evening,

    Sorry to raise this thread again gentlemen, but I'm looking at a cap worth £408 from Germany and just wondering whether I will have to pay customs on it given how recently really that the UK officially left the EU. Would really appreciate it if anyone has the answer please.

    Many thanks
    Yes, that is indeed the case for items over a certain value. The threshold is pretty low, about £39 I believe. I recently bought some items from Espenlaub that went from Estonia to the UK with no delays, but they were under that amount. As Jerry said, it's a lottery. Sometimes items get through without getting caught in the import tax net, others don't. It's really up to you, whether you're prepared to pay the import charges if they do crop up.

    Regards, B.B.

  10. #10
    RTH
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    That you very much Brodie, I'll keep that in mind.

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