Hello Andy.
I often face the same kind of charges when importing from the USA to
Holland.
Customs charge VAT/duties over the total amount of value AND shipping
cost - maybe that is what is causing the difference. GBP 13 for
handling by the courier seems not to be out of line with what I face
here: roughly EUR 20 per shipment.
Good luck, anyway - and do as I do: try to buy as much as possible
duty-free, within Europe that is!
And what often will help when buying from the USA is: ask the seller
to mark the shipment as 'used camera equipment for collectible
purposes only' and also ask him to tick the gift-box, rather than the
merchandise one, on the customs form....
Frank van Lindert
Utrecht NL.
On Sun, 19 May 2002 11:56:33 +0100, "Andy Gilbert"
<gilbs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> I've just got an 85/2.0 from an e-bay trader, I had a customs bill for
>GBP50, GBP31 of that was VAT (sales tax), GBP6 was excise duty, and
>GBP13(!!) was charges by Parcelforce, our USPS! The whole deal has still
>been cheaper than buying in England, even on e-bay, and I do have a long
>sought after lens, but anyone know the legal position on this? The VAT
>rate here is 17.5 percent, so I think I've been overcharged anyway.
>
>Andy Gilbert
>Exeter
>Devon
>England
>
>
>
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