Buying abroad/ rip off britain

[Sneaky King]

Yes? Turn of phrase...

[danroyle]

They aren't the exact figures, it's £18 for a purchase and £36 for a gift. Your friend in customs needs to perhaps think his job again.

my friend in customs says they are rough figures if you post something at £18.01 you are unlikely to get pulled up on it there such a thing as reasonable discression

[Breeze]

Right, got someone sending me some memory over form the States. Whats the best way to get them to me without incurring the VAT?
From the jist of this thread it would be best to get them to mark as a gift with low inusrance? or mark as low value item? Can someone confirm this please.


Thanks

[mart_haj86]

I deal with customs every single day and tbh If you are going to get this marked as a value less than its official price then it is obviously classed as fraud.
You had better hope customs do not seize the item and query the real price of the item, computer parts do not require Import tax however I believe they are still assessed for VAT. This is because in customs eyes they are not classed as completed goods but rather an item which will become part of a full system.

[Nox]

If its sent from USA, would/could it be sent US VAT free as its out of the coutry, or would you end up paying VAT twice?

Nox

[mart_haj86]

You would get charged the US VAT and the UK VAT.

[Sneaky King]

I deal with customs every single day and tbh If you are going to get this marked as a value less than its official price then it is obviously classed as fraud.
You had better hope customs do not seize the item and query the real price of the item, computer parts do not require Import tax however I believe they are still assessed for VAT. This is because in customs eyes they are not classed as completed goods but rather an item which will become part of a full system.

Then millions of items are subject to this 'fraud' thing you talk about, every year.

[mart_haj86]

Sneaky King, you are absolutley right and customs are in there own right allowed to do whatever they like with the package. I am forever seeing that customs have destroyed a package, returned it to the shipper for mis-decleration etc...

[Reapsy]

I brought a new desktop from the US back in a suitcase once a long time ago, walked thru the nothing to declare channel. Think it was a P3 450 Mhz saved me a load of cash at the time

[somabc]

Look, and I'm not condoning this but its obvious, if you just throw away the packaging (or post it back to yourself?) and carry whatever you have bought back on the plane you wont have to pay tax. If customs ask you any questions then you had it with you when you left the UK.

[Hasnath]

Look, and I'm not condoning this but its obvious, if you just throw away the packaging (or post it back to yourself?) and carry whatever you have bought back on the plane you wont have to pay tax. If customs ask you any questions then you had it with you when you left the UK.

I used to work for this guy who would import alot of stuff from the states and would travel there weekly, other than the stuff he delared he'd also do this with the higher value smaller items.

[IAmATeaf]

I've got an uncle in Ca who frequently brings things over for me when he visits. Am hoping he'll be visiting the UK soon as I might ask him to bring me over a C2D and a decent HSF over with him.

[Mooky55]

I am over in NY at the moment, just bought two 8800GTX XFX - the overclocked versions for £325 each including shipping.

Going to put them in my carry on luggage and bring em back.

Currently on sale for 475 or something ludicrous on SCAN.


We do get ripped in the UK... its for sure - I can quote numerous example but I am sure you all know.

[Sneaky King]

£400 on Overclockers (each), not sure if that's the same model, but if you add on VAT, it's comparable. Sod paying for healthcare!

[bomber999]

If the prices werent so god damn expensive in the UK then none of this importing would be necessary! The only thing ive ever imported was a nintendo DS, luckly i didnt get charged import duty, and the thing is it was out before the UK one and it was alot cheaper and that was including the postage!

[Sneaky King]

Importing isn't necessary.

It was cheaper because you didn't pay VAT, which you're supposed to