Right, where to start... I was about to order some clothes from a store in the US which allows shipping to the UK. So, I select everything I want and the total comes to $223, fine. I go the the first stage of checkout and it adds $51 for shipping. I think to myself "Damn, but it's do-able". BTW, it's one of those stupid checkouts that adds shipping based on total price of goods not weight, which is really annoying as clothes are really light. I click on stage 2 of checkout and then it adds Taxes @17.5%. Uh-oh. I understand that some delivery companies make you pay fees if they have been 'caught' by customs (Matrix Orbital anyone?), but I've never seen anywhere add UK taxes at checkout. So, I am slightly pissed off but carry on with the order none-the-less. Ok, next and final stage of the checkout. My jaw nearly hit the floor (wouldn't my smiley would come in useful right now RTT? ). They add $103 for something called "Duties & Fees". What the hell is that? Anyway, I cancelled the order and sent them an Email asking what's basically going on. Just curious, I've ordered other things from the US and I've never seen such charges (Order = $223, total=$400+). Has anyone else?
When ordering from overseas, there are four expenses to watch out for. Shipping - Basic and self explanatory. Handling Fees - Or in other words 'Shipping overseas doesn't really require that much more effort on my part, but hey....It's a great excuse to screw you for more cash.' VAT - Again, self explanatory and charged @ 17.5% Duties - An extra charge levied on certain goods brought into the UK. Depending on what you choose to import to the UK, duty charges vary. For example on computer goods duty charges don't apply. On clothes, I imagine they do. There's a list somewhere on www.hmce.gov.uk but I've lost the link
I just brought something in from the US. total $400 inc delivery. VAT = 17.5% = £45 or so Duty = £6 or so THEN c&e will happily charge you £10 for the privilege of being charged VAT and Duty on your purchase. $400 order worked out around £250 inc delivery. With taxes and duties, more like £315. Still, cheaper than the £420 the same stuff would have been here....
I ordered an airbrush from the US of A. never again. I con't remember exactly what it cost in $, but the website said it was around $100 (£65), excl delivery, etc. I didn't find out what it cost until it arrived, a total of £115! In comparison, the same airbrush costs around £99.99 in the UK EDIT : I also had to wait around 3 weeks for delivery. I had previously ordered a model car from Japan, saved about 30%, and it arrived within 4 days of ordering it. Imports are just all about luck, I guess.
TBH, I don't mind paying the VAT, not wanting to do so is just being greedy. I don't mind paying the $50 shipping as I'll have it in 4 working days, not the usual 4-6weeks, plus at least there is a chance of the package arriving in some sort of respectible condition. /me thinks back to Issac's "UPS are idiots" thead and the sub-sequential replys. But what really annoys me is this "Duties" charge which they obviously don't think is important enough to explain but want to charge $100+ for. I've searched the link Brad kindly supplied yet it's not showing any high prices when it comes to clothing, only cigarettes and alcohol. If you ask me, I think this online store has spotted a niche in the designer men clothing area of the internet and is charging the UK a premium for it (they are oddly enough now advertising UK shipping on the main page).
