Import charges to the UK

[JayBee]

First I would ask that if this is the wring place for this would a kind moderator (assuming there is such a creature ) please move it to where it should be.

There has been a lot of complaints recently in this forum about various charges that people have had to pay when getting kits from (especially) Japan.
I, at the begining of December, 9th, ordered two kits from HobbyLink Japan, and waited in fear and trepidation to see what I would have to pay when they arrived. They arrived to-day, 23rd, with NO additional charges to pay!

Fortunately my son is home for Christmas and he had an explanation. For some years after leaving school he worked as an Import/Export clerk with various airfreight companies (that was before he chucked that in and went back to university to qualify as an Osteopath).
If you are importing anything into the UK and it is being handled by a freight forwarding agency (Fed-Ex, DHL, etc) you WILL incur these extra charges. If it is sent by normal post, you should not have any extra to pay.
I had selected the third delivery option for my order which HLJ state can take anything from 9-45 days, I was not in a hurry, and so did not have any extra charges.

If you want your order in a hurry and opt for the more expensive delivery option, then it is likely to be very much more expensive than you anticipated.

Jim
If you want your order a bit qucker and go for

[Hobbes]

Interesting, but I've heard different. As far as I know, you'll always have to pay import duty (depending on the type of goods being shipped) plus possibly a handling fee to the company that administers the import duty - this is usually the shipping/mail company. But packages have been known to slip through the net occasionally.
Declaring a package as 'gift' is one way to avoid import duty (but may be against the law, so most webstores wil not do this).

[Old Wombat]

HLJ certainly do not mark their stuff as "Gift" & always include the price (in Yen) on the manifest label.

I always purchase from them using SAL, as I can't justify the faster, more expensive methods.

But then I'm an Aussie, in Aussie & we don't have to pay import duties on private OS internet purchases ........ yet.

[Aircav]

But then I'm an Aussie, in Aussie & we don't have to pay import duties on private OS internet purchases ........ yet.

That explains why we send so much stuff to Australia.

[PR19_Kit]

Wrong I'm afraid Jim.............

The saga of my two 'Sun Run' RF-101Cs has just come to an end, mentioned in the 'My Stash' thread many weeks ago. They were sent by ordinary parcel post and took about a week to get to UK from Japan. ParceForce, who are obviously in cahoots with the UKBA and HMR&C, charged me a £13.50 'administration charge' and the UKBA tried to charge me a 37% VAT charge, but a letter to my MP sorted out those greedy gits and I had an extra £19 or so to pay on a £32 kit eventually.

To my mind it's money for old rope and I'm not done yet. I'm continuing to write to my MP as there's a prima facia case here for the charges to be pro rata and NOT flat rate. It's quite possible to pay charges of MORE than the price paid for the goods under the current 'pure greed' system.

[Geoff]

IIRC import duty kicks in on goods over £18. The bit that grips my xxxx is the GPO charge you a flat fee for paying the duty that was often more than the duty. (I always found HLJ really good to deal with)

[pyro-manic]

Kit: I'm assuming you chose EMS shipping, as opposed to SAL? Parcelforce shouldn't be handling HLJ packages if it's a SAL delivery - they get delivered by the postie. I always go for SAL, even though it's slower. I refuse to use EMS now as I've been stung before by Parcelforce and their "handling fees".

[PR19_Kit]

Kit: I'm assuming you chose EMS shipping, as opposed to SAL? Parcelforce shouldn't be handling HLJ packages if it's a SAL delivery - they get delivered by the postie. I always go for SAL, even though it's slower. I refuse to use EMS now as I've been stung before by Parcelforce and their "handling fees".

I wouldn't know an EMS from an SAL if they jumped on both my feet at the same time.......

I just asked them to send the darn things, and for sure that'll be LAST time I ever deal with the bunch of thieving clowns running imports in this country!

[NARSES2]

As far as I'm aware it's all down to dumb luck 

All my Anigrand stuff has arrived in the country without incurring charges. 

Both my Winnut Wings kits have incurred charges 

Tends to be down to how the "green label" on the back of the package is completed. For multiple Anigrand purchases Arnold puts them all in one box and place the other "flat pack" boxes unfolded in the main box.

As Geoff says a lot also depends what amount is put on the "green label" as well.

However if a queue is forming to have a go at RM re their stupid "processing" charges then I'll join it 

[NARSES2]

I moved this here (being a kind and considerate moderator  ) as it is more "general" then "modelling news" related

Chris

[rickshaw]

But then I'm an Aussie, in Aussie & we don't have to pay import duties on private OS internet purchases ........ yet.

With Gerry Harvey, the main opponent of online trading and arguer in favour of GST being levied on internet purchases having now caved in and started his own online shopping site sourcing goods from Ireland (of all places), I personally can't see it happening.  It would, in any case be a nightmare to police and that if no other reason would make the Government unwilling to try and implement.

Our lack of duties is one of the major benefits from the push to Free Trade by the government in the 1980s.  I laugh though, everytime I walk past the "Duty Free" shops and see people going overseas still purchasing there.  All they're doing is putting money into the pocket of the government by paying price+GST.