Buying from the USA

Morning All
Hope everyone is all good and groovy.
I wondered about buying from the USA and taking advantage of the rather favourable exchange rates. Several places I've enquired to have quoted postage to the UK as being around £20 or there abouts so i wondered if I would have to pay import tax or anything similar?
Hope everyone is all good and groovy.
I wondered about buying from the USA and taking advantage of the rather favourable exchange rates. Several places I've enquired to have quoted postage to the UK as being around £20 or there abouts so i wondered if I would have to pay import tax or anything similar?
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Posts
I use Aspire Velotech for Thomson and Easton and have never got charged!
Not sure what the deal is if you are buying a large item like a whole bike or a frame? :?
HECKLER
((Item+import tax) + postage) + VAT = Total
Then you might be charged a 'handling charge' by the courier for processing through customs.
So do your sums otherwise it comes to a lot more than expected.
Or sometimes you get away with it.
Thing is........it depends who is shipping through the US, if you use some of the delivery companies (Fedex etc), they make sure that import taxes are applied, from my own personal experience, the company I purchased my cans from used USPS to ship, it only took 4 days :shock: from US to me, and I was astonished when I collected them from the local post office that they didn't ask for any dosh!
Go for it, it's the first time I've purchased anyting big from the states, and it won't be the last.
HECKLER
Another thing some companies will do, is mark down the value of the items in the box, so if you get stuffed for tax it will most likely be based on the marked up value (mine were marked at $100) so if I had got stuffed for tax it would have softenend the blow.
From my own limited experience (but more so from the advice of others that have done this many times) you are more likely to avoid additional fees if shipped by USPS (United States Postal Service).
Good luck!
HECKLER
HECKLER
I have ordered CK headsets from Aspire - thomson stems and seatpost and Easton bars
Huge savings!
HECKLER