[pedalhead]

Hello to the UK mob on here! I've got a couple of head-fi related items on order from the States/Canada, and decided to try & find out what the duty rates would be on them. This info was quite a hassle to aquire, and didn't come up on a search here, so I thought I'd create a post for future reference. Here's the process/details...

1. Phone 01702 366077 to get the "commodity code" for each item. I waited quite a while listening to bad music on this line. There's a limit of 3 items per call/person.

2. Phone 0845 010 9000 giving the commodity code(s). They will tell you the duty rate.

Here are the details for items from the USA & Canada to the UK as of March 2007...

Headphones
Commodity code = 8518309590
Duty = 2% + VAT @17.5%

Headphone Amplifier
Commodity code = 8518500090
Duty = 2% + VAT @17.5%

DAC
Commodity code = 8543709099
Duty = 3.7% + VAT @17.5%

I think we're pretty lucky...I often import expensive bike parts & the duty on those is 15%! Also, remember the VAT applies to shipping costs too...and is applied after duty is added (the cheeky devils).

Anyway, I hope this is of use to someone in the future. Cheers.

 

[GTRacer]

You are my hero. *hugs*

 

[lisnalee]

I have the westone 3's on preorder and am about to buy an amp to go with them. Now i 'll have a rough idea of customs charges if i get hit with them. thanks pedalhead,

 

[Rob N]

Plus the charge that the carrier will add on for collecting the duty

 

[pedalhead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob N /img/forum/go_quote.gif Plus the charge that the carrier will add on for collecting the duty

Ah yes, very true. I'm pretty sure they tend to be fixed administration costs, and vary between carriers. eg. Fedex charged me £4.50, whereas Parcel Force charged ~£15 IIRC.

 

[pedalhead]

Oh, and I put this in another thread, but I'll repeat it here as it's relevant to this topic...

Parcel Force (IME) will keep the package at their depot, send out a letter to the recipient via snail mail with customs charges and wait for you to pay them. Then, and only then, will they arrange deilvery. A real pain, and you can't even phone them up to pay the charges until you've actually received the letter, even if you can plainly see in the tracking details that the package is on hold pending customs charges. Fedex are much better, where they'll deliver the package and then send an invoice at a later date.

 

[Dork Knight]

I tend to pop along to the depot to pay and collect the item if it's trackable, no waiting involved

I also tend to find that for Electronics, Customs charge around 10 to 14%, so having these codes may help in the future to bring the cost of importing down.

 

[pedalhead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dork Knight /img/forum/go_quote.gif I tend to pop along to the depot to pay and collect the item if it's trackable, no waiting involved

Yeah, I wish I could do that, but unfortunately my "local" PF depot is an hour away. My fault for living in the middle of nowhere I guess

.

 

[Dork Knight]

Mine's an horrific journey due to it's location, it's nearly a 50 mile round trip but through Cardiff & Newport - It doesn't sound too bad but when you try and battle through the traffic at rush hour it seems to take an age.

It's worth it at the end of the day as you don't have to wait on Parcel Force, one of the main delivery companies I really don't like.

It must be a right pain having to wait though

I have City Link due to deliver my Ultrasone 2500s tomorrow, another company that I'm not too impressed with. I was once waiting for a delivery through City Link but it didn't arrive, that evening I had a phone call from some lady saying that she had my Parcel (glad my mobile number was printed on the label). The City Link chap had left the parcel as she was out, my address was correct but it was delivered to a home a few miles away that had the same number house/street name - All other details were incorrect for the house it was left at.

Pathetic Service..... I've just typed that and I hope to god my parcel arrives safe and sound tomorrow.

 

[pedalhead]

Yeah, ****tylink are dreadful IME & have been known to leave obviously valuable boxes of hifi/computer stuff on doorsteps all day. Scary.

My "local" PF depot is Bristol, so not too far from your neck of the woods. On a totally unrelated note, there are some awesome mountain biking trails round your area that me & my mates ride at least a couple of times a month

.

 

[Dork Knight]

Indeed, not too far.

I'm pretty overweight at the moment and purchased a Mountain Bike last year, I've been rather lazy so far and I've not taken it out this year - I really need to get my act together.

I've come off one or twice getting used to the thing, damn low gears and clip on shoes.

Have you seen the track at Cwmcarn? A little video on the page below;
http://www.cwmdown.co.uk/TRACK.htm

It appears I've taken your thread off topic, sorry.

 

[pedalhead]

Hey no worries, talking bikes is fun too

. Cwm Carn is virtually my local. Must have ridden it a hundred times (give or take). Great fun. Haven't seen that vid though, cheers for the link. There's so much great stuff to ride in South Wales, you must get that new bike muddy!

 

[Gilly]

Cheers for the info!

Agree about city link, they damaged a PC monitor i got in the post off ebay and are making a claim pretty difficult, also, it wasnt next day delivery as they said.

 

[animaal]

I'd just like to add for people in Ireland that the situation is very like that in the UK - duty is about the same, and VAT is 21%.

I had an "interesting" experience ordering headphones from Japan. As requested, the vendor marked the declared value down to something that would attract very few taxes. However, I got a letter in the post from the taxman, requesting proof (printout of invoice or ebay receipt) of the package's value. I took no chances, and sent a real invoice printout. The headphones arrived, with the expected tax bill.

I didn't know it at the time, but the taxman had taken the invoice from the package, and saw the difference between the declared and real values.