[Ymer]

I'd like to ask you guys, is it worth ordering from the US? Are there customs to be paid once the items reach Europe? I live in Germany.

The prices are so incredibly cheaper in dollars that I was thinking that it might be worth ordering from overseas.

Thanks

 

[lisnalee]

I have only been caught out once so far with an iphone from the us. It was posted via fed ex. They paid on my behalf ( how generous of them

) and then billed me.

 

[Quaddy]

if its high value, they will seek you out and charge you, but thus far, out a more than 25+ transactions of recent, including imod, etys, yotank, amps etc, all from the us, havent been caught.

i really dont know what set of rules they use, it seems to change like the wind, as i should have been charged for all those things i mentioned.

am now in the process of getting charged a hell of a lot for a high value parcel, but that is from southeast asia.

you take your chances, best bet is to fathom it into your costs incase.

p.s. i am in the U.K.

 

[xxlMusikfreak]

Generally you have to pay customs for an item. 19%Mehrwertsteuer and dependent on the item another fee.
However if the declaration value is under a certain point and it is marked as gift it sometimes just gets through. But if the customs open it up anyway and see that the receipt in there shows a much greater value you have a problem.

 

[Duggeh]

Parcels coming into the UK marked gift are subject to import taxes plus VAT for values over (I think) £30 ($60)

VAT is 17.5% in the UK.


The most I've had to pay in taxes from the States was on the Ergo AMT, which of course, came from the EU in the first place (Is Switzerland in the EU actually? I'm not sure).

The most I've had to pay for anything was on the H2/TR2. But British tax law lets you reclaim any duties and taxes paid on goods if they are re-exported within a 3 year period. I'll expect the paperwork is a pain though.

 

[tot]

At least here in France the couriers (FedEx, UPS etc.) always invoice you the VAT and possible duties.

"Normal" postal services just deliver the package, but typically the value of the items is less making it is impossible to draw conclusions if it would always be true.

 

[majkel]

The assumption is it depends on the country you live in. In Poland most gifts pass through, low value invoices as well. When there is no invoice, you have to send a value claim to them, but in a credible range - to pay low duty fee. Up to 22€ there is no duty and no VAT added, above that might be VAT only - 22%, and on a some hgiher level (I don't know exactly) there is a duty fee to be paid and then 22% VAT of the value after duty charge. So the result might be 3/2 of the price.

 

[omegaman]

I've never paid duty yet !!! Maybe its just luck. I've a a few things sent like my Hornet, Grados, Senns and Shures and never had an extra payment.

I buy most of my CDs on US Amazon as they are cheaper, but I think they are to small to pay duty on anyway.

 

[krmathis]

I have ordered goods from the US lots of times, and with one or two exceptions I have not had to pay any VAT.
But even if you have to pay VAT the total price might be cheaper than buying local, since the US prices are noticeable lower. The US $ are weak as well, which makes it an even better deal...