- Location
- Birmingham.
Import duty.
- Thread starter trainman
- Start Date
- Location
- Birmingham.
Yes I think if you have gone over the limit they only charge on the goods, but I'm sure if it's under they include it so you basically get left in the same boat, for the sake of a few pounds of goods you get extortionate shipping, if you want to order a few things to justify the shipping they stick a customs charge on, it's a long while since I read up on it but It could have been the direct gov website I read it on. Only thing you can do to reduce the cost is pay the customs upfront before shipping and that way Royal Mail can't add their nasty little charge on too but it seems they have made it a bit of a farse to do it that way...post brexit I think they will loose a lot of custom if they choose to do that like cutting your own nose off to spite your face lol
- Location
- Cumbria, England
- Location
- Silly Suffolk
VAT was introduced in 1973 at 10% (reduced later to 8%) as a requirement of joining what was then called "The Common Market". In theory, post-Brexit, we could do away with it, or change its rates, but I expect the Treasury will want to keep that enormous income stream, and I would not be surprised if May's "Deal" includes some undertaking by the UK to retain it. I don't hold out many hopes of us being like other non-EU countries (e.g. USA) buying from the EU, where VAT isn't charged at all.
Last edited:
- Location
- Silly Suffolk
I think that was the general idea, but, as you say, it didn't work out like that.
Pre-1973, we had a thing called "Purchase Tax", which was a very specific, very high levy on what was deemed to be "luxury" goods, so VAT wasn't an entirely new concept. Where it differed from PT was its almost universal application to goods and services, with most of the exemptions (food, children's' clothes etc.) we still have today.
Pre-1973, we had a thing called "Purchase Tax", which was a very specific, very high levy on what was deemed to be "luxury" goods, so VAT wasn't an entirely new concept. Where it differed from PT was its almost universal application to goods and services, with most of the exemptions (food, children's' clothes etc.) we still have today.
My experience is that I nearly always have to pay customs and handling on anything from the USA but not up to now from Japan or China. I just bought 2 x P-30s off Rakuten and no extra charge. Would have been £14.20 in theory plus postage. No charge for a Yaqi brush that was around £10. I previously received electronics worth £30 and up from China and Vietnam, no charge.
As said by others - it seems to be a matter of luck - I have ordered shaving stuff from the likes of China - Yaqi brushes and razor heads - and Russia - a couple of bulk purchases of several types of blades without incident. Non-shaving stuff included - I have never had anything picked up on by customs. How a couple of expensive cashmere shawls - shipped from the manufacturer in Northern Pakistan - made it to me unmolested - is still a mystery. Although - not directly related to your question - I purchased a couple of the high-end Yaqi badger brushes last year - direct from the company online - way over the limit - and crossed my fingers - I needn't have worried - they turned up with a postal origin in West London. I guess they must have a distribution centre in the UK? You didn't say what sort of blades you were after - if it turns out to be Schick Twin injectors - there is a guy on a well known auction site that is UK based. That's where I get mine. Hope this helps - yours - I.
- Location
- Birmingham.
- Location
- Sheffield
I've had to pay customs on a couple things, but the Chinese and Japanese sellers can be very good at helping you avoid them.
One Japanese straight razor seller I used (eBay) listed the value of the item as "1". Not in dollars, sterling or yen. Just, 1. Makes it incredibly difficult to charge you a customs fee.
I also bought a Maseto brush which had far too little information for anyone to charge customs.
(Edit - it is also sometimes helpful to message a seller, just to ask about "how much will customs charge?" Often this is enough to suggest you don't want to pay it and they will gladly help you out)
One Japanese straight razor seller I used (eBay) listed the value of the item as "1". Not in dollars, sterling or yen. Just, 1. Makes it incredibly difficult to charge you a customs fee.
I also bought a Maseto brush which had far too little information for anyone to charge customs.
(Edit - it is also sometimes helpful to message a seller, just to ask about "how much will customs charge?" Often this is enough to suggest you don't want to pay it and they will gladly help you out)
Fair enough Dave - it does come down to what something is worth to you - for P30's - take the Connaught price - for instance - minus the TSR member's discount - and compare to the worst case scenario in getting them sent from Japan. I think reading - other people's responses - to your question - China and Japan appear safe enough - versus America - which seems a high risk. Does that come down to language? Do customs or the Royal Mail - have people that can read Kanji or Mandarin script? I doubt it - that's just a bunch of squiggles really - if you can't speak the languages. Whereas - an American or Canadian declaration - is just a big slow moving target. Cheers - I.
Oh - just gone back through my shopping history - I too have used Rakuten before without incident.
Oh - just gone back through my shopping history - I too have used Rakuten before without incident.