Import Duty from USA to UK

I'm hoping to buy the E2E + KL1 Conversion Head from Surefire.com in the first week in January. Assuming that (knowing my luck) it doesn't slip past customs, how much am I likely to be hit for? Thanks.

You`ll get charged the 17.5% VAT plus "duty" levied at a rate depending on what the goods are (for flashlights I find this is under 5%), and the nice folks at Parcelforce/Royal Mail will stick a few quid on top for "processing fee".

Duty and VAT is based on the declared value of the item, added to the shipping cost as printed on the postage-paid label.

Personally I don`t think it`s fair that we have to pay the government to allow us to bring our own stuff (that we paid for in full) into the country. But then, I will never understand politics, or anything....

Oh - I just noticed you`re planning to buy this from Surefire`s web site. You won`t be able to do that, they don`t ship overseas. They also try to make all their US dealers refuse to ship overseas too, claiming that it is unfair to their worldwide dealers.

UK`s Surefire dealers are Edgar Brothers, and they charge above retail probably even at their wholesale rates. The result is that when the lights reach the tiny amount of shops here that sell only a tiny fraction of the avaliable range, they can be two or three times the cost of that in equivalent US stores.

Which I also don`t think is fair.

Don`t tell Surefire, but I do believe the very nice mr Tim Flanagan (noreastknives(at)bigfoot(dot)com), a US based dealer in all sorts including Surefire lights, can - and will - ship stuff overseas at very reasonable rates. And he has ways to try and circumvent customs too. Now, I didn`t tell you that of course

QUOTE:- You won`t be able to do that, they don`t ship overseas. QUOTE:-

I don't understand this, surefire's site has a page that details overseas shipping prices.

Here is the page link:-

http://www.surefire.com/cgi-bin/main.pl?
pgm=co_disp&func=displ&pgrfnbr=257&sesent=0,0

Sorry

http://www.surefire.com/cgi-bin/main.pl?pgm=co_disp&func=displ&pgrfnbr=257&sesent=0,0

Originally posted by Chris M.:

Duty and VAT is based on the declared value of the item, added to the shipping cost as printed on the postage-paid label.

Personally I don`t think it`s fair that we have to pay the government to allow us to bring our own stuff (that we paid for in full) into the country. But then, I will never understand politics, or anything....

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I thought "VAT" was collected for the privilege of keeping the queen and her family rich enough to buy diamonds, furs, & castles?

We don't do VAT because most americans don't believe in the concept of "royalty by birth".. Here, everyone is *supposedly* created "equal"

I`m kinda with you Slick re the Royals. But don`t get me started on that. VAT is actually our equivalent of sales tax - if I understand it, you guys have federal sales tax, plus state tax that you only pay if you are resident in that state - so buying mail order from a firm in another state will save you a bit. VAT is both lumped together, European countries have a similar thing, but because of the nice European Union you don`t avoid paying it if you buy from other European contries, hence everything is more expensive here.

I was sure Surefire didn`t ship overseas from their site, maybe things have changed recently? But I do remember reading that, it could have been on what used to be the SFDB.

Oh, and don`t get me wrong, I`m sure Edgars are great, but if you aren`t in the emergency services (like me) they won`t deal with you, and then you`re stuck paying £95 for a regular E2 like I did last year. Yes, that`s about $140

I guess that was a general dig at the fact that everything here costs so much, most retailers think they can get away with charging us more just cos we`re stuck here on this odd shaped island with nowhere else to go. Or maybe we`re just too polite to moan and just pretend to put up with it?

It's pretty evident one or two US companies have little interest in shipping abroad. They can make it prohibitively expensive, or are generally unlelpful. When I emailed Tadgear to ask whether the "free shipping on all orders over $100.00" applies internationally, I got the curt response "no, thanks, Josh".

Fortunately not all US firms want to avoid trading with us, which is good seeing as the UK is a virtual led desert comparitively.

If you can keep the order small (or valued small) customs doesn't seem interested. Or if the package can be labelled *gift* it can also be exempt.

Personally, I object to paying the carrier the cost of recovering the VAT, particularly when they don't even deliver, and I have to collect the package from them.

Chris

I have to step in here, I use Edgar brothers a lot and get a good deal from them. I know it's probably unfair but they do sell to the Police, Fire and Ambulance services at cost prices plus VAT but it is still the cheapest way I know to buy Surefire products in the UK.
They are a really nice crowd to do business with and the only downside to dealing with them is that you sometimes have to wait quite long periods for them to get what you want in stock.

One other thing Edgar Brothers are also the UK importer for both Blackhawk products and Spyderco knives.

I think I should add that I'm a paramedic by trade and am not connected to Edgar Brothers in any way other than a satisfied customer.
Doug

Why won't they deliver the package to your door?

Since I live in the sticks I'd have to do a round trip of 130 miles to the nearest major town.

I don't know. All I know is even when I'm in, I get cards left which say to report to the sorting office.

Maybe things are more civilised up North? Although, I suspect the general decline in the postal service has spread there too!