|
|
Post by Shockprowl on Jan 7, 2014 22:49:45 GMT
One of our esteemed colleagues has managed to run up a sizeable Pile of Loot at BBTS. Sizeable as in $6200 *Gasp!* |
|
Stomski
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
YOU INTERRUPTED MY SPEECH!! But don't worry. It won't happen again.
Posts: 6,121
|
Post by Stomski on Jan 9, 2014 9:58:41 GMT
Does the $6200 include p+p fees?
|
|
|
|
Post by Pinwig on Jan 31, 2014 18:43:36 GMT
This is a new one on me. When customs demands come, they usually come handwritten on a card through the door - but this time I've actually got a printed letter saying pay online and we'll then arrange delivery. Never had that before. £20.81 and Parcelforce Worldwide will release my Robot Kingdom order to me, which of course now won't be until next week. Arg!
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 31, 2014 19:08:44 GMT
You've probably only had them from RM then, that's been Parcelfarce's standard for some time.
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 1, 2014 20:52:47 GMT
It'll be £14.09 to free Universe Whirl and his Minicon buddies from RM on Monday
(£8 clearance fee)
Got one parcel past them this week, but three more incoming. I know I'm going to get done for the BBTS effort but I'm hoping I can get my generations wave 3 deluxes in without molestation.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Feb 1, 2014 23:16:00 GMT
I explained CUTA this week to my other half. It took quite some time for her swearing to stop!
-Ralph
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 2, 2014 17:37:12 GMT
Hmmmmm
RM's web site threw a wobbler because I'd left some non compulsary fields blank while registering.
Which I had to do to pay the CUTA online.
However it then wanted *ME* to enter the address on the parcel, when they sent me the note and the charge amount as well the parcel's tracking number.
Hmmmmmm
Not inspiring confidence that if I did enter the data the parcel would be redelivered.
No I think I'll keep my credit card details to myself and go in and collect the parcel myself. Which means I'll need to find the cash. Because sorting offices don't take credit cards.
|
|
|
|
Post by Pinwig on Feb 2, 2014 19:52:56 GMT
The whole system is quite stupid. It needs streamlining. The taxes themselves are one issue (why do we have to pay VAT on items bought in another country?) but the other more annoying one is the collection process and cost. It doesn't work well. The biggest bugbear for me is the £8 fee. Why do I have to pay £8 for the privilege of going to my own sorting office to collect a parcel? It's usually totally disproportionate to the value of the package. I remember going to get MP Sideswipe last year thinking, I'm walking to my local sorting office to pay about £3 in VAT and £8 in collection costs, when no one is actually collecting anything from me - I'm taking the money to them.
Amazon's system is so much better. Tax at cost, reimbursed if they charge too much, and no stupid collection fee. You know what you're paying up front and there's no delivery faff. Brilliant.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bogatan on Feb 2, 2014 20:20:47 GMT
Yeah I just got refund of £2 something for my order from before christmas. Great system.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Feb 2, 2014 21:37:27 GMT
It does seem to be a good idea on their part and a sure way to get business from folk who do a lot of importing of toys.
-Ralph
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 6, 2014 17:57:58 GMT
One of our esteemed colleagues has managed to run up a sizeable Pile of Loot at BBTS. Sizeable as in $6200 BBTS are saying they want to ship it now. Shall we have a little game and play "guess the CUTAing"? Somehow his courier seems to have charged him at a different rate: £176.30 VAT plus £11 |
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 6, 2014 18:02:46 GMT
Meanwhile.... | Description | Subtotal | | Generations 2014 Voyager Series 02 - Whirl | $29.99 | | Generations 2014 Series 02 - Set of 4 | $53.99 | | DW-P19P Warhead | $14.99 | | Generations 2014 Voyager Series 01 - Rhinox | $29.99 | | Kabaya Gum Plus Transformers DX Road Caesar Series - Box of 5 | $44.99 | | Subtotal | $173.95 | | Tax | $0.00 | | Total | $233.94 |
I'm awaiting an envelope from the Farce. I think this looks like a £40-£45 job |
|
Stomski
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
YOU INTERRUPTED MY SPEECH!! But don't worry. It won't happen again.
Posts: 6,121
|
Post by Stomski on Feb 11, 2014 10:02:20 GMT
I do love bills where the handling fee is over 2x the actual customs charge. £12.63 incl. £8 handling, lol.
|
|
kayevcee
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
The Weather Wizard
Posts: 5,527
|
Post by kayevcee on Feb 11, 2014 11:53:27 GMT
"Love".
-Nick
|
|
|
|
Post by legios on Feb 11, 2014 15:40:41 GMT
Been there, done that. Annoys me immensely because I strongly doubt that in this day and age it is representative of their costs.
Karl
|
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Feb 11, 2014 18:54:00 GMT
The only way to avoid is not to import.
-Ralph
|
|
|
|
Post by Pinwig on Feb 11, 2014 21:23:20 GMT
Or petition BBTS to start using a pre-pay system like Amazon so you're only paying the VAT and not the fee. Although I guess you'd need to be a pretty big company to instigate all that.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bogatan on Feb 11, 2014 22:31:20 GMT
Or petition BBTS to start using a pre-pay system like Amazon so you're only paying the VAT and not the fee. Although I guess you'd need to be a pretty big company to instigate all that. I don't know TRU use a third party to do it and I wouldn't be that surprised if BBTS did at least comparable international business to TRU. |
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 11, 2014 22:32:33 GMT
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2014 22:38:16 GMT
Good point, well made (and thanks for showing me a Prowl I've never seen...). I think it's actually quite easy to do from certain countries. When I used to order a lot of airsoft equipment from abroad, both Hong Kong and American suppliers could elect to pay import charges for you. In fact, it was a given that they would do so and all you had to do was stipulate what price you want them to declare (the pay-off being that if the package is lost, you can only claim up to the value you declared). |
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 11, 2014 23:00:54 GMT
The Air Millitary and Emergency teams got reprinted, split up and paired off with a member of the opposition and then each pair was stuck with a larger toy in the Universe line. From memory that Prowl mold has a few versions: Emergency team Rpaint Emergency Team (smokescreen colours) Universe Energon SWAT team Dimension-X DVD Micron Booster Galaxy Force promotional See www.tfu.info/2003/Mini-Con/Prowl/prowl.htm |
|
|
|
Post by Pinwig on Feb 11, 2014 23:23:18 GMT
BBTS ought to get on that then. It's not just the £8 fee that's off-putting, it's the holdup in delivery while you pay too.
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 13, 2014 14:21:47 GMT
And what did I find waiting for me on my return home?
A ransom demand for £35.37!
4 Deluxe, 2 Voyagers, some Kabaya and some 3P missiles for someone
|
|
|
|
Post by legios on Feb 13, 2014 17:05:06 GMT
Good point, well made (and thanks for showing me a Prowl I've never seen...). I think it's actually quite easy to do from certain countries. When I used to order a lot of airsoft equipment from abroad, both Hong Kong and American suppliers could elect to pay import charges for you. In fact, it was a given that they would do so and all you had to do was stipulate what price you want them to declare (the pay-off being that if the package is lost, you can only claim up to the value you declared). Which, from what little I know of the cost of Airsoft, could smart a little I would guess. I've always treated customs charges etc as an inevitable "cost of doing business". Back when I was importing a lot of stuff it was cheaper to get stuff from HLJ than it was to pay for BBTS to import it from Japan and then get hit with that markup as well as everything else (well, it would have been cheaper still to deal with Shinsei Industries or General Galaxy direct, but Macross Plus and Frontier do suggest that General Galaxy at least is one of those Evil Corporations in the Ares Macrotechnology or OCP vein) and maybe it was the large numbers of zeros on Yen prices but I never failed to have charges to pay. Then the pound dropped through the floor and I pretty much stopped importing stuff. I am expecting a sharp CUTA pain around march of this year though - but some Variable Fighters are worth going through some pain for... Karl |
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Mar 4, 2014 11:05:08 GMT
Have a look at the link in the above post again:
Price: US $37.99 (Approximately £22.73)
US $27.12 (approx. £16.22)
Import charges: US $16.81 (amount confirmed at checkout, about £10.50)
That's being charged at .... 25% plus. What's the duty rate for a UK parcel?
I believe Andu wishes to share as well....
|
|
|
|
Post by Pinwig on Mar 4, 2014 20:51:05 GMT
Under £135 the import fee is just VAT, so should be 20% plus the £8 collection fee. For commercial transactions it's free under £15 or £36 value for gifts.
|
|
|
|
Post by legios on Mar 4, 2014 21:01:56 GMT
I for one am expecting a strategic weapons grade Cuta in a few weeks time. On the other hand, it will be for a capstone piece for a collection, and after it I will be pretty much out of the importing game anyway so I am somewhat sanguine about it.
Karl
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2014 11:42:57 GMT
I only made one payment but according to the nice lady at the COD department I apparently made one to the driver and one online. I am now £119.05 better off than I was yesterday. Sometimes, it appears, you win one.  |
|
|
|
Post by legios on Apr 5, 2014 14:21:14 GMT
13:00hrs, VX-616 Squadron Offices. One end of a vid-phone conversation
"Explain to me again how Import Duty applies. The airframe already belongs to UN Spacy, it is just being transfered from one squadron to another.
Wait. What. New Edwards used Eden government funding for the Restoration program so technically title to the airframe passed... *sound of a quiet knocking on a wooden surface* Ok. Fine, Lieutenant. i am authorising the transfer of funds from Squadron Capital Expenditures fund on my recognaisance. But we're going to have to find that money somewhere else given the Austerity Program. That works out to two crews monthly flying hour costs. Tell me Lieutenant, you are carried on staff as a flying officer aren't you?
Yes, yes. I am sure that the extended ordnance package that Shinsei Industries are delivering will be well worth it. But whilst you are in touch with Edinburgh Station, could you take the time to find out why it is going to take them a further sixty odd hours to ferry us down a YF-19 from a space station whose orbit CARRIES IT RIGHT OVERHEAD THIS BASE!
*click*"
Karl
|
|
|
|
Post by Andy Turnbull on Apr 6, 2014 19:37:48 GMT
How much have you been reamed for Kaptain?
Andy
|
|
