I am very interested in the GBFans sound board, but at over $70 shipped it is quite hard for me to justify. However, I am more concerned that if I do purchase it then the UK customs will seize it and demand even more money for its release. Does anyone have any good/bad experience with UK customs and whether I can confidently buy stuff from GBfans without having to pay extortionate customs fees?
Thanks
Magnus
it won’t be seized it Will just be held for payment of appropriate import taxes and duties. Call the UK Border Control agency and ask them.
shipping does suck but it will get their likely faster than air mail posted.
Given the value of the GBFans soundboard you will have to pay import tax when the item reaches the UK.
I would advise checking out the HMRC website for information relating to purchasing items from outside the EU.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/internet.htm - here’s the link that explains it all.
have emailed them Will let you know what they say. Annoying that they charge for this when it is clearly something which I cannot purchase locally! I know tax is all about protecting the UK economy but bloody hell this is something which cant be!
I know the feeling. Canada is generally the same..
I’ve been a frequent shopper with the GBFans store, and I can’t easily recall being hit too badly by customs charges on those imports… but it does depend on the value of the item, and some times the charges do seem to be arbitrary.
It’s best to prepare for the possibility they will want a little extra for the import charges… just to be safe.
Same as Kingpin in the above post. I’ve purchased a lot of items from the GB fans store and the charges arent massive. Like simcarr posted, HMRC website does have a lot of info. Also the HMRC website does show the charge calculations. usually items under £9 are unaffected and anything up to £135 is another charge bracket etc
The worse part is the £8 handling fee…That irritates the hell out of me.
Unfortunately this hobby can be expensive at the best of times but living in this part of the world means it can be more expensive when you add in customs and intl shipping.
With customs it’s a mixed bag sometimes you get hit sometimes you don’t. I’ve made it a rule that whenever I buy something from the states I expect to pay customs on it and plan for it, if I don’t get hit for them then it’s a bonus.
Customs seems to be the same wherever ya go..UK, Canada, or the US
yeah looks like a tenner for import tax. Thanks for all the info folks
If it’s any use to you. I just got two parcels in without custom charges at all. One contained a Powercell/Wand light pack and the other contained two sound boards. Neither one of those got hit for customs.
Actually. In the US you can typically import anything under $2000 for free.
I know I’ve imported a few things in the $4000 range and only had to pay perhaps 1-2%.
Commercially or personal?
Also; ill post this info here.
In Canada, depending on province of import, you can expect to pay duties and taxes if your personal import is over $150~ish. Duty is not charged (generally) as most products are NAFTA duty free (US, CANADA AND MEXICO).
Commercial (business) imports are all subject to 5% federal taxes. Generally they will be done by Low Value Shipment by courier (LVS). This is where some people get screwed by couriers (FedEx, DHL, UPS etc)
AJ; I mostly meant that there is a flexibility in thr officers discretion for release of product with cost of applicable duties and taxes.
Sorry for the derailing on this thread.
No distinction is made really.
I’ve never been hit with the USPS, only with FedEx and UPS.
wow, I could only dream of regulations like that…
While most of the small stuff slips through customs here in germany every big parcel goes through customs. And thats 19% + customs (depending on product). Shipping costs are added to product value to calculate the fee. Great, isn’t it?
I’v decided and i bought the matty neutrino wand from GBFans and this is the first time I have bought anything outside the UK and the current tracking info is saying its in the UK at custom clearance I have two question and apologise if they sound stupid.
How long does it take to clear customs.
How do I contact them to pay any custom/import fee’s.
Any help would be appreciated.
From my own experience, it takes between 1-2 weeks to clear customs depending on how quickly you’re able to pay the customs charges.
You’ll be notified of the customs charge via a card being put through your letter box, which should contain instructions for paying online for your item.
Thank you i was very unsure what to do as its the first time iv had to import anything.
1-2 weeks? I find it’s usually 2-3 days.