Importing from the USA

[richiebozza]

Hello all!

Has anyone worked out a way of getting a frame and forks over from the USA without getting stung by ridiculous import charges?

Cheers!
Rich

[CustardLips]

Ask the seller to mark the value at $50 or less, to send as gift or returned goods. 

[richiebozza]

Is $50 the threshold?
I was looking online and found suggestion that it was much lower, down at around £15?

[CustardLips]

It was $50 unless it's recently changed.

[richiebozza]

I recently had to pay charges on a poster from the USA that the seller wrote had a value of $25 on.

And this gov site talks about value of items over £15...
https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

[kalex]

It was max £40 as gift or £5 as merchandise

I also think if it's marked around £130+ other charges kick in

[rodriguez]

Items get charged on the declared value or insured value which ever is more so if a seller marks a low value then insures it for a high value then the insured value kicks in.

Returned goods is the best route.

[kalex]

Marking low but having a high insurance is basically a wink wink symbol on the customs slip.

[dancetothedrummersbeat]

It's pot luck to be honest. Most things from the States get checked. I had to pay £12 the other day on an item that was worth/declared as $25 on the customs form. About £10 of that £12 was Royal Mail handling charge, so the amount of actual duty I had to pay was £2.

[Devilock]

Andy is correct, it's pretty much a gamble. I've had items delivered that have been way beyond the Gov threshold & other items at low value that have incurred a charge.

If you do receive a charge the value & postage are taken as one price & that total is what the charges are based.

[richiebozza]

Thanks for all the replies people!

Ahhh I was hoping that maybe there was some kind of pipeline into the country!?

As feared it sounds like I am just going to have to pay the fee on what is basically a rusty old frame, as daft as that is!