More New Toys - from makita this time

[Rational Root]

I have lived from some time with a cheap and cheerless 18v portable drill. Pretty good when the battery was charged, but the battery didn't last very long, and I drained a battery just doing the floor of my "boat shed". (5' x 3' shed for storing bits in)

Then I came across this Makita cordless impact driver set . It's a world apart from my old toy cordless. The quality is obvious in just handling it. The impact driver easily belts screws into solid oak without any of the usual ruining of the screw heads. And I got it up in the US for less than half the price of buying it in Europe. Add a €20 transformer and off you go.

[Graham Knight]

What company did you get it from, and did you have to pay any duty/tax on it?

[Rational Root]

Although it was shipped to a US address and collected from there on a trip to the US.

I tried ebay but in my opinion, a certain seller - who has this item for auction - is bidding up his own auctions.

He sells a LOT of power tools - and there's a few buyers who have only bought from him, and typically only come in at the end of an auction.

If you PM me I will tell you who I have reported for shill bidding - which is, as you will appreciate a matter of fact - there can be no argument that I did not report them.

I cannot confirm that they are actually shill bidding, only that I reported them. Ebay do not tell me if they have taken any further action.

D

[Graham Knight]

Hmm, sounds fishy!

My son bought a lot of DeWalt cordless tools on eBay, the price was very good (nearly half the best UK shop price) and they were shipped from the USA, but he didn't have to pay duty or vat on them, I don't understand how that works?

[Rational Root]

In the event of Customs knocking on his door, and asking for proof of duty paid, I imagine that he would find himself with a bill.

The reality however is that Customs probably don't check every parcel, or anything like it, as it's no cost effective.

Sometimes things that I have ordered from over seas have been stopped for duty, sometimes not. There's never been any rhyme or reason. And even when I've had items stopped, I just pay the duty and it's still a good deal.

I never ask for things to be posted as gifts, nor to have fake values on the customs dockets, so I have no real explanation other than spot checking.

[Graham Knight]

I'm pretty sure the seller he bought from actually guarantees that you won't pay duty or vat though!
I've had loads of stuff slip through unnoticed myself, especially at busy periods like Xmas, someone who worked at the Royal Mail Mount Pleasant sorting office once told me they couldn't physically check more than one in three packages, they just don't have the staff.

[leakcheck]

Graham,

Is it "legal" (also read ethical) for me to send you a "gift" if you were to send me the money for it?

Steve

[Graham Knight]

Is it "legal" (also read ethical) for me to send you a "gift" if you were to send me the money for it?

Well technically no it's not legal, forget the ethics, the taxman has none so neither do I in my dealings with him!

But there's a tax and duty free limit on both goods and gifts, goods must be no more than £18 worth (about $35) and gifts no more than £36, if the value is more than that you pay tax and duty on the whole lot, and the cost of postage is included in the total value as it's considered a service.

You can see it wouldn't be much of a gift, small items of fairly low value only.

[jack.]

King Tools in the US have some great deals on new/factory reconditioned power tools (even better for the european buyer!!!).Ive been looking to pick up some,but will now have too look into this "tax issue"

[KnottyBuoyz]

I was told by a Brit friend that if you order from the US and have the shipper mark "For Agricultural Use Only" on the manifest or shipping notice it'll pass through customs without duties being req'd. Someone might want to check on that just to make sure.

[Dave Grason]

....have the shipper mark "For Agricultural Use Only" on the manifest....

I know some Mexicans that think that this is a totally EXCELLENT idea.

[jack.]

we dont have so many mexicans round here!!!,only a bunch of white guys,riding around on motorcycles callin themselfs...Bandito's
i'm no sure that counts!!!!