Hi, Sunday, February 23, 2003, 9:42:01 PM, you wrote:
> Just a quick question for all you UK pdmlers who have ordered things from > the US. > If you have ever had anything opened by customs and had to pay something on > delivery of the item, how much handling charge ( from the PO or consignia > or whatever they're called) have you had to pay? > Just for comparison, Canadapost charges $5, (2 quid or just over). > I'm not talking UPS, FedEx brokerage, just the bog standard delivery service. > As it's a bit off topic it's best if you send replies to me privately. > tvm > Wendy > Wendy Beard, > Ottawa, Canada > http://www.beard-redfern.com I've had plenty of books and a couple of pieces of photo equipment sent in from abroad, and some of them have been subject to a customs inspection when they open the package, but there's no additional handling charge involved. That's what VAT pays for. On some items there may be duty and VAT to pay. Duty is about 8% and VAT is almost always 17.5% (in the UK). The up-to-date rates are on www.hmce.gov.uk. Rules for used goods, gifts and new goods differ, so you have to read a bit carefully. --- Bob
