Hi all, I want to buy a laptop from the USA but have been told that I will be liable for excess duty at the UK customs (on top of the courier service). Can anyone confirm this or point me in the right direction.

I have been through HM customs website, but cannot find what I need.

Thanks all.

When I have bought stuff from overseas before the options have been that the courier pays the duty and then you pay the courier or if it's parcelforce/royal mail they hold it to ransom until you pay the duty... unles of course it comes into the country as a gift.........

parcelforce/royal mail they hold it to ransom until you pay the duty...

I've seen a thread about that on here somewhere - people weren't happy! Can't remember what it was called. Try searching Royal Mail.

I had a nikon camera delivered from the usa and had to pay the delivery company the duty.

PF

I have contacted the seller who has said that I am responsible for the duty this end. He wants $100 US for the courier as the item is quite heavy, but I am worried that our customs may keep it as ransom for a high price. You think you are getting a bargain by buying outside this rip-off country, but they just sting you anyway. The item in question is a laptop by the way.

The courier service is USPS Express International.

Also, he said that he gives my phone number to the courier so UK customs can contact me. That is not a problem, I just need to have a rough idea of how much extra our country is going to rape me for.

Since when has a laptop been heavy ? Correct me if im wrong but I thought they where designed to be light or lightish.

PF

Since when has a laptop been heavy ? Correct me if im wrong but I thought they where designed to be light or lightish.

 

PF

It's 18.4 inch screen PF, more of a desktop replacement really so one of the heaviest laptops around.

18.4 inch Blimey I did not know you could get them that big still i live and learn!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PF

This is it.

HP HDX 18t Review

Some laptop. Got the same styling as Pavilion I've got. Just lots bigger. I want one but I'll have to wait about 2 years for the price to drop!

you have to pay a customs charge. I cant give you the website link ATM as the site is down but it is on the HMRC website.

You can get them for £600 from USA, but I have just found out that our Government are not happy with anyone getting a bargain in this country. They hate it, so therefore they will insist that I give them some money as well (for doing absolutely nothing). Inevitably, I may actually end up paying the same price as you would pay here in the first place.

I found this in a new dictionary (and another thread).

Countryside, (n), The act of killing a member of the British Parliament.

lol love it.

I know how u feel i want to import Yankee candles i cant get here and wont be coming here as well as the same accessories but they have said it will cost me to much.

Strangely there was a facebook thing the other day about this it was death by crayons moaning about it.

rite she has said this

Apparently if the content value is over £36 then you're liable for import tax. Well, my boots were in dollars which equated to £36.03. I'm so angry!!

Also P+P dont count.

'Just' the VAT on Laptops, commodity code is 8471 3000 00. Believe Parcel force are USPS partners for the UK so it'll be an 8 squid customs clearance fee on top.

Is the cost of the laptop £600? Duty can be quite complicated to calculate. Off the top of my head I think the rate for laptops is 3.7% - so Duty would be £22.20, plus VAT which would be £93.33, plus handling fee which if Royal Mail or Parcelforce will be £8 but if it ends up with a different courier then it could be significantly higher.

'Just' the VAT on Laptops, commodity code is 8471 3000 00. Believe Parcel force are USPS partners for the UK so it'll be an 8 squid customs clearance fee on top.

Posted before I saw this - I'll take your word for that as I haven't looked it up. So on a £600 laptop you'll be looking at £90 VAT + handling fee.

Thanks guys for your advice. If I am looking at another £100 then I may have to postpone until after Xmas. Funny enough, I farted in Heathrow airport a couple of weeks ago, and that cost me £12 plus vat. I can't stand this country (but I know there are worse places on earth).

The other thing is, if you order in USA you are entitled to claim up to $200 cash back by going to the site through Bing.com search engine. Can you get that deal here? Can you s**te.!!!!

There are some online resources available if you want a brief introduction. The main idea is that it depends on the country... for example US customs regulations towards Canada are more favorable than those towards Mexico.

thread is 8yrs old!!