Buying from the USA

voodoozoe

Let us know how you get on with any of the companies when you've tried them!!! We all CRAVE US goods don't we?!!!

paul93anderson

voodoozoe wrote:

Let us know how you get on with any of the companies when you've tried them!!! We all CRAVE US goods don't we?!!!

I have always admired the Americans' keen sense of value and the strength of the domestic consumer. Its difficult to understand why some things are so much cheaper there - even allowing for import duty and shipping costs.

I shall let you know how I get on in due corse.

Good luck with the move. By the way what on earth is "stoozling"

vespa_pod

paul93anderson wrote:

Thanks for taking the time and trouble to reply. Just out of interest was the cost of phoning significant?

I was on the phone for 13 mins and it cost £1.36 iam on NTL and rang in the afternoon

paul93anderson

Thanks for this. Its helpful.

xueta

Hi paul!

Sounds like you're going to have fun shopping!

"Stoozing" is when you borrow money on a 0% interest credit card and put that money in a high interest savings account - so effectively you earn interest on somebody else's money!!!

Also, don't forget you can ring internationally very cheaply these days through VOIP (e.g. Skype) or other providers - see the Telephones thread for more details.

HTH

paul93anderson

xueta wrote:

Hi paul!

Sounds like you're going to have fun shopping!

"Stoozing" is when you borrow money on a 0% interest credit card and put that money in a high interest savings account - so effectively you earn interest on somebody else's money!!!

Also, don't forget you can ring internationally very cheaply these days through VOIP (e.g. Skype) or other providers - see the Telephones thread for more details.

HTH

Thank you. It will certainly be interesting. I think I will just dip my toes in the water initially, and depending upon my success or otherwise, progress in to deeper but hopefully calm waters.

it certainly looks like the Americans have a vast range and competitive prices in almost all areas - possibly with the notable but significant exception of health costs.

deeds

I use shopthestates a lot and so far have had no probs, they charge $5 service charge on one off plus the actual shipping cost, they also make sure you dont get stung too much by customs
There are 2 other packages too payable monthly if you're buying a lot from USA I have only used the $5 service.
But I wish more sites would accept UK credit cards, though shopthestates do have a buying sevice too, which I *think* is $6 plus 5% of the total cost, so it could work out pricey-ish.
But definitely give them a try, I love them!

paul93anderson

Thank you very much for your feedback and advice.

Its a pity that the exmptioins for Customs Duty and VAT are so low for goods purchased outside of the EC (EU) or whatever it calls itself these days.

Could you please answer any of the following related questions:

(i) How much does the post office charge for administering the collection of VAt and import duty?
(ii) Can you recommend any US stores that you have used?
(iii) What in your opinion is good value in the USA vis-a-vis UK prices.

Has anyone bought goods from more exotic palces - eg, Cotton from Egypt. Coffee from Brazil or Kenya? Clothes from Africa? Presumably there must be the possibilty of buying these type of goods direct?

Chris120A

eBay has always come up trumps for me, and the postage tends to be cheaper as you are dealing with individuals. I bought a Fossil watch for £17 (plus postage) off eBay, the exact same one is in the H. Samuel Xmas catalogue for £69!!! Also your items don't get stopped by customs and charged customs charges/V.A.T. Most of the US sellers I have dealt with also mark the package as "GIFT" which means you both pay less postage, and customs can't charge you! (I think...)

xueta

paul93anderson wrote:

How much does the post office charge for administering the collection of VAT and import duty?

From the https://www.royalmail.com website:

What if mail has come from abroad?

You might have to pay Customs duties for mail coming from abroad. The cost will depend on the type of mail being sent to you and its value - for example, you may be charged VAT if you’re being sent merchandise (business to consumer) worth more than £18 or £36 for gifts (consumer to consumer). There are other limits and charges for tobacco and alcohol. There's also a handling fee of £4.00 per item, which is a contribution towards our costs in carrying out activity on behalf of Her Majesty’s Customs & Excise. However, if there’s no Customs charge then we won't charge you anything at all.

The Post Office charges (£4) are much lower than other couriers - it's not unusual to be charged £20+ for this service from others! Although in theory items that are marked as <£18 merchandise or <£36 gifts should not be charged VAT, UK customs reserve the right to open and inspect packages at random. Some companies that regularly under-declare high value items such as cameras and designer goods are beginning to fall foul of this rule.

paul93anderson wrote:

Has anyone bought goods from more exotic places - eg, Cotton from Egypt. Coffee from Brazil or Kenya? Clothes from Africa? Presumably there must be the possibilty of buying these type of goods direct

Interesting question ... I've not heard of individual consumers buying directly from abroad for these items. It makes more sense economically for large companies to buy raw materials (e.g. cotton, coffee) in bulk and to transport these back to the U.K. for processing. It is the final processing and packaging that makes the final product an 'attractive buy' for us; the local product is often unfinished and may be inferior to the 'export' grade goods that you or I are used to. I was very disappointed with the coffee served in Kenya and South America, for instance. However, if you do come across good sites selling these goods, then do please spread the word!