ED2 7x36 to the UK- how much import tax? (1 Viewer)

[Martin Fagg]

Hi all,

can anyone that has bought ED2 7x36s and had them sent to the UK tell me how much, VAT and import taxes, etc, added to the cost of them.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Martin.

 

[Perry Grin]

Hi all,

can anyone that has bought ED2 7x36s and had them sent to the UK tell me how much, VAT and import taxes, etc, added to the cost of them.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Martin.

Judging from past experience and what people have said on the forum I think you can expect to pay anything from 15 to 20% of the invoice cost - though I guess the odd parcel will slip through unnoticed!

 

[airgee]

Hi all,

can anyone that has bought ED2 7x36s and had them sent to the UK tell me how much, VAT and import taxes, etc, added to the cost of them.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Martin.

I ordered and received one in France, here's a breakdown of the various charges :

• $413,25 = 287.49 € (cost of the goods + shipping charges, bank did the $ -> € change as Paypal was significantly more expensive)
• 73 € (19.6% VAT [depends on your country] + ~5.8% customs [EU-wide tariff])
• 3.22 € (cost of the VISA international payment, depends on your bank and the amount paid)

 

[James Bean]

So, for a UK buyer, assuming purchase cost is (say) $415 (in round figures) = £255, add VAT @17.5% £44.60; + customs duty @5.8% £14.80, making a total of approx. £315...

 

[joannec]

Parcel Force also has a handling charge if Customs inspects the parcel, which I think is £8.

 

[NWBirder]

with weak dollar, I wish my employer here will pay me by pounds or euros.

 

[Martin Fagg]

So, for a UK buyer, assuming purchase cost is (say) $415 (in round figures) = £255, add VAT @17.5% £44.60; + customs duty @5.8% £14.80, making a total of approx. £315...

Hi James,

ED2 7x36s cost $375 (£235) plus $40 (£25) postage

£235 plus Vat = £276
plus Customs duty @ 5.8% = £292
plus mail cost @ £25 = £317

£317 to try them out is a lot of money I feel Edit- I forgot £8 Parcel Force handling fee = £325 grand total

They have a 30 day return policy but it will cost you about £40 to post them back.
How you claim back the money that Customs & Excise took from you I don't know but I suspect it's not easy.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

What we need is a UK retailer but then they would want to add on their overheads and profit.

It's a shame there aren't more 7x35/36s to choose from.

Best wishes,
Martin.

 

[Julian]

Looking at the Zen-Ray website, I find it a bit strange that customers are not being made aware of all these extra charges. Surely there is consumer legislation and guidance about such matters and the Zen Ray website should be detailing these charges? It seems that Zen Ray are actually misleading potential customers.
Julian

 

[Kevin Purcell]

Looking at the Zen-Ray website, I find it a bit strange that customers are not being made aware of all these extra charges. Surely there is consumer legislation and guidance about such matters and the Zen Ray website should be detailing these charges? It seems that Zen Ray are actually misleading potential customers.
Julian

No, they're not misleading anyone - they're a US company that sell worldwide.

Determining how to import a product into their own country is the importers job. It varies for every country (and shipper). Just providing that information for all the EU countries would be a challenge never mind the rest of the world.

I'm amused that you think that UK consumer legislation extends to transactions executed in the USA with a US company.

Ultimately the importer is responsible for charges levied by the customs and taxation departments of his own country.

 

[Martin Fagg]

Looking at the Zen-Ray website, I find it a bit strange that customers are not being made aware of all these extra charges. Surely there is consumer legislation and guidance about such matters and the Zen Ray website should be detailing these charges? It seems that Zen Ray are actually misleading potential customers.
Julian

Hi Julian,

I don't think ZR are misleading people. It's a case of buyer beware. I can't remember how I learned that customs charges apply, it's just one of those things that one knows.
Actually as I wrote that I remembered being told as a child returning from holiday abroad (long before the internet existed) that in theory I could be stopped on the ferry home from France and charged Customs Duty on stuff I'd bought in France.
I can't think of any websites that warn buyers about export expenses. Do UK optics sellers warn US customers?

Best wishes,
Martin.

 

[spitfiretriple]

I've bought quite a few things from abroad - including the US, Germany, the Far East. The small firms (eg butterfly exporters in Thailand) didn't always warn me about customs duty. The more professional firms did warn me about customs duty. However, they told me it would be my responsibility to check the exact level. I think that's fair enough, why should any trader be expected to keep up to date with every piddly customs rule in every country in the world?

I will agree that it is a good idea to find out the charges in advance. I imported an expensive motorcycle component from America without checking. I forget now exactly how much UK customs charged me, but it spoiled my day I can tell you.

In the future, if I buy something easily portable like ZenRay 7x36s, I might be tempted to wait till someone I know is visiting the US and get them to bring the item back as personal luggage. Unethical, I know.

Julian: Here's what ZenRay have to say if you click Shipping & Returns on their website:

For Customers from outside US

Please be advised that there might be additional duty and/or tax and/or handling cost that are charged by your postal and custom authorities. As an importer, you will be responsible for those potential charges. Those charges vary from country to country. Please check with your local custom authority to find out what charges might be applicable to your purchase.

They can't make it clearer than that.

I'm amused that you think that UK consumer legislation extends to transactions executed in the USA with a US company.

Firstly, this isn't what Julian said (or presumably thought). Secondly, whilst I agree with most of what you say elsewhere, I think you might find that the country that tries hardest to impose its own rules on other countries is.... well, maybe you can guess. I will however concede that the EU, a non-country, is a major offender too, possibly even worse. Derail/off.

PS Airgee: This would normally fall to a more long-established member of birdforum, but since no-one else appears to have noticed that you've just made your first post (and an informative one at that), let me say...Welcome to birdforum. To the binocular section especially.

 

[Julian]

Sounds like you knew about taxes and duty when importing between countries Martin, but plenty of others wouldn't in this modern pc/internet age. Buyer beware maybe, but I don't think that's the way forward unless it's the only rule or law and therefore unambiguous.

Thanks for the input Spitfiretriple. When I looked at the website at 6.57pm GMT Thursday 14th, just prior to posting, the advice on duty etc wasn't there. Well done for taking the trouble to look at the site and to Zen Ray if they have subsequently changed the website to do what most of us (presumably...?) want, i.e., clearer guidance on such issues as tax and duty when buying abroad and from outside that country.

As far as UK consumer legislation, Kevin Purcell, no, I didn't say what you said I did and therefore I'm amused you took the line you did. I would just like to see some / any protection and clearer guidelines ( whether it is international or mirrors UK consumer legislation which you've alluded to I wouldn't really care). Whatever, I would imagine it would increase confidence when buying abroad and would also encourage sales as a result. I've looked at the web and all I can find so far is the following site. I wonder whether anyone is familiar with it? It appears to be international. http://www.econsumer.gov/english/ Perhaps things will improve
Thanks for all your input.
Julian

 

[rivergazer]

Any vendor in any country has absolutely no control of what happens when their product gets to foreign customs. And, the vendor could not be specific about what charges you might incur, because import protocols of different countries are all different, and the various individual countries seem to be inconsistent from order to order in enforcement of their own duty and tax laws. Ya never know, but it's not the fault or responsibility of the vendor to make things right. If they wanted to, they couldn't anyway. I think any brief warning by the vendor to that effect is more than they're obligated to do. If that's not enough, the next step would be to petition every country in the world to clarify their policies publicly, where anyone can find it, with or without internet, as much of the world is not connected. Good luck with that. Just hope you get lucky, it does happen sometimes.