Buying Comics From America
Anyone from the UK who has eBayed comics from someone in America and had them sent in a USPS Priority Mail International Flat Rate Envelope ?
(yes I know this probably should go in the advice section but I'm thinking with this being a comic question, posting it here might work better for me.
Anyway, the comic pack (~14 comics) is in America and they'll be using that USPS Envelope, and I see there this big thing about import charges, but another thing about comics are exempt. And also someone said Parcel Force aka Royal Mail deliver the item to your door.
Basically has anyone bought comics from USA from people using USPS ? What happened, were you stung for import duties and did Parcel Force do the delivery ?
(had I not just woken up the above would read much clearerer
)
(yes I know this probably should go in the advice section but I'm thinking with this being a comic question, posting it here might work better for me.
Anyway, the comic pack (~14 comics) is in America and they'll be using that USPS Envelope, and I see there this big thing about import charges, but another thing about comics are exempt. And also someone said Parcel Force aka Royal Mail deliver the item to your door.
Basically has anyone bought comics from USA from people using USPS ? What happened, were you stung for import duties and did Parcel Force do the delivery ?
(had I not just woken up the above would read much clearerer
) 0
Comments
USPS is just the US version of Royal Mail, once it leaves their borders the parcel is handled by the mail carrier of the country it lands in.
Per my request the seller is putting COMIC BOOK and GIFT and as its value the price minus the delivery costs which should.... should get me off the import tax but not the VAT.
If only some UK sellers sold old comics in bulk at a cheap price, instead of singularly at an insane price
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/internet.htm
"though Customs Duty is waived if the amount of duty payable is £9 or less"
That's the amount of duty, not the value of the goods. If the package is inspected I doubt they'll think it worth their while. I've had a bunch of electrical goods out of China and never had to pay import duty.
It feels like if the postie knows me, if we've exchanged pleasantaries(?) often, if I've given him gifts every Christmas since I've been here, then he could just wave the duty and hand over the parcel with a smile. But if I've done none of that, if he's had to fill out literally a billion freeking "why weren't you in dammit" cards, then I'll be slapped with a hefty fine including an extra charge for the sniffer dogs they had to bring in cos it looked suspiscous(?) and he thought he could smell pot thru my letterbox that one time last June.
... I'm so screwed.
The import charges were in the listing, but I stupidly thought that was a charge I might have to pay as Customs Duty when it reached the UK.
So, that's something to be wary of.
Anyway, they're a franking machine company but it seems they're spread their wings and diversified a bit since I last crossed their path. Certainly something to be aware of, I wonder if it's something in collaboration with eBay...
Just this min I found a super USA listing for a bunch of comics that'd fill an unbeforeknown hole in my collection, only for the £20 cost (not incl p+p) to put a dampner on things.