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Buying Comics From America |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 6,464
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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 )
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#2 |
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Join Date: Dec 2009
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^ just read that comics get 0% import tax but 20% import VAT - but if I'm not in who would I be paying this too (turns out even with this +20% it is STILL cheaper to buy from USA than a UK comicstore)
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 489
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If your parcel is hit with a customs/import duty charge then you'll get a slip from Royal Mail (similar to a missed parcel card) with the amount due and how to pay. You just pay on their website and set up a delivery day.
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. |
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#4 |
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Join Date: Dec 2009
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^or go to the Delivery Office and pay it there when I collect my package
- they'll no doubt put how much I owe on the card so I'll get some time to digest the shafting they're gonna give me. ![]() 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 |
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#5 |
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Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 1,204
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You may not have to pay anything. From here:
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. |
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#6 |
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Join Date: Dec 2009
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the what-appears-to-be hit and miss nature of the duty feels most frustrating.
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.
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#7 |
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,671
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It's not your actual postman who decides if you pay duty or not, it happens before anything even gets to him
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#8 |
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 6,464
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You've not met my ass of a postie
- package as of 6th July is in Miami
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#9 |
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 6,464
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Package arrived safe and secure. Wasn't in so got one of those "hey, looks like...." cards from Royal Mail. At the pickup there was no extras to pay cos the seller put COMIC BOOKS and the value was under £15 (the lady behind the counter confirmed the <£15 was the important thing)
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#10 |
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 276
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I bought comics from the US on eBay last week. The comics were just less than £40, but when I was paying for them in PayPal, as well as £9 postage, I got stung for £17.70 "import charges", which went straight to a company called Pitney-Bowes.
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. |
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#11 |
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Join Date: Nov 2008
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Pitney Bowes... now there's a name I haven't heard in a long, long, time...
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... |
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#12 |
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Join Date: Dec 2009
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Quote:
I bought comics from the US on eBay last week. The comics were just less than £40, but when I was paying for them in PayPal, as well as £9 postage, I got stung for £17.70 "import charges".
if only it'd been the other way around £9 comics and £40 postage you'da been fine.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. |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 6,464
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btw: just received another package from America filling in more gaps. Surprising thing was the final delivery was done by Yodel rather than Royal Mail - luckily my letter box was big enough to take it cos iiuc their delivery office is fkn miles away.
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- they'll no doubt put how much I owe on the card so I'll get some time to digest the shafting they're gonna give me. 
if only it'd been the other way around £9 comics and £40 postage you'da been fine.