Brits buying stuff from abroad.

seany65

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I was wondering if any other brits on the forum have bought stuff from abroad, such as filters etc?

Recently I tried to buy a 46mm yellow hoya filter from B&H. The filter was listed at $16.95 (£13.71), shipping starting from $13.51, and duties and tax $31.01.

I was wondering if I'd really have to pay $31.01 'duties and tax' on an item worth $16.95?

I have found an ebay listing for a yellow filter but the seller doesn't charge 'duties and tax', but in an email they say 'your country will collect tax' etc.

Any help would be much appreciated.
 
Well, the Hoya ones I've found in Britain seem to be the new much more expensive model and as the cameras it will be used on cost less than the new model filter I can't justify buying them.

I recently did a search on amazon and they've got green and yellow-green.

The only new yellow 46mm filters on ebay are the ones from the US, no mention of anywhere in the EU.

I've looked through the first page of google reslutls, but no entries are from the EU!

I presume I'll find a yellow hoya filter at some point, but I was mainly wonderting about such high 'duties and tax' on such a small, low-cost item.
 
If Amazon and ebay are your only ways to buy online then
- you limit the stuff you can buy
- you don't always get the best price
- you are directed to items in other countries with crazy transport and tax fees.

Try a price compare website and then you might find other shops that sell stuff directly without tax issues.

Well, the Hoya ones I've found in Britain seem to be the new much more expensive model and as the cameras it will be used on cost less than the new model filter I can't justify buying them.

I recently did a search on amazon and they've got green and yellow-green.

The only new yellow 46mm filters on ebay are the ones from the US, no mention of anywhere in the EU.

I've looked through the first page of google reslutls, but no entries are from the EU!

I presume I'll find a yellow hoya filter at some point, but I was mainly wonderting about such high 'duties and tax' on such a small, low-cost item.
 
Hello - I'm in the UK and buy things from outside the EU (mostly the USA) all the time. For most items, you'll be hit with 20% VAT + Duty + the Parcelforce handling fee which I think is around £10. This usually works out to be an additional 25% when I buy cameras and lenses. Lower priced items don't incur the same level of duty. Check out this page for details: https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

Having said all that, in light of President Trump's comments yesterday, perhaps you should consider putting 'Britain First' and buying something from a UK seller? I certainly will be from now on. Bye bye Amazon!
 
I bought a lens (value $Tens, not $Hundreds in case it's relevant) from a US seller who used the Ebay Global Shipping Program to UK, and it was efficient, not too expensive, with tracking information available.
 
I only buy from EU countries now. VAT, import duties, shipping and then the handling charge from royal mail for collecting the charges make it so exspensive to order from USA or Japan. The current exchange rate is also a killer!!

The only exception to this is books, there is no tax to be added. I buy books from Japan often, delivery can be very quick and there service is superb.

I just looked on amazon, they have a 46mm yellow B+W filter for £31 with prime delivery if you have it.
 
+1.
And don't be discouraged if lhe seller states that he ships only to Germany. Ask politely if he ships to your country, and very likely vou will get a positive answer.

Joao

Same experience, ask politely and ask them to give you a quote on the shipping charges as you understand they might be different. Only once a seller refused to send.
 
Just buy a nice used one where you live. Only once have I bought a new filter, and that was by accident, as a used one turned out to be brand new. Sellers will describe them well, and generally a used one will be in exc condition.

Just as a side note, I have owned Hoyas (not sure what model they were) and getting and keeping them clean was nearly impossible. They like to smear. They may have been the multi coated ones.

As for that idiot Trump, if he really wants to make this country great again, he should start by giving it back to the original inhabitants from which it was stolen. Every since the Indian tribes lost control of the situation, it has been all downhill in my opinion.
 
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