[Elecraft] Re: High cost shipping on low cost articles

[Henk Remijn PA5KT]

As from Dec. 1st the allowed amount will be EURO 150 if you order 
something outside the EU.
If you take it with you when entering the EU you can bring a total of 
EURO 450 without paying custom duties or VAT.

Now it is EURO 22 and EURO 150.

If you have to pay VAT you pay it over the value of the goods + the 
shipping costs. Plus add the handling by the customs agent. This is 
usually between Euro 15 and 20.

Henk


David Woolley (E.L) schreef:
> AD6XY wrote:
>> And the effect of Ebay... But it is a real problem for us overseas 
>> people.
>> Many firms will not ship abroad at all and others insist on using 
>> expensive
>> couriers, even for items only costing a few $. My recent problem 
>> trying to
>> get a 15-way cable for example. It would cost $10 for the cable and 
>> $60 to
>> ship it, and that is before customs charges.
>
> In that example, shipping in a jiffy bag would have avoided the 
> customs and customs clearance charges as well, as you are currently 
> allowed GBP 18 including shipping costs (I believe this is going up to 
> around GBP 100 at the end of the year).
>
> Incidentally, for someone in the UK, I have found that Germany is a 
> good place to source accessories.  UK vendors seem not to advertise 
> small accessories, or ones for older models.  The German vendors don't 
> seem to fall into the everything gets courier prices trap.  The one 
> downside is that some of them do not take plastic, but expect a Euros 
> bank transfer.  That immediately adds GBP 15 to the cost.  I did find 
> one that had the parts I wanted and did take plastic/Paypal.  There 
> are no customs duties for imports, to the UK, from Germany.  You do 
> have to pay VAT, but that is paid as part of the price to the vendor.
>
> I believe Elecraft will ship small items by cheap methods, but it 
> would help if they actually provided details on the web site, even 
> though they may well not charge the international courier rates for 
> them.  I'm reluctant to consider any of the small kits on add ons 
> because I don't know the shipping cost (I'm also waiting for the 
> customs exemption limits to rise).
>
>