[Elecraft] P3: buy in UK or US?

[dombaines at yahoo.com]

This gets asked on the list loads by UK guys ...

If you buy from US Elecraft and ship you will pay VAT on the whole of 
the value of the shipment plus the shipping costs and an admin fee of £8 
(if ends up being delivered by Royal Mail). Note that assumes NO DUTY is 
due as Elecraft add the note that the contents have a 0% tarrif for duty 
usually. If you are possibly classified in HMRC minds as an 
importer/reseller or they do some random spot check etc then they can 
apply duty to it, they tend not to though but as I am sure some on list 
will tell you it can happen and you will be sent lots of extra paperwork 
if you counter it and it adds an extra delay.

It can end up taking seemingly ages for it to clear UK customs or it can 
seem to 'sail through', chasing it doesn't help although once it is with 
HMRC an Elecraft parcel does not tend to go missing.

I have been buying stuff from Elecraft for years without issue. It tends 
to be cheaper buying from US but not always.

You should work out your calculation on the basis by adding VAT @ 20% on 
the price and shipping costs. Work out what current UK £ cost is of the 
item and shipping and work it out.

e.g. It equates to add about £150 on a KX3 and few bits so say $1,000 
value on a kit and bits or £644 at today's rate.
Add the £8 plus VAT on £644 and say £50 shipping or £146 so you will pay 
£790 (assuming zero bank exchange costs) in theory >£100 cheaper than 
the W&S price £899 where you will get it sooner. But add in the exchange 
costs and it is probably closer to £80 cheaper unless your bank or 
credit card is ripping you off and they don't do that do they?

Sure you can work it out.

Buying from W&S may seem less expensive but you have to be patient :-) I 
do not work for W&S or Elecraft.

72

Dom
M1KTA
On 29/04/13 12:54, David Ferrington, M0XDF wrote:
> Buy from the US, it works out cheaper