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First and Last Time

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glenpen

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May 4, 2014
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708
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Southport
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Glen
I have never bought from America before and I will never again. Just bought a 20oz jar of special paint which cost £23, that was enough but then I have had to pay vat £1.08 which is fare enough. Although I paid for shipping in the £23 the post office had to jump on the band wagon and charge me another £8 Handling Charge. Just hope we all start using other ways to send/buy other than PO. More competition against the PO is required. No more buying from America again:sob::vangry:
 
Phil Dart

Phil Dart

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Phil
Unfortunately, the Post office represents fairly good value for money in this instance. I feel your pain Glen, but if it had been the likes of TNT or DHL, the handling charge would have been about £15.

Edit: Ooops, sorry Paul - our posts crossed.
 
G

glenpen

Graduate Member
Joined
May 4, 2014
Posts
708
Location
Southport
First Name
Glen
Phil Dart said:
Unfortunately, the Post office represents fairly good value for money in this instance. I feel your pain Glen, but if it had been the likes of TNT or DHL, the handling charge would have been about £15.

Edit: Ooops, sorry Paul - our posts crossed.
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From what you all say they are all at it. This proves we need to deal within our own county. I know what I'm going to do in the future.
Finished my rant,got off my chest. :rant:over
 
Phil Dart

Phil Dart

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glenpen said:
From what you all say they are all at it. This proves we need to deal within our own county. I know what I'm going to do in the future.
Finished my rant,got off my chest. :rant:over
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"At it" is a pretty good summary in my view. Who ever it happens to be that is making the charge, it always leaves a nasty taste in my mouth. I'm used to paying the charge, and I expect it, but it doesn't make it any more palatable.
 
silver

silver

General dogsbody
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Somewhere in Staffordshire,
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Eamonn.
I know where you are coming from [MENTION=1196]glenpen[/MENTION]

However that charge is he same regardless of the amount vat they collect.

So if you had paid a few hundred £ then the cost would have been the same.

So it pays to buy big, hence the group buys in the past.

Softens the blow on the costs a little to say the least.

In my opinion the cost of importing is reasonable, provided you are aware of it and prepared to pay it.
 
Penpal

Penpal

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May 26, 2013
Posts
25,342
Location
Canberra AUSTRALIA
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Peter
I view the UK in some of these respects,happy to live in a country where up to 1000 AU is duty free. Also happy Amazon has moved in at last. I used to find USA cheap as but our dollar came from 50% US to parity and now 75% US dollar. Petrol is based on US dollars and so on.WAs your paint glow in the dark stuff Glen?

Peter.
 
G

glenpen

Graduate Member
Joined
May 4, 2014
Posts
708
Location
Southport
First Name
Glen
Penpal said:
I view the UK in some of these respects,happy to live in a country where up to 1000 AU is duty free. Also happy Amazon has moved in at last. I used to find USA cheap as but our dollar came from 50% US to parity and now 75% US dollar. Petrol is based on US dollars and so on.WAs your paint glow in the dark stuff Glen?

Peter.
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I don't use Glow in the dark anymore it doesn't sell pens, anyway my son sells it so no good getting it from other countries when I can pinch it from him.
I thought I was being clever and trying some heat liquid from America instead of getting it from my son. I have learned the lesson of trying to be so clever.:sob:
 
G

Gregory Hardy

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Jul 7, 2017
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454
Location
Upper New York State
First Name
Greg
Glen (et al) - The cost of shipping from this continent to yours is cost-prohibitive in tiny orders - no question. It may bring you some peace to know that it doesn't get cheaper swimming the other direction. Eamonn aptly points out that larger orders carry a proportionately smaller cost, and this is the reason that my Beaufort orders are growing in size but coming less frequently - when Phil is stuffing the box, the cost of the first pen kit is a killer, but spreading that shipping on a dozen feels a little better. Don't give up on us (or Canada or any of the many other nations around the world that might have something unique to offer your work). Just plan ahead a little, support the fine businesses in your own nation that offer you a high quality product when you can, and reach out to us if there's something you can't get otherwise. (By the way, a few more orders like the one you describe and you could have flown over to retrieve the paint yourself. Feel welcome to stay at the house.)
 
G

Gregory Hardy

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Jul 7, 2017
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454
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Upper New York State
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Greg
Post Script: The cost doesn't fry my backside as much as the time coming over. I placed an order with Beaufort at the end of November. Phil got it right out the next business day. (Thanks, Mr. Dart.) It arrived in New York in about three days...and then it sits in US Customs...and it sits, and it sits. It appears from the tracking information that I may get it on Monday. Thirteen days is optimistic - and there are Christmas orders on hold here. I will now take my own advice: "Just plan ahead a little, support the fine businesses in your own nation that offer you a high quality product when you can, and reach out to us if there's something you can't get otherwise." Merry Christmas, all.
 
silver

silver

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Somewhere in Staffordshire,
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Couldn’t agree more Greg [MENTION=1687]Gregory Hardy[/MENTION]

I had a similar issue with goods coming in from Taiwan and they were received in UK customs within 48 hours but took another 7 days to clear and then another 2 days to get them to my door. So frustrating.

Having said that had an order from China that was the other way around 3 weeks to get too the UK and two days in Customs and then a day to get too me.

TBH I can’t fault the UK customs, they are doing their job.

The exchange rate is effecting everything that we are doing so it’s more cost effective to buy internally anyway.

The only stuff I have is what isn’t readily available here so have no alternative.
 
B

bigbob

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Oct 31, 2014
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557
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Inverness
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Bob
I have had a similar experience to you Glen but mainly with music stuff and amateur radio stuff in the past by the time DHL and import plus vat is added it is pretty prohibitive. I have had good experience with ordering from Europe although I do not know if there is a lot of pen accessories there as I have not looked but I did manage to buy a nice Gibson Les Paul standard for £1300 when the going rate was around £2000 in the UK.
 
silver

silver

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Joined
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Somewhere in Staffordshire,
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Eamonn.
I have had a parcel that I wanted before the Christmas break so paid for the fast shipping.

That said parcel has now been sitting in UK customs since the 14th of December.

I have Contacted them but I keep getting passed around from P to P., never had an answer as to why it still isn't here.:::vangry:

It's times like this that gets them a bad name and why we get so frustrated. :nooidea:

I know they are doing there job and this time of year much be overwhelmed with piles of parcels.

But I only want one..MINE. :rant:

Should have put this as this weeks rant shouldn't I :thinks:
 
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