importing a scope (1 Viewer)

Does anybody know what the % rate for import duty will be if importing a scope from America to the UK?

Garry

Hi Garry


I depends on whether customs check it or not. The charges that you will incure are VAT, Import Duty and Post Office handling fee. The total of these can often make items bought overseas dearer than they are in the UK, then there's the warranty issue.

Mark

Hi Reader/deja

So what's the odds on them not checking into it? I like the occasional flutter!

garry1366 said:

Hi Reader/deja

So what's the odds on them not checking into it? I like the occasional flutter!

Click to expand...

Reeder?

When i worked on the post it wasn't that common I would say about one in ten, which was pretty good odds. However since the spread of internet shopping and Ebay It has increased. There is one way of perhaps getting out of it, get the sender to declare it as a gift and you might be lucky. I remember delivering a silk suit to a women one morning with a c.o.d demand for £300 :eek!: She never batted an eyelid. If it's such a good buy then I'd chance it -you never know your luck!

Regards

Mark

There was a recent thread on the same subject for lenses and assuming the rates are the same if you get billed it is likely to be 6.5% import tax + 17.5% VAT. Therefore about 25% on top of the purchase price. Given the current exchange rate that still makes a lot of optics a good buy.

If you are looking at a Pentax scope (I got mine in the US) you should be around $800 for an 80mm ED with 20-60 zoom. Thats about £420 without tax or £530 if you get stung. IMHO the big 3 at twice the price aren't twice as good.