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Bobs Knobs from USA cost


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Hi,

 

Apologies if in the wrong forum but seemed the best choice.

 

I was looking for Bobs Knobs for the secondary on my recently acquired Orion XT8i newt. After researching, I couldn't find a supplier in the UK for the specific parts for this scope. Subsequently, a retailer advised that I'd have to buy direct from the US which I did. With postage, the cost equate to around £27. This morning, the postie left me a note stating that I have to pay a customs charge of £13.16! So these three screws are costing me the best part of £40!

My question is, before I go to the depot to pay and collect, is this customs charge correct or do they assume that it's something it isn't? Can it be challenged?

 

Thanks in advance.

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You are discovering the effect of compounding charges for shipping, clearance and VAT. Plus broker fees in some cases. Best to look at the items you need to source, or get a technically-minded mate to do it, then source in the UK/EU.  You may have tried these guys: https://www.pts-uk.com/products/knurled-fasteners

They are fast and low in cost.

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Thanks for the feedback everyone.

 

Just as an FYI, I paid $20.95 for the goods, $13.00 for postage. So the postage to my door is already paid. The customs charge equates to 81% at todays rate!

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I also wanted to by them...
But decided, before I pay £25 for some bolts, 
I will try these

And they fit perfectly on my 130PDS! :)

The length was the issue, - but my guess was correct from the first try... Anyway, 

for such a price, you can buy 3 different lengths without a headache! :)

Edited by RolandKol
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22 minutes ago, tonyowens_uk said:

You are discovering the effect of compounding charges for shipping, clearance and VAT. Plus broker fees in some cases. Membership of a trade bloc confers real advantages.  Best to look at the items you need to source, or get a technically-minded mate to do it, then source in the UK/EU.  You may have tried these guys: https://www.pts-uk.com/products/knurled-fasteners

They are fast and low in cost.

Sounds like a politically loaded post to me....might be worth checking the forum rules. 

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9 minutes ago, Adam J said:

Sounds like a politically loaded post to me....might be worth checking the forum rules. 

Hence my opening statement Adam "Apologies if in the wrong forum but seemed the best choice."

 

I'm not a regular on here, can you guide me as to which forum I should have put this in? As for politics, I was only asking to see if anyone else had been a victim and what options there may be. Thanks

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Just now, Markinaboat said:

Hence my opening statement Adam "Apologies if in the wrong forum but seemed the best choice."

 

I'm not a regular on here, can you guide me as to which forum I should have put this in? As for politics, I was only asking to see if anyone else had been a victim and what options there may be. Thanks

Don't worry I was not refairing to your statement at all, and just in case you miss understood I am not an admin. It was directed at tonyowens_uk 's post.

Edited by Adam J
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The amount seems about right.  You only pay customs charges on items over £135.  So all that is left is VAT and the handling fee 

https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

Royal Mail charge an £8 handling fee and you pay VAT on the total amount (about £7) - which is close to the amount you have been charged.  It is the handling fee that can be the bad news for small low cost items because it is generally fixed for what is almost certainly an automated robotic process.

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My personal opinion is that bobs knobs are the classic example of adding a zero onto the cost of a product just by declaring it as astronomy related. Those thumb screws should not be any more than a pound each,  all thats really happened here is that someone has had the idea of packaging them up and selling them as a set so that people don't have to go out and work out the correct thread and length of screw for their scope, although that does have some value. 

Edited by Adam J
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17 minutes ago, Whirlwind said:

The amount seems about right.  You only pay customs charges on items over £135.  So all that is left is VAT and the handling fee 

https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

Royal Mail charge an £8 handling fee and you pay VAT on the total amount (about £7) - which is close to the amount you have been charged.  It is the handling fee that can be the bad news for small low cost items because it is generally fixed for what is almost certainly an automated robotic process.

Thanks for explaining!

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On 05/04/2019 at 14:12, Adam J said:

Sounds like a politically loaded post to me....might be worth checking the forum rules. 

Thank you Adam J. Making a political post was not my intention. I believe my contribution was factual helpful but I think a moderator should judge and proceed accordingly.

Tony Owens

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Collected form the PO today. Bobs Knobs declared value at $20 which at the rate on the day equated to around £15.35. HRMC only charge VAT on goods in excess  of £15.00. The VAT was £5.16  which = a VAT rate of 33.62 % .. work that one out!? Thereafter, the good old PO pay it on our behalf without us having the opportunity to deal with HMRC direct to save the £8.00 which the PO loaned for a while 48hrs! Corrupt or what?

To satisfy the forum rules, the moral of this post is to NEVER buy from Bobs Knobs in the USA or indeed any other low value item that is not a 'deal'.

 

Rant over ?

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2 minutes ago, Markinaboat said:

the moral of this post is to NEVER buy from Bobs Knobs in the USA or indeed any other low value item that is not a 'deal'.

My suggestion is to try and find out the spec of simple parts requirements - such as fasteners as in this case. Perhaps by posting a question on a forum such as this one. Then look in one's own trade bloc for those items and source them tariff-free. The British supplier I linked to in my original post is merely one example. Things like fasteners are standardised globally.

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13 minutes ago, tonyowens_uk said:

My suggestion is to try and find out the spec of simple parts requirements - such as fasteners as in this case. Perhaps by posting a question on a forum such as this one. Then look in one's own trade bloc for those items and source them tariff-free. The British supplier I linked to in my original post is merely one example. Things like fasteners are standardised globally.

I do know that, am a competent engineer of sorts. However, I did post somewhere asking for specifics relating to these scopes in case there were any specifics relating t thread/screw end profile etc. I didn't get any info so decided to go with the parts that are specifically for a small group of scopes. I did not anticipate getting ripped off by our government and the post office for such a small item which had no benefit from buying outside of the EU (hate that word!) other thn lack of availability here.

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