Hi everyone,

I wonder if anybody can help me. I've been looking for an ibook laptop for awhile now but in this country even secondhand they're a little out of my price range. However, I can pick one up in American on ebay for a very reasonable sum.

I've never brought from America before so Im a little unsure of how I stand. Has anybody brought from America before and if so, is the procedure any different from buying from ebay in the U.K. Do I have to worry about import duties or things like that?

I'm fairly comfortable buying from ebay in this country but don't feel quite as safe buying from America. What are your experiences good or bad with dealing with ebay in America?

Thanks for all your help.

Grant

I've bought a few records and a necklace from USA on ebay. It was exactly the same as buying from UK with payment. Obviously delivery costs a bit more. They sent me the stuff labelled 'gift', which meant I didn't have to pay taxes, but in theory you should pay VAT. I don't know what would happen if you were receiving a laptop though. My parcels were quite small.

For something like a laptop you'll almost certainly get stung for import duty and VAT.

I bought a guitar from the US (for about $700) via ebay a few years ago, can't remember the exact figures but didn't get much change out of £150. Was still cheaper than buying the same guitar in this country though!

you're more likely to get stung with duty tax etc if the goods are electronic than if it were clothes or something.
You seem to get randomly charged for import duty, VAT and then a postoffice handling fee with is also extortionate.
I think alot of the time customs try to pull a fast one as its so difficult to contest and they know it.

You could email the ppl you're thinking of buying off and ask them if they'd be willing to declare it as a 'gift' in which case they'd be no charges liable. They might, or might not.

Postage charges for stuff from US ranges vastly too - depends on how tight the seller is i think.

I dont know what an ibook laptop is, but, someone i know bought a laptop in the US, then the power adapter/cord broke and they couldnt get one from this country, and the manufacturer in this country couldnt help either. They had to contact manufacturer in US which was massive hassle an buy one from over there at a big expense - worth considering maybe.

does that mean you can send anything from the US to the UK if you put it's a GIFT ? they can avoid the duty tax on the UK end.

I've always sent parcels as USED Clothing or something, so i imagine anything from EB would also be used, wouldn't it ?

Unless the laws have changed USED items are duty free!

I think the gift option has a maximum value of about £40
This is the UK we are in, you will get screwed for every penny you should or should not owe!! You need to find someone coming over and get them to bring it with them as if it was their own laptop. I bought my camera that way.

So if i visited the US and bought something whilst on my holiday would i get taxed at the airport??

Originally posted by Lickable
So if i visited the US and bought something whilst on my holiday would i get taxed at the airport??

ask wayne rooneys girlfriend.

Officially there is a limit to the value of goods you can bring back - but if you discard all packaging,receipts etc, how can they prove you didnt own it when you left the uk.

If you buy things in the USA then you can get the US tax back when you leave the country and, if you have bought over a certain limit (like Wayne Rooney's girlfriend), you have to declare the goods in the UK and pay duty on them. It's the same for Americans who shop over here in Europe.

I have bought things on Ebay from the States before, and they were marked a few times as "gift", other times as "used". It was always clothes, though, I'm sure electrical goods are checked more stringently. It might be an idea to join Paypal.

I even bought something on Ebay from someone in Pakistan. That arrived no problem (as a gift), but was totally rubbish. They took it back however and refunded my credit card.

It seems then, If I go ahead I have a pretty much 50/50 chance of having import duty and VAT added on plus postage handling charges. If that happens the cost of the item will be basically what I would have to pay for it in the U.K....

Grrr... why do we get screwed so much on everything! My only other option to save money is to buy a similar item from a country in the EU however it needs to be an English keyboard so this may not be an option...

Thanks for all your help everyone! I'm glad I asked because otherwise I would've probably jumped straight in and cost myself alot of money.

Cheers!

Grant