Buying from the US

[dombards]

Hi folks

I have 2 questions I hope you can help me wih.

Firstly I have recently put in a couple of orders from sideshowtoys and they are presently in transit to the EU. They have billed me for the items and shipping but I was wonding what else im likely to get charged? these items are from their US warehouse rather then the EU warehouse?

Secondly, when purchasing things from the US second hand do you still have to pay customs? I bought a statue from sideshowfreaks forum and it arrived last week but today I have a letter from Fedx asking me for £18 Is this normal?

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[BuFF DaDDy]

Sideshow ship to a warehouse in the EU and then onto you - providing you brought directly from Sideshow - the only additional cost you will pay is VAT.

You wont pay customs.

The reason why you got stung for £18 from Fed Ex was that the seller declared what the value the item was on the declaration form on the box - anything over £18 is chargeable for customs - hence the extra charge from fed ex.

Think yourself lucky you only got £18 I have heared some horror stories, also you got your item and then got charged some couriers wont release the goods until you have paid the customs charge.

 

[dombards]

Cheers for that mate, I have always asked for items to be marked down when they are new but didnt think second hand stuff was the same....Lesson learned there!

Im glad its only going to be VAT i have to pay, thought I was going to get stung with a bigger bill

 

[dombards]

If the item is only in stock at the EU warehouse does VAT still get added? Trying to figure out the benifits of the item already being in stock in the EU. Is it just the time factor for it to arrive?

 

[Axel40]

When Sideshow show a price on their site it does not include VAT.

So, when you order. VAT will be added to the Bill you get just before it ships providing it comes from the EURO warehouse. Sideshow are licensed to collect VAT.

I've never had one from the US warehouse but I think they wont add the VAT, you will have to pay that on top via customs charges when it arrives.

Or something like that

 

[cooey]

Yeah, if it came from the US warehouse, you don't get charged the VAT from Sideshow, but would more than likely get charged the VAT plus custom charges from Royal Mail/Parcelforce

 

[spikecast]

So say you order a new item from SS now, and they transfer to the EU warehouse I take it you still pay tax? It has to be in-stock at the EU for you to avoid it?

 

[maverick177uk]

You get charged regardless as far as I know with SS, as for importing other stuff in the end it can be cheaper to buy from the UK unless you get a really really cheap deal, oh and parcel force make you pay £8 on top of it for the pleasure of going to their depot to pick it up!! So they never actually deliver to you anyway, just another case of rip off Britain.

 

[cooey]

So say you order a new item from SS now, and they transfer to the EU warehouse I take it you still pay tax? It has to be in-stock at the EU for you to avoid it?

If it gets transferred to the EU warehouse (i.e it's in stock at the US warehouse but on backorder in the EU warehouse), you would still get charged VAT but you wouldn't get any custom charges

 

[dombards]

I wonder what Im going to get stung with then as I have ordered the Venom LSB, Carnage LSB and the Thing LSB. All only in stock in US and all being sent seperatley. These are $199 + $29 delivery and I have been invoiced and charged for all of them.

They are currently 'In transit to EU'

I hope its not too much or as maverick stated it would have been cheaper to buy from UK seller!!

Only benefit getting them from Sideshow was the fact they are all exclusives!!

 

[cooey]

All of those what you have ordered mate will be coming from the EU warehouse so there will be no customs. You will have just been charged 15% VAT

 

[dombards]

cheers Cooey, makes me feel a lot better now

 

[gam]

for your piece of mind your final invoice email on what you've actually been charged should have vat/tax listed in the breakdown

ie
Sub Total: $164.99
Discount: - $0.00
Freight: $25.89
VAT/Sales Tax: $28.63
------------
Invoice Total: $219.51

from what I've seen the only items that are sent direct from the US to you are very, very large ones.... I always presumed there is some sort of limit for the EU warehouse to process (price, size or weight?) but out of the at least 50+ items I've got direct from them VAT's been charged prior to shipping every time..... just seems to take a fair while to arrive though

 

[dombards]

cheers Gam, I just doubled checked the final invoice they sent me and it does indeed include VAT. So im happy now as it has worked out cheaper than I expected

It has been a while since they charged me and it still says 'In transit to EU' someone must be hand delivering it by foot

 

[zimbo7]

It has been a while since they charged me and it still says 'In transit to EU' someone must be hand delivering it by foot

welcome to the downside of this hobby, its called...
" THE LOOONNNNNGGGGG WAIT..."

It is torture