anneinco Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I am hoping someone here can probably help. I am trying to help my sister with a Christmas present and the only place we have found it is the UK. With the high cost of shipping, we are just over what she really wants to spend, so I am trying make sure we have considered all costs involved. We have the present, VAT and shipping covered. What costs (would it be duty?) would we encounter once it reaches the US, and what is it based on? Update... We ended up choosing to use a poster that could be order and sent within the US... On the 19th I noticed it said delivered and then realized that I forgot to change the address from where I live to where I was for the holidays. So I ordered another and paid for 1-2 day shipping and tracking stopped somewhere in OH on the 20th and it never arrived :(. Tonight is the second Christmas party and it is still not here... I will be calling and asking them to cancel, refund the order and I guess I will hold on to the one back home until next Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 It can also depend on particular quotas for a kind of goods that are agreed between the countries. There might be a quota for 18,000 tonnes of clothing duty free (and these quotas will be largely used up by industrial concerns) and anything over that has duty charged. I worked for Esprit in Taiwan, so I know a very little about this. Would the post office in the US be able to help you? When I worked as a postmistress in the UK, we kept no information on overseas duties - that was up to the customer to discover. This site might help. I don't know how accurate it is. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I am hoping someone here can probably help. I am trying to help my sister with a Christmas present and the only place we have found it is the UK. With the high cost of shipping, we are just over what she really wants to spend, so I am trying make sure we have considered all costs involved. We have the present, VAT and shipping covered. What costs (would it be duty?) would we encounter once it reaches the US, and what is it based on? If you're sending it to the US, you don't have to pay the VAT, so subtract that from your total. I've found when ordering from Amazon UK and Germany that the shipping costs aren't too high as long as I'm not getting a ton or anything super-heavy (it's usually under 14 Euros), and once the VAT the Europeans would have to pay gets subtracted, I'm not paying all that much more than if I were living there... PS. When I order from Amazon, it subtracts the VAT automatically when it sees my shipping destination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 That has been my experience as well. I was a little surprised by all the fees mentioned by the OP because I've never paid any of that. Of course maybe that is different if it is a particularly expensive item? I'm not sure. I know occasionally my MIL has gotten stuck paying some extra fees if we send stuff direct from a business to her. I guess because it's not considered a gift? I don't know. But if we write gift, they don't charge her either as long as it's under a certain amount. Duties are separate. I've never had to pay duties on anything I've shipped, but the stuff I buy isn't so expensive. I think the most expensive things I've shipped were down duvets from Germany, cost around $100 or so each? Did not have to pay any extra duties... Duties are charged by US customs. My kids have also ordered a bunch of stuff from Asia recently, mostly clothing. Easy, inexpensive, and no duties. I think duties are usually on things like luxury items?? Not clothing and books or DVDs, anyway. Dh has gotten small computer parts from Asia (connectors and stuff), they've always gotten here with no extra hassle. VAT is a local tax (European). US citizens do NOT have to pay it, no matter the cost of the item. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anneinco Posted December 6, 2013 Author Share Posted December 6, 2013 Thank you for there replies. That is interesting regarding the vat. Could he be adding it since I am contacting him directly through their online site vs Amazon? I had looked before and did not see it there, but do now. It is from another company in the UK, slightly more, but might be easier. I am this close to saying 'forget it' since this is my sister's thing. While I am doing this, she is off vacationing in Florida. I have called a few companies here in the US and one of them even hoped online to see if she could help me find it. The item is a lifesize cardboard cutout of Justin Timberlake. However, the cost is already close to $100 and they were hoping to keep it around $60. It is the shipping that doubles the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anneinco Posted December 6, 2013 Author Share Posted December 6, 2013 That is the one I just found this morning. I agree that for what the item is, the shipping is not high, but for what the item is for, IMO,the shipping is not worth it, especially for that image. My sister's MIL keeps saying she wants Justin Timberlake under the Christmas tree. Now if he was shirtless in it, I might have a different opinion lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anneinco Posted December 6, 2013 Author Share Posted December 6, 2013 I am slightly surprised there is not an option here. Especially since he has a new album out and is touring... I could do a custom one, but then there is the issue of copyright and where to get that image from... Oh well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 That is the one I just found this morning. I agree that for what the item is, the shipping is not high, but for what the item is for, IMO,the shipping is not worth it, especially for that image. My sister's MIL keeps saying she wants Justin Timberlake under the Christmas tree. Now if he was shirtless in it, I might have a different opinion lol. LOL - in that image he looks kinda like a math teacher... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anneinco Posted December 6, 2013 Author Share Posted December 6, 2013 I wonder if there are any places out there that do it. There are place that will, for instance, make a life size of me if I send them a photo, but I personally do not have any of him that I have taken. I am assuming even if I buy one and scan it in, it is a copyright infringement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anneinco Posted December 7, 2013 Author Share Posted December 7, 2013 LOL - in that image he looks kinda like a math teacher... LOL must have posted as I was writing my reply, because I did not see this yesterday... I am going to have to pass this onto my sister.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anneinco Posted December 7, 2013 Author Share Posted December 7, 2013 oh well hargs: Question: I couldn't find the celebrity I am looking for, can you help me find it? Answer: Only those celebrities/characters that have granted licensing rights can have their image put on a standup. Also, the same licensing rights apply to custom standups - so even if you want us to make a standup of your favorite celebrity just for you - we are not allowed to do it. Everything we carry is listed on our site. So, if you are looking for a particular standup and you can't seem to find it anywhere, it's due to a licensing issue and we will be unable to help you locate what you are looking for...sorry! Bummer... Thanks for finding that... Oh well... My sister has agreed to go towards the sexy, shirtless, framed image which I honestly believe will have a better response.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000050ZE4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anneinco Posted December 7, 2013 Author Share Posted December 7, 2013 http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000050ZE4 That might be an option too... I will pass it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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