8mm Forum: Import duty

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Topic: Import duty

David Roberts
Master Film Handler

Posts: 405
From: Suffolk. England
Registered: Apr 2004

posted July 15, 2017 01:06 PM

can anyone advise me if there would be any import duty to pay on a film purchased from the USA, to UK.
thankyou.

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Tom Photiou
Film God

Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003

posted July 15, 2017 01:33 PM

Yes there is i believe.we just purchased a copy of watetloo. Import chage 28 quid robbin twats.

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Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004

posted July 15, 2017 06:34 PM

No duty if the seller states around $15 or less. A dealer recently put $20 value on a package containing a very rare 'scope lens holder, which meant a wretched bill of about £15!

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Adrian Winchester

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David Roberts
Master Film Handler

Posts: 405
From: Suffolk. England
Registered: Apr 2004

posted July 16, 2017 02:47 AM

thanks chaps,
think I will re-consider this purchase,which is far more than the amounts you mention.

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Tom Photiou
Film God

Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003

posted July 16, 2017 04:13 AM

Thats the problem david, its ok for the seller to put a very low value on it but should it get checked then you,l end up payin even more. There not stupid at customs.if 16mm wasnt so heavy and bulky you could get away with stating a low value.the only reason we purchased and accepted all the cost was simply because the whole package including shipping, customs and the film was only 123 quid. When i enquired about shipping to the uk the seller quoted me apprx £100 so i didnt bother. When it went via the global shipping on ebay it became £34 plus £28 customs. If the film had been in the hundruds we wouldnt have bought it.

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Mark Todd
Film God

Posts: 3846
From: UK
Registered: Aug 2003

posted July 16, 2017 04:57 AM

I`ve never seen able to work out why its on 2nd hand goods myself ?

Even worse was paying VAT on 2nd hand films and post from Derann or CHC now.

I was looking at an ebay USA film for $19.95 and it was saying $9 import duties !!! with the global shipping thing, but under £18 is supposed to be free.

So looks as if the ebay overseas thing is charging it on too low items where you shouldn`t pay usually.

Maybe its including the post charge too !!!

But saying that with the ebay shipping thing the post is often much better value so it can cover the fees as many sllers not using it charge crackers post.

Best Mark.

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David Roberts
Master Film Handler

Posts: 405
From: Suffolk. England
Registered: Apr 2004

posted July 16, 2017 08:30 AM

I once purchased an elmo lens from USA and ended up paying quite a bit of duty,on a 40 year old item,that to most people would have no value.

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Tom Photiou
Film God

Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003

posted July 16, 2017 09:54 AM

Agree with you Mark, i think it's its a complete rip off charging duties on second hand goods, we pay for the service of shipping and any taxes were paid when the item was new.

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Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004

posted July 16, 2017 04:03 PM

I don't suppose this will encourage David but a customs charge is not guaranteed; it all comes down to whether your package gets pulled out, because they clearly don't attempt to apply charges to all. I could easily be wrong but I sometimes get the impression that they temporarily 'get tough' and then get slack for a while. Very roughly, I seem to have been charged in relation to about half of the eligible packages I've received, although the chances at the moment seem higher than they sometimes have been.

However, I've never had a bill when a seller has put on a low value, even in relation to a 16mm feature. If Tom has had problems in such situations, I wonder how staff place a value on a 16mm film? We know that (e.g.) a price paid on ebay could be lower or higher than what could be considered market value.

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Adrian Winchester

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Mark L Barton
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 621
From: Bristol, South Glos, England
Registered: Mar 2009

posted July 17, 2017 06:43 AM

Hmmm, I think its rip off England again and the thieving b...., ahem, lot at her Majesty's Revenue. I bought a feature from the USA, COST £37 PLUS £20 shipping, and paid around £18 on top to her Majesty for doing bugger all. Yet I sold a £300 cine camera to a guy in New York and was told it was below the US import duty threshold so no tax payable. Another example of how the sheep in England are continually fleeced by the government, and they bleat they cannot afford social service, hospitals, police etc etc.

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Paul Browning
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1006
From: West Midlands United Kingdom
Registered: Aug 2011

posted July 17, 2017 07:01 AM

I was told by them it was entirely random, that you get charged custom on an item, but the vat is charged. At a guess, these people stand shoulder to shoulder and then count randomly, unfortunately one counts 1-3, one counts 2-4 da da da. Can you see a pattern emerging.... Its an easy cop out.

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