Customs/Royal Mail charges.

[Samuel_Scott]

We're talking about bringing items into the UK from outside the EU.

Buying from Amazon UK from outside the country also removes the tax (20%)!

How is Russia's customs?

[Jim_Mcdonaugh]

We're talking about bringing items into the UK from outside the EU.

In that case buying a 50-years old car from Germany ot Italy is very expensive.

How is Russia's customs?

I bought some old wheels, and it wasn't cheap I tell you that.

[Ain_Uussaar]

£15

And still postage doesn't count ? Here in Estonia €21,98 is still the limit but they include postage too

Recently had bad/strange experience with Zavvi. They ship from Guernsey so they go under the non EU packages. Ordered 3 DVDs, they were all shipped separately but had order number on packages and customs packed them together and charged tax I have never seen them do something like that. It was like 4th or 5th order form Zavvi and not once before had something like that happened. Only good thing was that it was the cheapest order out of them all.

[Samuel_Scott]

Zavvi is a weird one. We don't get hit by customs from Guernsey as its looked at differently, but they don't have to pay the tax. Same with Jersey which is where Play used to ship from.

£15 does not include postage either.

[Ain_Uussaar]

I don`t know why this shipment was singled out, maybe they looked more closely because I had A LOT of packages coming in from various places (Guernsey, main land UK, Finland, US etc.)
If Im not mistaken zoverstocks also ships from Guernsey only they dont put order numbers on packages.

[Samuel_Scott]

I get a mixed bag from zoverstocks. Usually Guernsey, but sometimes from their base in Macclesfield.

[Brent_Reid]

Thanks Sam.

Another coupla quick questions:

I've got friends in the US who'd be happy to take delivery of DVDs/BDs for me then repackage & send them to me marked as gifts. Does anyone have any experience of doing this; am I still likely to get nobbled by customs?

Alternatively, I visit Germany, France & Italy frequently & could get US packages sent to friends there instead. What are those countries' non EU tax import limits?

[Jyri_Lehtinen]

Germany has the duty-free limit at 45€ for gifts/non-commercial goods and 22€ for commercial goods from non-EU countries. You can check the details HERE.

[Samuel_Scott]

Anything into the UK marked as gift should be fine.

I had a £600 part recently with no qualms sent via a friend as gift, and my brother had a £2k mountain bike sent that way.

[Brent_Reid]

That's brilliant; thanks guys. They've had their last drop of blood out of me!

[Jim_Mcdonaugh]

my brother had a £2k mountain bike sent that way.

Shame you can't do that with a sports car...