OT: Some advice regarding buying from Amazon.com..

Basq

How should i do this? Became very cagey of import tax recently..

Ordered 2 DVD boxsets totalling €83 from Amazon.com. I am now susceptible for a hefty tax bill.

One of the boxsets is already out and one is not. I have it set to send both when the second is released. Think i checked the box to not indicate the price on the invoice.

Would i be less susceptible to be taxed if cancelled and ordered them seperately? As the invoice would just say €40-ish for each.

Don't want to make a fresh thread for this in 'Online Buying / Auctions'

GrumPy

Lost box sets Basquille?

Basq

Irish GrumPy wrote:

Lost box sets Basquille?

Yeah.. the one not released yet is!

But shipping it with the second boxset is the problem. Marks up the price to over €80!

Am thinking of cancelling the order and ordering them seperately!

samo

Cdwow are selling Lost for £31.99 or approx €47.99 and if yopu can find any vouchers?? Might be a safer bet than Amazon + customs, also amazon.com shipping can take an eternity.

Failing that Axel music have Lost and are shipping now before pre-release date if you were really desperate at £34.99!!

Just to add was checking into this via the customs option with amazon and the word is its fairly likely you will incur customs charge even if you request it giftwrapped or if its shipped via Germany!!

Basq

samo wrote:

Cdwow are selling Lost for £31.99 or approx €47.99 and if yopu can find any vouchers?? Might be a safer bet than Amazon + customs, also amazon.com shipping can take an eternity.

Failing that Axel music have Lost and are shipping now before pre-release date if you were really desperate at £34.99!!

Just to add was checking into this via the customs option with amazon and the word is its fairly likely you will incur customs charge even if you request it giftwrapped or if its shipped via Germany!!

But with giftwrapping and delivery, it should work out at about €40. And according to Revenue.ie Customs & Excise FAQ..

Customs duty and VAT is not payable on consignments of a value not exceeding €45 which are sent as gifts by private individuals from third countries for the personal or family use of private individuals in the State.

But then again.. it isn't exactly a private individual sending it, is it?

samo

Apparently so I've heard on other dvd sites, if something is giftwrapped then customs used to be more inclined to pass it through, although I cant say I'd imagine them to be that leniant personally! I guess when you include the giftwrapping charge it starts raising the roof on the price alright negating any saving. Personally I wouldnt take the chance on a combined order and would order the 2 seperatly.

Apart from that did read that www.playcentric.com has it cheap and marks down customs also.

Basq

Cheers for the advice samo.

Have them ordered seperately now gift-wrapped with a note attached saying "Happy Birthday" on them!

Anybody else got any advice to add? Or anyone done it in the past and got an opinion on whether i'll be charged or not?

Cheers for the advice!

samo

No probs...if you sign up this forum site http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=383112&page=5

(think you have to be registered to view it!) there is a 5 page thread all about best place to order 'Lost' from which might help! Have mine on order from cdwow as had a €15 voucher and cannot wait

genie

Where did you get the €15 voucher from, if you don't mind me asking?

samo

Was hard grafting to get it....about a million www.Pigsback.com points (well 1800!) and then used against order on www.cd-wow.net!

genie

Pigsback is great!

Wertz

I find VAT/duty dodging all depends on the method of shipping...anything a courier ever took in got called out for VAT(unless it came in unser the 18 quid or whatever) whereas anything I ever had sent by the US postal service doesn't get callled....I'm talking about stuff like PSP, a vaio pocket, digital camera...mostly all high value items.
If amazon will use standard global USPS, I'd go for that.
Same applies when shipping from Asia...try and always use local postal service.
It also helps if the item is marked down to lower value etc etc.

qz

I'm on the verge of getting Lost on Amazon.com

What's all this about marking it as a gift? How does it work out cheaper? Don't you have to pay more for this?

snappieT

qz wrote:

I'm on the verge of getting Lost on Amazon.com

What's all this about marking it as a gift? How does it work out cheaper? Don't you have to pay more for this?

US customs require you to place the value of the goods on any export, unless it's a gift (for obvious reasons)

Irish customs then read the value of the package as $0.00 and thus are unlikely to charge you customs duty. If the actual value is printed on the package, you won't be so lucky.

qz

snappieT wrote:

US customs require you to place the value of the goods on any export, unless it's a gift (for obvious reasons)

Irish customs then read the value of the package as $0.00 and thus are unlikely to charge you customs duty. If the actual value is printed on the package, you won't be so lucky.

Sneaky! Thanks for that. (So basically, mark it as a gift?)

genie

Has anyone ever used this website?

DVDs Limited

More expensive but they say on the home page that they will ship before the release date.

qz

genie wrote:

Has anyone ever used this website?

DVDs Limited

More expensive but they say on the home page that they will ship before the release date.

54.0458 EUR compared to around €35 on Amazon. Would you not be better waiting?

genie

I think I'll go with CD-Wow.

Wertz

qz wrote:

I'm on the verge of getting Lost on Amazon.com

Well I know it's a big website but...:p

snappieT

qz wrote:

Sneaky! Thanks for that. (So basically, mark it as a gift?)

Yep.

Just remember, you may still get caught. There's nothing illegal about it, all they can charge you is what you would have paid anyway. I'm a little blurred on this, but I believe you can reject the item based on unforseen customs expenses, and IE customs will return it to Amazon at their expense. Amazon will refund you.

Don't take the latter part of that as gospel, I'm fairly certain I heard it on here, but I don't think it was ever confirmed.