Question about importing using Amazon.com

[Tdonnelly3]

hopefully some smartie can help me with a question i have, im looking at buying a some blu-ray and dvds from amazon.com, i know i can sign in with my .co.uk details and buy that way

if i buy something at $9.99 and then pay the $3.99 + $2.49 shipping fees will i be exempt from paying huge fees to royal mail/hmrc when the item arrives?

im planning on placing an order every 3 weeks or so and dont really mind how long they take to arrive, its stuff that didnt get an r2/b release and is alot cheaper then the £17+ each that they are asking for on amazon.co.uk marketplace

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Tdonnelly3

if i buy something at $9.99 and then pay the $3.99 + $2.49 shipping fees will i be exempt from paying huge fees to royal mail/hmrc when the item arrives?

What is the 3.99 and 2.49 for?

I thought there was only one shipping fee.

1.What does HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) mean when they refer to the import of low value goods?
Imports of low value goods are any consignments, made up of goods of a negligible value, that are dispatched direct from a third country (non-EU) country to a consignee in the EU which may be admitted free of customs import duty and/or import VAT.

Currently this means that:

• consignments with an intrinsic value of £15 or less are free from both customs duty and import VAT
• import VAT is payable when the intrinsic value of the goods is over £15
• customs duty (and import VAT) is payable when the intrinsic value of the imported goods is over £135

2.What is the intrinsic value?
The intrinsic value is the price paid or payable for the goods excluding postage and packing and insurance costs.

[Tdonnelly3]

Originally Posted by chip75

What is the 3.99 and 2.49 for?

I thought there was only one shipping fee.

it says on amazon.com they charge 3.99 per shipment and 2.49 per item

[Poshteh1]

Originally Posted by Tdonnelly3

hopefully some smartie can help me with a question i have, im looking at buying a some blu-ray and dvds from amazon.com, i know i can sign in with my .co.uk details and buy that way

if i buy something at $9.99 and then pay the $3.99 + $2.49 shipping fees will i be exempt from paying huge fees to royal mail/hmrc when the item arrives?

im planning on placing an order every 3 weeks or so and dont really mind how long they take to arrive, its stuff that didnt get an r2/b release and is alot cheaper then the £17+ each that they are asking for on amazon.co.uk marketplace

Currently the import limit for Blus is £15, this is the limit for the actual price of the content of the package and does not include shipping costs, £15 is currently around $23, so if the cost of the Blu/DVD you order is below that value then you should be perfectly fine.

I order from Amazon.com on a regular basis and have not had any problems, except for one time I ordered a set which cost nearly $40 and I was hit by customs, but that was inevitable.

If you do plan on ordering a Blu that costs more than £15, then you can choose expedited shipping, which costs slightly more than regular shipping, however Amazon places a customs fee deposit for you, if the package gets hit by customs Amazon covers the costs with the deposit, if the package goes through fine then they will refund you the deposit.

Hope this helps.

[Tdonnelly3]

fantastic, thanks for your help

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Tdonnelly3

it says on amazon.com they charge 3.99 per shipment and 2.49 per item

I think they charge £4.27 for their cheapest option. Is that about $6.48? There's only one charge so they must combine the two?

[Sky_Captain]

That sounds about right.

My Samurai Champloo set went over the expected delivery date, so they refunded the postage, which tallies with the amount you've given.

[Poshteh1]

I always choose the standard shipping, which amounts to $6.48 as stated, for two Blus it's around $9.

[DaveSimonH]

Remember to check Play & Amazon UK marketplace sellers too, I saved some money compared to Amazon.com on a couple of my imports via third part sellers there.