Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Mike Halliday on March 17, 2007, 12:58:44 pm
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any one interested in importing good from the USA may be interested in the following information which come from my recent purchase of 50 cotton bonnets.
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product: 50 cotton bonnets @ 8.25$ =412.50$
insurance & postage by air on 6-8 day delivery 130$
542$ @ 1.8 $/£ exchange rate = £301
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delivery details from USPS online tracking
Service Type: International Parcels
Shipment Activity Location Date & Time
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Delivered Abroad GREAT BRITAIN 03/17/07 8:21am
Attempted Delivery GREAT BRITAIN 03/16/07 9:07am
Abroad
Out of Foreign Customs GREAT BRITAIN 03/15/07 5:25pm
Into Foreign Customs GREAT BRITAIN 03/09/07 8:20am
Arrived Abroad GREAT BRITAIN 03/09/07 8:09am
International Dispatch N. J. BULK 03/03/07 4:39pm
Acceptance SPARTANBURG SC 29306 02/28/07 3:46pm
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import tax £21.97
handling charge £8.00
VAT £51.90
total cost from the USA to my door £382.98p
so the cost per bonnet was £7.65 which is about 12% of the dollar/pound comparison so when you start thinking that equipment in the USA is half the price of the UK it only works out slightly cheaper.
but.......!!! these bonnet are the best you can get and you would pay £15-£20 for anything the same in the UK.( which you can't get anyhow)
Mike
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Mike,
On the same subject. I am not going to name the company but a part which I needed for a machine of mine cost me £176.00 not a lot as things go but when I opened the parcel the invoice was for 107 dollars and total cost of transport was £ 26.00 from the USA ( FEDEX ).
Converted the total cost works out at approx £83
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Tony I bought some pumps seals for a spitfire, cost me £75ish ( can't remember the exact price), on the box was a price of $24 :(
they got sent back.
I've bought stuff while on holiday in the US and saved the cost of the flights.
Mike
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Mike
What changes have to be made with portable machines that are imported from the USA as many come from there?
speedster just $1655.00 = £852
Respect
Ian Harper
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http://www.discount-carpet-cleaning-machines.com/carpet_cleaning_machines_extractors.htm#Stinger%2012%20Gallon
just spoke to them and they say an extra $200 to make it 240volt plus shipping
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When importing from the US it pays to buy quite a bit at a time so the shipping will be off set against more items and so seaming to be not that much of a worry. Mike although still got a good deal didnt order that much stuff so the postage was heavier. Having said that it worked out a third of the price if he could have got the same items over here. The thing I like best is the service. I order stuff from California and it is sent out on a Monday afternoon and I get it to my door by Wednesday. John Kelly has been to date the only supplier to beat that. Best, Dave.
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i do have a friend that ships in old campers and offten as a bit of room on the container sometimes he looks for some one too share as well ! maybe have a word if you wanted me too
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I order quite a lot of equipment from the states, and not only cheaper but the service is really great, I've bought 2 TM'S from there too, and I'm glad I did as when you buy here you are only dealing with a middle man who at any time could decide not to continue to supply that particular brand, alltec no longer deal with steamway( I bought mine in the states) and now I hear that chemspec are no longer going to do the ace chemspec machines but are changing over to white magic.( so I'm glad I bought my chemspec in the states too!)
All the best
John
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Dave am I reading you correctly you order from California on a Monday and get it 2 days later?
I can't see how this is possible considering it took mine 6 days just to clear customs.
Mike
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Mike, my last shipment went out on Monday of last and was delivered to my door on Wednesday. On Tuesday I paid for the clearance for customs over the phone so there was no need for it to take any longer. Granted it was a small shipment but still, nevertheless. My truckmount was shipped on a Monday and then it cleared customs on the Thursday and then with the help of their forklift I had it fitted in my van by 2 o'clock on the Friday morning. Each shipment is different I am sure but 6 days is a long time to clear customs. I was told that I could have virtually met the truckmount at the airport and as long as I paid the monies owed I could take it with me there and then. Being a truckmount and a little on the heavy side it was easier the way that I did it. Apart from the truckmount all the shipments I have had done have been to my door on a Wednesday having left on a Monday. No idea why I get it quicker, maybe you should get stuff from California, best, Dave.
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Those who buy from the states name of supplying company phone numbers and web sites would help all!
Note Merrill of www.merrillfoxenterprises.com
Len
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Liahona
the payment to customs, was it VAT?
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Yes, in all cases apart from the truckmount. I was charged a handling fee being I had the truckmount and 3 pallets of stuff. Cost me 600 quid for handling but hey I paid less than £10,000 all inclusive of every charges (apart from the 600) for the truckmount and pallets of stuff where as Mr xxxxxxs wanted about £17,000 before the VAT just for the truckmount. Best, Dave.
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if you use www.klpro.com he know's the score, marks the box below the value of VAT-able,
hence Mike your box being marked a lower value, you may find they was helping you out,
my last order;
6x brass 1/4" shut off valves £28 (thats £4.66 each! solutions want £7.95 + VAT each)
2x soft touch valves £24 (£12 each solutions want £18 + VAT each)
shipping £17
TOTAL including shipping form US £69.00
TOTAL including shipping from UK £102.00 (solutions)
i've had stuff arrive with in 4 of days from US.
PS, someone snap this up!! :o
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Carpet-Cleaning-New-12-2-Jet-Truckmount-Wand_W0QQitemZ120098439954QQcategoryZ42926QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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Mike,
No surprise is it really; everything is cheaper in the US! I find it bit rich coming from the same guy who posted "I do get price shoppers but I just blow them out" so it's ok for you to shop around for the best deal but when Joe public does it you slag them off. Running you home is exactly the same as running a small business, you have a budget for expenditure, and you want the best deal possible. Just because you pay less doesn’t always mean your not going to get a quality service.
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jef1966 your last comment was spot on qaulity doesnt have to cost more , we used to clean at a well known crisp manuacturers and they produced not only their own brand but put the same crisps in suprmarket own brand packaging that at supermarket where nearly half the price of their own brand.
i think it is all down to marketing and some people think if they pay more it must be better when a lot of the time it isnt.
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Jeff1966 sorry mate you've lost me, have you read my original post?
it's ok for you to shop around for the best deal but when Joe public does it you slag them off
I haven't shopped around for the best price, what i wanted was not available in the country.
when did I slag off Joe Public? saying 'i blow out price shoppers' ? how does this slag off anyone.
'as for everything is cheaper in the USA' no they aren't, things manufactured in the USA obviously are cheaper than here because they have the cost of importing them it also works the other way round anything made in England is more expensive in the USA.
Mike
ps; just to add, ''to blow out a price shopper' meens to end the conversation as soon as possible
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Mike, you are spot on about English stuff there being expensive. Having said that though, state side cleaners are not going to buy English stuff whereas we in the U.K. are going to buy stuFf from the US. Its just a fact that most stuff in the US is better or and a lot cheeper than here. Best, Dave.
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I'm asking these questions because I honestly don't know the answer.
When you buy goods in the States, you pay local taxes extra to the ticket price. I don't know if there are also national taxes like we have with V.A.T. Are these taxes reclaimable by US businesses like in our V.A.T. system? Are they chargeable for exported products?
There could be a whole raft of charges made stateside that we may not have knowledge of. It may change the dynamics of comparing like for like. It would be fairer to our UK suppliers too if this could be clarified. Doesn't change the situation though that there are considerable savings to be made for UK individuals.
Another aspect is that, as a rule of thumb, what costs £1 here costs $1 there. So when we get into exchange rates, although UK goods are more expensive, we typically earn more. At present, we have an exchange rate that favours us buying US goods. That could easily change. Just enjoy the benefits whilst they are there.
Safe and happy cleaning :)
Ken
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Guys
One Benefit of buying in the UK is the back up! When you don't get it there is no longer any reason to buy here. I spent 5k in the UK and have to run my machine off a generator.
whats to gain and whats to lose?
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Ken, each state has their own taxes that they put on. With regards the ticket price this is usuallly already there. So if it says 100 dollars it doesnt mean 100 plus the taxes. Sometimes it does but not always. The taxes are usually about 6 to 8% so nothing like our VAT over here.
There are no national taxes other than what would already be incorporated.
No you can not claim taxes back like we do with the VAT. Maybe in other states but not in California.
Yes over here we earn considerably more than the "typical" carpet cleaner does in the states.
With that idiot buush bloke, the dollar has been in the toilet for some time. This may change soon but I doubt it very much. He has ruined the economy beyond a near future fix. And remember he inhereited the country in the black from the Billl bloke so that makes what he has r hasne done that much the worse. Bit like that woman over here did. We are still reeling from her governing of what was a brilliant country. Best, Dave
Ian, not sure what you mean. Are you refering to 110 volts? If so then just use a transformer. You dont need a genny.
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You have to be very carefully about importing goods form the USA
because of the CE Marking.
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What is CE marking? Best. Dave.
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Dave
Take your pick
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&rls=CNDB,CNDB:2006-35,CNDB:en&defl=en&q=define:CE+marking&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_Marking
http://www.amplicon.co.uk/techInfoFiles/CEMark.html
http://www.ita.doc.gov/td/health/CEMarking.pdf
In Ian case a trip plus costs would have rectified it but that’s me 'caveat emptor' (scruff of the shirt and all) America different story then I would call on my family. :-X
Len
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Mike
You have actually saved more as you have to pay VAT anyway and also still have to pay carriage although not as much if you bought them in England. Also your carriage is a bit high from my experience.
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As far as I am aware any goods sold for use in the EU have to have a CE certificate. I know it cost us a lot of money to have the Prowler CE marked.
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Ken, like you the intricate nature of the US tax system are a mystery to me,
last year I ordered a Drimaster from Magic wand in Illinois and had it delivered to my villa in Florida. It was exempt from tax because it was an out of state sale and when I brought it home it was below the tax exempt limit, it worked out a very good buy!
Kind Regards
dave