[Mike Halliday]

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.

.........................................................................................................................

product: 50 cotton bonnets @ 8.25$ =412.50$

insurance & postage by air on 6-8 day delivery 130$

542$ @ 1.8 $/£ exchange rate = £301

.............................................................................................................................

delivery details from USPS online tracking

Service Type: International Parcels

Shipment Activity        Location                               Date & Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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


..........................................................................................................................................

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

[tony harrison]

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

[Mike Halliday]

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

[ianharper]

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

[ianharper]

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

[Liahona]

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. 

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

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

[john rees]

 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

[Mike Halliday]

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

[Liahona]

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.

[Len Gribble]

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

[ianharper]

Liahona

the payment to customs, was it VAT?

[Liahona]

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.

[craigp]

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!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Carpet-Cleaning-New-12-2-Jet-Truckmount-Wand_W0QQitemZ120098439954QQcategoryZ42926QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[jeff1966]

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.   

[trevor perry]

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.

[Mike Halliday]

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

[Liahona]

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.

[Ken Wainwright]

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

[ianharper]

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?