importing makita stuff from USA

[ExArmy]

anybody done this? they are alot cheaper, it seems to be worth the risk of import tax
plus, theres alot more brushless stuff out,and most of the tools have better specs

i'm looking at a makita multi tool, in the UK it's the BTM50 and body only is £110 delivered from a supplier on ebay

from the USA theres the LXMT02, exactly the same but has an LED joblight, and it comes with an adapter to use fein/worx blades and a free blade and it's £102

so the adapter (£30) and blade (£13) are swaying it for me, as long as import tax is less than £40 then i'm alright, and i get an LED joblight!

 

[Richard Burns]

I've bought parts but not tools from the US before and only once had a problem with importing, can't see a problem with the order but could be a long wait, I think the tax should only be about £20.

HMRC state
If you order or send purchased goods other than alcohol, tobacco, perfume and toilet water from a country outside the EU then you:

• don't have to pay Excise Duty
• may have to pay Customs Duty on goods with a value that exceeds £135
• will have to pay import VAT on goods with a value that exceeds £15

 

[snowhead]

You won't do it for that difference in price.
Shipping costs count towards the value for VAT.

I've imported a lot of car spares and a few tools from the U.S, you'll be very lucky to escape Duty / Vat altogether, plus the carrier makes a charge of £10 to £20 for dealing with the duty on your behalf.

 

[ExArmy]

well i've ordered one, got a battery too as they are alot cheaper. total was £150 for a multitool and battery delivered, it would cost £220 from the UK so i can see myelf saving money here, and if not at least it will have an LED joblight on it!

 

[snowhead]

well i've ordered one, got a battery too as they are alot cheaper. total was £150 for a multitool and battery delivered, it would cost £220 from the UK so i can see myelf saving money here, and if not at least it will have an LED joblight on it!

You should win with £70 difference

 

[ExArmy]

so you think i'll escape import tax completely? heres hoping, but even if i get 20% VAT and a £20 fee it's still cheaper. i'll update the post when it arrives

 

[ian.settle1]

While it seems cheaper I have seen it where the items are cheaper from the US but when you go to buy them they will not ship it out as unless it is the US or Canada they won't due to tax, import duty etc in other countries

 

[grantr37]

a lot of American companies don't like shipping/sending things outside of the USA, some of them are quite happy to tell you that its "just because" you aren't an American and they only sell to their own citizens due to personal beliefs and opinions, some others say that they don't want to be bothered due to paperwork or having to drive down to a fedex place or a UPS place, a few have told me that they have had scams and now dont trust any foreign buyers, and a couple have said that they have signed up to agreements with manufacturers not to sell outside the USA so that they have control over each countries pricing schemes just like with DVD regions etc...
I have bought things from the USA that were low value and had them sent USPS (united states postal service-like the royal mail) and had no problems, and I have had the same things sent via fedex and had them ripped open and pulled apart by UK customs who then promptly added duty, vat, handling and vat again, followed by a £14.00 parcel force handling fee, and being told to go 100 miles to the depot where the item was to pay up and sign/collect in person when they refused to deliver "due to being opened".....they were doing the delivery for fedex at the time as fedex don't do a lot of different locations end to end....
A lot of US sellers will only ship by fedex and refuse to budge even on a $5.00 screwdriver....this happens after they have your card details, resulting in me being sent a small screwdriver in a box big enough to send 2 pairs of work boots....was charged $108.88c shipping and got hit with £43.00 odd in taxes and charges due to the "value of the goods" assumed due to the fancy big box and printed shipping charge sticker.....phoned the seller, got an abrupt woman and tried to ask her not to do that again, got a mouthfull of abuse...

bottom line is if its a genuinely low value item worth only a few pounds and in a grey USPS mailer, it will usually get ignored in terms of unnecessary tax, if it gets sent in a huge box with a ribbon around it and a big "$$$$$$$$$ ship n handle" sticker it will get pummeled even if its only got a bag of sweets inside..



EX-Army : you need to contact the seller ASAP and get the battery removed and either buy a battery here or get it sent surface mail, it is now illegal to send rechargeable batteries and any batteries containing Lithium including non-rechargeable Lithium batteries by Air cargo/ Airmail due to a few mishaps that happened a while ago leading to fires and damage, I think this actually changed back in 2005......you need to get it removed or the US customs will take your cordless tools and you will lose them, they will not allow them onto a plane, even for mail inside the USA, which has to be sent surface as well and can take 2 weeks east to west...

the only batteries allowed onto airmail are regular consumer sized Alkaline( eg AA, AAA etc) in their original retail shop bought packets unopened, the seller will just try to send the rechargeable ones regardless as a lot of Americans don't even know that much about the rules/regulations, take a look at the US customs (US CBP) website and you will see this, as well as on our customs website....if your tools make it here by a great stroke of luck, which I doubt, then the UK jobsworths will destroy them at this side as a punishment for them making it onto the plane with the battery present...

 

[Amp David]

Knowing the reliability of some Makita batteries, then if you come to claim under the warranty, good luck. I know its a risk you take but there you go.

In the past I have bought a few powertools, mainly Bosch from France and ended up getting them about 15% cheaper.

Just re read and noticed its bare, so no need to worry DOH

 

[ExArmy]

I actually ordered a battery to! i just contacted them about it, they said they have exported dozens of tools with batteries all over the world (including GB) and have not had any problems, and the regulations for lithium batteries applies to bulk quantities of them, not just a single battery. so then i said send it anyway.
all of my current batteries only come with one months warranty anyway, unless you buy from a Makita dealer and pay through the nose thats all you get, and in my opinion it's not worth paying 50% extra for the batteries, just buy them cheaper and take the chance

 

[ExArmy]

just arrived in the uk, i have to pay a £40 fee before it's delivered. so that makes it £30 cheaper than the UK, and i had to wait 2 weeks. so not a massive gain, but cheaper none the less

 

[grantr37]

is that £40 just the handling fee before they bill you for tax? I got that once on a fedex parcel and thought that was it and paid over the phone, got a receipt 4 days later for "handling and admin fees paid" then a week later the box arrived on the back step, and the next day a letter to give them more money for HM RC which they had "paid on my behalf".... they often want their fees before they release the parcel on to be delivered, then they demand more money a week or so later....

 

[ExArmy]

import fee was £31.37, fee was £8, total £39.37 so i don't think there will be anymore charges, it now says on the tracking info "charges paid, released for delivery"

 

[grantr37]

got off lite there then, like a low cal tinny

 

[Richard Burns]

Good to know the system works, I saw the £40 and I had worked out £32 so I am pleased it came out right.

For cost saving it is worth it if you do not need something quickly, a penny saved is a penny earned!

Right now to start major imports with all parcels less than £135:smart::wink_smile:

 

[shagbite]

just arrived in the uk, i have to pay a £40 fee before it's delivered. so that makes it £30 cheaper than the UK, and i had to wait 2 weeks. so not a massive gain, but cheaper none the less

decent thread ExArmy. i'm going to look into this, i fancy some new milwaukee tools. and a 30 quid saving sounds pretty good to me. look at it this way; early finish on a friday, gallon of ale in the local and fish and chips on the way home. great way to start the weekend and you can tell yourself it's all free.

 

[alarm man]

but if it develops a fault do you have to send it back the the states for repair,the savings gone then,seems a bit of a chew on to save 30 notes

 

[ExArmy]

got it, no extra fees were added.