Import duty etc....
 

Can one of you guys that buys stuff from the states let me know what sort of duty's I'd have to pay on some contact lenses I want to buy from a US website?

I'm currently with spec-savers on their £12/month package, I'd like to go back on their continuous wear lenses (there great) but they are £25/month, which to be frank is a bit too much for me at the moment. However if I buy the lenses from the states I can get a years worth for £100, that's £8.33 a month equivalent. I know I'll still need to buy aftercare at £36 for the year, but even with that on its still cheaper then the monthlys I'm on a the moment.

The problem is will I have to pay a large amount of duty when they come into the country? If so how does it get paid and how much? :confused:

Its all new to me, but I know some of you buy from the states regularly.

All help greatly received

Oh and I hope this is the right place for this thread :confused:

Re: Import duty etc....
 

Customs calculate it by 5% for the import duty and 17.5% vat of the declared value of the goods (and they're not daft, if you have say a TV coming in and it's declared as a gift with a 10 dollar value, they'll seize it) + transport costs

Re: Import duty etc....
 

without trying to take the p!ss , is it the same for medical goods :angel:

Re: Import duty etc....
 

I expect you would have to pay VAT at 17.5% plus, possibly, customs duties. I'd suggest trying the customs site at www.hmce.gov.uk, although this is the sort of site that is a perfect example of how not to be helpful to the general public; let's just say that "User Friendly" is not in the HMCE vocabulary. However, a bit of digging gave me a page at HMCE that has a help line phone number.

Re: Import duty etc....
 

If what you are importing is over the personal import limit of £18, then you have to pay both VAT & Import Duty (Customs Duty).

Import Duty varies depending on what it is that you are importing. It is charged on the *total* value (the value of the goods plus the shipping). I think it may be around 3-5%, but I am not sure (it's something like that for DVDs, anyway, IIRC).

VAT is 17.5%, & is charged on the value of the goods plus any duty charged.

There is also usually a "clearance fee", which is paid to the post office (well, "Consignia PLC"), as they charge you for clearing the package through customs & for handling it, and, if necessary, opening & repacking it.

Payment depends, I think, on how you have the goods shipped. If it comes to you by Royal Mail (so was just sent by AirMail), you pay on delivery. If it is sent by a courier, the courier may pay the charges for you, to speed things up, & then issue you with a seperate bill for it. (I bought some DVDs from the US, & had them sent by DHL - DHL paid the customs charges, & I then paid DHL).

Have a look at these links for more detail:

http://www.customs.gov.uk/

http://www.customs.gov.uk/public/shopping/shopping.htm

http://www.customs.gov.uk/forms/notices/143.htm

Re: Import duty etc....
 

I think the way it works out, is that Customs gives it a value that they think they are worth in the UK, and if it is worth £18 (including postage) then you pay the duty on it. How much you pay is entirely up to them, but varies between 5% and 9%. The website I checked out said you have to pay VAT, but the official government says you don't, so I can't help you there.

Here are the sites:

http://www.hmce.gov.uk/public/shopping/shopping.htm
http://www.sloanefox.freeserve.co.uk/importukduty.htm

If you had a friend out there you could trust, you could probably get round the Customs charge, People are allowed to send presents into the country (upto £36), without you having to pay the duty/VAT. So if you bought a years supply for £100, and sent it to your friend in the States, he can split it up, and send it to you in 4 parts. He must clearly mark it a present though. Of course the Customs guy is at liberty to decide wether you're trying to cheat the system or not, and add duty/tax/fines so use that method at your own risk.

So basically, i'd advise you not do it. Sorry.

Re: Import duty etc....
 

AFAIK, it is based on the declared value on the Customs Declaration attached to the package, not on what they think it is worth. Unless, of course, the delcared value is suspiciously low & they open it up to have a look.

I think that could be risky for multiple shipments - apparently, gifts must only be received occaisionally e.g. for birthdays & anniversaries.


It could be worth contacting HM Customs & asking whether there is any kind of exemption for contact lenses, or if there is at least a lower charge for them.

Re: Import duty etc....
 

You will always pay VAT.
Import duty varies. You can determine it from these sites. Customs doesn't always agree with my choice though.
http://194.223.26.57/icn/main.cfm
http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_c...en/tarhome.htm

Another site I found useful:
http://www.sloanefox.freeserve.co.uk/importukduty.htm

Re: Import duty etc....
 

They use that as a guide, but at the end of the day, that say what it is worth, and their descision is final.

And about the VAT, from the official site it says:

If you bought something from the US, it is not an EU country, and if it isn't UK VAT registered (i'm guessing most aren't), then surely you won't pay VAT?

Re: Import duty etc....
 

Unfortunately you will. Absolutely. :erm:

Re: Import duty etc....
 

I think you still do :(



Previous paragraph from your link:


Also:


http://www.customs.gov.uk/forms/noti...3.htm#P84_6257

Re: Import duty etc....
 

Thanks guys, so it looks like I'll have to pay 17.5% VAT and then 2.9% "Third Country Duty" (under the TARIC code 9001300000)and thats it, oh and any costs Consignia decide to slap on top, still makes them £179.60 cheaper than buying them direct from my opticians :eek: :spin:

Re: Import duty etc....
 

Yep, you've pretty much got the idea. Actual amount does depend on what TARIC code the exporter puts on the goods, which is not always what one thought it would be. Also the customs processing charge levied by the courier or postal service can be a bit steep. I think I parted with around 20 quid last time. It all adds up.

Alan :)

Re: Import duty etc....
 

But - get the sender to send them USPS (US Postal Service) Global Priority. This ends up with Parcel force for onward 24 hour delivery.

Mrs H uses this route to send lots of packages from her suppliers to the UK, now because the USPS / Royal Mail get so many boxes each day and have insufficent staff to process them all, you are likely to find that unless yours is the 1/20 crates of mail that is set aside for duty calculations it will appear on your doorstep with no duty or vat charged.

In the unlikly event that you are picked then your calculations in post 12 are about on the money. The charge from the post office is £4.

If you send them DHL/UPS/FedEx etc then it is pretty much guaranteed that you will be charged vat and import duty. UPS can often hold the package until you pay up. FedEx and DHL are more likely to deliver and invoice later. We refuse to let suppliers ship to us with UPS (Useless Parcel Service) these days, they cause too many problems.

Sounds a nice solution continuous wear. The astigmatism in my right eye makes contact lens fitment a nightmare (along with hay fever giving me rough eyelids) so all toric lenses spin and don't sit properly. I can wear contacts socially, but they give me headaches reading a computer screen as my right eye cannot focus properly. For me this means dailys are the best option.

Re: Import duty etc....
 

Thanks for the advice, I think they send it via the route you mentioned, how do I pay the £4 fee to the Royal mail (and any duty), do I need to pay the postman or do they invoice me?

Re: Import duty etc....
 

You pay the postie. He'll take a cheque. If you're not in they hold it at your post office / parcel force depot for a reschedule, or you can go there, pay and collect. Possibly you might be able to mail in the payment, but as Global Priority requires a sig, then you or someone needs to be home.

I was thinking whether it is worth sending it to a work address, but they might be more dilligent about tax collection on packages sent to corporate addresses and if you are trying to save the pennies this might not work.

Can you join CostCo they might sell the lenses you want at a silly price, they do the Focus Dailys for about half the price of most opticians, but you need a contact lens appointment first (its the law apparantly that you can't sell contacts without first checking they fit and that the person knows how to wear them - a good law - but irritating - IMHO)

Re: Import duty etc....
 

Being in for the postie shouldn't be a problem, I just wasn't sure about payment. All seems a bit up in the air regards the charges though :erm:

As for seeing a patient before you sell them lenses, my optometrist told me that as long as you have a valid CONTACT LENS prescription (which is different to a spectacle prescription apparently) and can show the issuing company it then they can sell you them without a visit.

It does seem a little different in the US though as www.visiondirect.com don't seem to have anything on their site about faxing them your lens prescription like www.visiondirect.co.uk do.

I decided to keep my after care with Specsavers though as they charge £36 a year for unlimited care, but my local opticians charge £25 a time!! And to be honest I'd feel better knowing I can continue my regular 6 monthly checkups.

Shame you can't get on with toric lenses, I don't know how I'd cope if I had to go back to spectacles, and social contact lens wear. :shocked:

Re: Import duty etc....
 

Ooooh, an optician's thread (sort of). Well being the resident Optometrist, I can tell you that you are correct - contact lenses can only be supplied upon production of a valid contact lens specification in the UK and under the supervision of an Optometrist or contact lens fitter. However, you'd find that most high street practices would prefer to supply to their own specification rather than rely on someone else's.
A word of warning though - the risk of complications with continuous wear lenses is increased, and you should be fitted with them before just ordering some. The generally accepted practice is to have a series of regular checks before going into full time wear (normally after sleeping in them then about a week after that).

SMHarman - have you asked your optician about Daily Toric lenses? They might not be suitable for your prescription, but it may be worth asking.

Re: Import duty etc....
 

Alan I used to wear Night and day lenses, but I had to stop work for a while and I couldn't afford them so I went back to the daily lenses. I spoke to my optometrist about switching back as I'm now having trouble with the solution they provide (peroxide one step with the catalytic disk) and I think that going back to the night and day lenses is going to be the best option. Sue said that she doesn't see any problem with me buying them on-line and then going to her for my first fitting and a checkup a week and a month later. I didn't have a jot of trouble last time I had them so I;m not expecting any this time. They really are so convenient though, I cant wait to get it all sorted now. :D :D

Re: Import duty etc....
 

I see, that's ok then :) Just out of interest - are your current lenses daily or monthly disposable? If daily - what's the solution for?

I have to agree though that lenses are a lot cheaper online and from other suppliers. I think as a result, the public are going to see an increase in professional fees for such services, the cost needs to be covered somewhere!

Oh, and another toric lens moment (for those who know what I'm on about) - continuous wear torics will be available later this year :)

Re: Import duty etc....
 

I meant daily as in not day and night :o They are monthly disposables, not sure who makes them for specsavers but they are the best monthlies that I've used. Its the Specsavers solutions that let them down, I have very sensitive eyes and I cant use the all in one solutions, the only peroxide one they do now is with a catalytic disk (magnesium? at a guess) but I'm finding it's not as good as the one's with the tablets :( Specsavers cant offer me a different solution so it means I've got to look else where which is a shame as they are one of the company's I deal with that are brilliant.

Re: Import duty etc....
 

Those discs are usually platinum coated, dunno if that adds much to the price! Here's a solution you might have some success with, of course, you may have tried it already....http://www.uk.cibavision.com/product...ro_10_10.shtml :tu:

Re: Import duty etc....
 

Looks like it's along the same lines as the Oxysept 2 step which I got on great with when I first started wearing contacts when I was 17, if I was going to keep the monthlies I think I'd probably go back to a solution like that as these all in ones just don't seem to work for me :( Trouble is when you start looking at separate solutions to the lenses and the aftercare it begins to get really expensive. Hopefully I've found a solution to the problem but if not then I'll probably have another look, cheers Alan.

Re: Import duty etc....
 

Definately sounds like you've found the best type for you in continuous wear. There's always lots of new ideas coming out, so it's worth checking back with your practitioner every now and again!

Re: Import duty etc....
 

Alan,

I'm using the Focus(r) Dailies TORIC.
L -4.75 -.75 x 180
R -3.5 -.75 x 180

Which from what she told me is the greatest toric correction there is in the daily disposable market.

Left is a perfect match.
Right needs -.2.25 x170 on the astigmatic correction, but the monthys and 2 weeklys won't sit. If I sit in the chair and stare at the letters it rotates to position and I can see perfectly, if I blink it spins off and goes blurry.

The in use result of the daily vs the monthly was the same, so for diving etc the dailys work out best and better still if one floats off you're not as far out of pocket.

Have they increased the toric (astigmatic) strength yet? This was last July so things may have developed further.