RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

I'm looking at something on Aliexpress. There is the option of having it shipped from Germany so I am wondering, does this mean it avoids the attention of HM Customs and saves me the possibility of getting hit with the VAT?

https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussio ... from-china
There's a illuminating discussion here on ordering from AliExpress, Richard. Technically, if an item is being shipped from Germany, you will already have paid VAT on it there, I guess. Sounds a bit odd, though. How can they swing that?
I've had Futubas sent from Hong Kong and not paid a bean on them. Some vendors mark the items as 'gifts' and understate their value. It's a common practice, and one we- as upright citizens- are expected to frown upon
(not..). I've had Royal Mail, Customs, and Uncle Thomas Cobley on my back demanding a cut from me for packages from the US. A BIG cut..
Maybe I'll try Aliexpress. The Tax Raptors seem to be looking West, not East...

Not sure about AliExpress, but I've ordered a few things from a website called 'Lightinthebox'. You order from China, and at checkout you can choose to pay 'customs insurance' which is only a small amount. Twice I opted not to pay the insurance, the packages came direct from china and I had to pay around £3 customs, plus RM's ridiculous 'handling' charge or something like £10.
The other times I paid the insurance, the items arrived in the same timescale, still from China (confirmed by watching the tracking), with Chinese writing on some of the labels, but also some German, and no customs/handling charges. Seems if you pay the insurance they send from China to a depot in Germany, stick some new labels on it and send it on to you.

I assume if they can do it, that other companies will also have a similar setup.

No VAT or excise duty is payable on goods that are imported from other EU countries, but I have ordered plenty of stuff from China and never been asked for anything, except once. That was about ten years ago and was an RC helicopter worth about £600, so I got stung big time. The problem was really DHL, they report imports and send an invoice for the duty etc. Other postal services seem to be ok.

Anything under £20, or a gift is duty free as I recall, hence why the Chinese undervalue the goods. It's a question of are the goods 'worth' what you are paying, or is the value what the materials cost to make, which is a fraction of the retail price?

Okay, I just got the whole Uncle Bob thing sorted out, so who the hell is Uncle Thomas? You boys sure have a lot of uncles.

Does that mean Bob is gay?

Gary, There is a song from the West Country of England called "Widdecombe Fair" it is a sing a long song often sung at summer parties when drink (Preferably a strong cider) is served,
In the song is a list of names which includes Uncle Tom Cobley,
For reasons that escape me he is often quoted in relation to any conversation which includes a long list of characters,
His name is usually followed by "And all".
Shaun.

Well I need to change my prescription because my Grandma used to use either Charlie or Fanny’s you’re aunt.

Gary, a fanny is something completely different this side of the pond lol
Cheers
Wayne


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I think it was Winston Churchill who said that the United Kingdom and the United States were two countries separated by a common language.

Everytime I check this thread I'm hoping for a compilation of 'Best Buys' on ALiexpress, for our hobby haha!