Import Duty on a hammock ??

[springer5]

Hi folks

Sorry if this seems like a trivial thread, but....

I've just received notification from the courier that my new Clark Jungle Hammock has made it safely all the way from the US of A to our British shores. Should be a time of great joy for me, having been waiting almost 2 weeks for it.

However, I notice that as well as the expected VAT waiting to be paid, they are also asking for import duty (£40 no less).

For anyone else on the forum who lives in the UK and has purchased a hammock from the USA, do you remember if you were required to pay import duty on it. I don't mind the VAT (or at least I accept that it has to be), but I'm wondering if the import duty is a mistake. I bought a tarp from the US a few months ago and didn't have to pay any duty on that (only the VAT). I can't see how a hammock qualifies for duty (although in this country anything is possible!)

I'd really appreciate knowing if annyone else in the same situation has had this or not, before I storm down to my nearest HMCE and give them a mouthfull.

Did any of you fellow Brits have to pay import duty on your warbernet Blackbirds, Henessies or Clark Jungle Hammocks ?

Thanks

 

[rik_uk3]

You should not pay import duty on orders under €115 IIRC.

 

[FGYT]

Hennesy ship from with in uk and have a flat $60 delivery charge to cover import etc

ATB

Duncan

 

[tobes01]

That sounds like the amount I had to pay on my Clarke, there was also £8 handling fee. Check the Spyderco thread for a debate on the legality of this...

 

[Firelite]

It can sometimes be a matter of luck. A guy at work had to buy a R/c helicopter for a job he was working on. When another mate and me flew it into a brick wall (how we laughed) we got him an identical replacement. The first one didn't attract any attention, but we got for the tax on the second one.

Some you win...

 

[Shewie]

Yep sounds about right to me too unfortunately.

Royal Mail will sting you for another £8 handling fee too

 

[springer5]

ok thanks as always for your thoughts on this folks

It does seem as though it may be a bit of a "lottery". Just another case of us "small guys" being fleeced by the biggest organised crime syndicate in the UK....HM government.

Guess I'll just have to cough-up and bleed some more for them, and the Royal Mail's "cut" has now risen from £8 to £13.50. Shocking !

I'll just have to dig deep and then try to put it behind me

I may have to take time off work for stress by the end of all this, and take to my new hammock (at the bottom of my garden) to recover.

Cheers

 

[sandbag47]

O'well try buying a British one next time

 

[springer5]

O'well try buying a British one next time

Yes, that's a very good point sandbag.

I started off with a DD Travel Hammock and it was very good value for money, but I wanted something with a bit more flexibility for bad weather and a few other things.

I just couldn't find what I wanted in the UK otherwise I really would have preferred to buy British as I usually try to do if there's a "like for like" comparison available.

But there we are, if you want to buy imported stuff I guess you have to take the downsides that go with it. I'm calming down a bit now, just not what I wanted to see when I opened the letter

Cheers