I bought a computer DVD from USA and the postage was around £8. The b its of paper stuck on it suggested it had been through at least one additio nal US warehouse where I imagine they aggregate orders into one bulky parce l and take their cut from the freight charge. Seems to happen on UK orders too. The multiple packaging I find implies t hat ebay sellers are buying their new stuff just in time from other warehou ses when you order.
I asked the seller about the surcharge and it has now been refunded through paypal so none the wiser but £5.50 richer!
Small packages yes. Past that, I use something like myHermes which is ridiculously cheap compared to Royal Mail parcels, or ParcelForce.
And I can drop it off at the corner shop near the post office.
According to the government site I read, VAT is payable on goods worth more than 15 quid. Duty on the total amount including postage, unless under 135 quid.
One of the problems with PF is they seem to have a large band of something like 2 - 8 Kg or whatever that makes small parcels just outside the PO limit very expensive indeed. Whereas other carriers seem to apply a sliding scale.
Yes - one of them has its collection point literally across the road from the nearest PO to here. But has much longer opening hours.
I thought that was what I said (subject to the point about gifts - which AIUI are not liable to VAT if the value of the gift is £34 or less). But maybe I didn't.
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