VAt, import duty, advancement fee...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Pal in the US wanted a modern engine ECU (MegaSquirt) built into the case of the original. It's a NAS spec Rover. Californian MOT includes a visual inspection for non standard parts. As well as an emissions check.

I've done just this on a couple for the UK - where an owner wanted it to still look standard.

Offered to send him instructions on how to do it, as it's not that complicated. But he wanted me to do it for him, and what's more send me all the bits needed. Which I could have sourced here, obviously. The original ECU having the same outer case as UK cars.

He had to search to find a reasonable cost carrier from US to UK. Package weight 3.80 lb. UPS wanted nearly £200.

It has arrived in the UK by FedEx. I've had a letter demanding 36.40 gbp for custom etc costs. VAT, etc.

Since it will be sent back, are these charges justified?

BTW, it really does show how nice it was to be in the EU. Done one for a chap in Germany. No extra charges involved, and easy cheap carriage.

[spuorgelgoog]

Yes, unless you can use the special Inward Processing Relief rules which allow you to import then export.

Owain

[spuorgelgoog]

Well, yes, but we would have a similar arrangement with the states in the USA if we were one of the United States of America. However along with that we'd have Trump as a President.

We (a generality, by a narrow margin) decided we didn't want to be part of the European Union and have Ursula von der Leyen, David Sassoli or Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen as various Presidents. Whether that is good, bad, or merely a different form of same, is open to debate.

Owain

[Andy Burns]

Nowt to do with Brexit.

If you've not been charged VAT, duty or handling fees on imports from the USA in the past it's either because the item was below the threshold (£15 for VAT, £135 for duty) or you "got away with it", possibly because it was mis-described by the seller, nothing has changed.

[Andy Burns]

If you've been charged VAT and/or duty, and the item is returned, you can reclaim it

but not the handling fee ...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You didn't read my post.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Really? There may be an EU president, but are you saying he has the same powers as the US one?

I'd say you rather rare in being able to name them. ;-)

[Tim Streater]

Never heard of David Sassoli or Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen.

As for Ursula, she was put forward by an obscure, opaque, process, was somehow the only candidate, and was accepted by the rubber-stamp EU Parliament. Just like what happens in China!

Perhaps Our Dave can explain how open, transparent, and democratic that all is.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

No surprise the likes of you compare the EU to China in one breath. While another idiot compares the EU president to the same name in the US.

I doubt you even understand the term.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa 2)]

Explain its only back for repair work, and you may find it goes down a bit. Brian

[Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp]

Well it's a dammned good job Fox, Davis and Johnson will still be around to explain the right way to do things. They did promote the ease of trade after Brexit.

Give one of them a ring now, I'm sure they will be happy to assist.

AB From the well pummelled keyboard of Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp Esq