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alvinlwh

Black Friday 2022

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On 11/24/2022 at 7:50 PM, speedy_w_beans said:

Not Tamiya, but I grabbed a Losi 22s no-prep drag roller for $125 off Tower Hobbies.  I already had a Pro-Line Chevy Nova body waiting for a chassis, so this is perfect to build a complete model.

No-prep drag roller:  link

Nova body:  link

But eventually I really want a Barracuda body:  link

Almost as good a deal as the $119 Axial SMT10 builder's kit I picked up last year...

Almost jumped on that myself.  Have a JC 87 Grand National body that I bought a couple years back wanting to match my real car.  In the end decided that I would just never use a drag car so didn't go for it.  Although at that price its cheap enough to justify a static model...Looks like its on sale until 12/4, may have to pick one up.  

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Other than my typical buying (of which nothing I actually needed was on sale, go figure) I grabbed an Axial Ryft Kit from Tower for $250.  Have a new monster truck race chassis to put together and rather than using AR60s I figured I'd give Ryft axles a shot, will part the rest of the kit.  They're apparently a bit more heavy duty than the AR60s, come with sealed diffs and universals so figured why not try something different for a change. 

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2 hours ago, Nwc100 said:

Another side to all of this is I would prefer when possible to support a local business, generally I use TTM, not local exactly I’m in Essex and they are in Scotland or Modelsport, I like that they will solder the desired connector on many items for minimal charges!

I would hate to see them close so buy as much as I can through them especially kits and save PJ for hop ups and random Japanese stuff!

It's a fair point. My normal policy is that if I use or value the on-the-ground presence (like trying stuff on, or advice) I try to make sure that's where the profit goes, but I may need to revise that for something like rc because I come here for advice! I'll try to buy from Fusion next time. This would be the first time I buy a kit from the far east, although my DT-03 was from Amazon, which is arguably a worse crime against local shops. However, the UK shops I've used have been big online presence (inc those mentioned) rather than local bricks & mortar. My local no longer stocks anything much RC. Thus far I guess my RC policy has been a compromise of ordering occasionally from HK/Japan where the cost difference is really big, but not if it isn't (which has been the case for the things I've looked at to date except XV-02 IIRC). So essentially the same "if it's too big to ignore" approach. 

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10 hours ago, Nwc100 said:

 

i did notice it appears to have been repacked by FedEx as there was no paperwork from PJ either attached or in the box, all the items I’d had before contained some form of PJ paperwork!

An old timer once told me, the Japanese are very "good" and truthful with their paperwork, so if package got picked up by HMRC, be prepared to be hit by the full amount. 

Pre Brexit, 50% of my PJ and 1999 orders got taxed. Post Brexit, 0%, although I always keep my orders below £100.

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On 11/29/2022 at 3:07 PM, Nwc100 said:

I did notice it appears to have been repacked by FedEx as there was no paperwork from PJ either attached or in the box, all the items I’d had before contained some form of PJ paperwork!

I've just received a PJ shipment via FedEx and mine is the same - repacked with the internal PJ paperwork missing.  I guess FedEx have taken them for Customs purposes, although several previous shipments that came via DHL were intact.

The order was just under £135, and shouldn't attract charges, so that won't be why it was opened.

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I've found with my Plaza orders that fedex get customs charges but dhl never do. Mine are usually between £100 and £200.

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3 hours ago, Twinfan said:

As I'm sure most people on here know, less than £135 including postage is charge free:

https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

The FedEx paperwork that came attached to the package states a value of 144 USD, which is currently £118.

So they can whistle if they want any money off me! :P

You missed this part. 

"Goods worth £135 or less in total

If you bought the goods yourself and they are not excise goods, the seller will have included VAT in the total you paid ." 

Some sellers will collect VAT (RCMart, eBay, Aliexpress for example) while others (I shall not name) will not. 

In my case, RCMart charged me (goods + postage) + [(goods + postage) x VAT] and wrote that total on the CN22 form. HMRC took that total, added postage on top and charged me VAT + customs. RM then "fined" me £8. I managed to reclaim the VAT + customs back from HMRC but not RM as that was judged to be an incorrectly filled in form. 

Worse thing? Even after alerting them to their mistake, RCMart still do the same exact thing for my next package. Now I stay away from them unless there is no where else to get the item. 

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The joys of HMRC eh?

Well the package arrived without me paying anything additional, and I've not been sent an additional bill, so I'm assuming all is good for now.  I know the bills can come later, and HMRC are a law unto themselves, so we'll see.

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2 hours ago, Twinfan said:

The joys of HMRC eh?

Well the package arrived without me paying anything additional, and I've not been sent an additional bill, so I'm assuming all is good for now.  I know the bills can come later, and HMRC are a law unto themselves, so we'll see.

Just wait a week or so, if nothing, then nothing. 🤞

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13 hours ago, alvinlwh said:

You missed this part. 

"Goods worth £135 or less in total

If you bought the goods yourself and they are not excise goods, the seller will have included VAT in the total you paid ." 

Some sellers will collect VAT (RCMart, eBay, Aliexpress for example) while others (I shall not name) will not. 

In my case, RCMart charged me (goods + postage) + [(goods + postage) x VAT] and wrote that total on the CN22 form. HMRC took that total, added postage on top and charged me VAT + customs. RM then "fined" me £8. I managed to reclaim the VAT + customs back from HMRC but not RM as that was judged to be an incorrectly filled in form. 

Worse thing? Even after alerting them to their mistake, RCMart still do the same exact thing for my next package. Now I stay away from them unless there is no where else to get the item. 

Especially Fedex goes on about seller failed to add Vat. Last time i got a copy from AliExpress showing that VOEC number was added, when Forwarded to Fedex the reply was in short «Sorry that you do not believe us now sod off». I avoid Fedex & UPC etc because they far to often have this problem while the  deliver company owned by the Norwegian state Posten.no never has it (if in fact Vat was paid in advance)

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1 hour ago, simalarion said:

Especially Fedex goes on about seller failed to add Vat. Last time i got a copy from AliExpress showing that VOEC number was added, when Forwarded to Fedex the reply was in short «Sorry that you do not believe us now sod off». I avoid Fedex & UPC etc because they far to often have this problem while the  deliver company owned by the Norwegian state Posten.no never has it (if in fact Vat was paid in advance)

In the UK, HMRC will pay back the tax charge if can be proven if it was already paid to the seller. HOWEVER, in my case, it was also the seller that made the mistake on the form, so the "fine" for the service was not refunded. Also, things get more complicated when over £135 as in that case, tax is charged in entry not checkout. However, RCMart does not have a clue and will still apply VAT to a basket of over £135 (I did a trial basket checkout) which they should not. 

There is a movement to refuse to pay the handling "fine" by the companies in the UK, either only paying the tax portion, or flat refusing to pay anything. However, this only works with DHL/Fedex as RM will only release the package after payment. 

I too avoid them (and EMS if possible) as they have a far higher chance of being picked up and their higher cost to post eats into the £135 allowance by quite a margin. In the past, I always try to use SAL if possible. 

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Just looking again at the link I posted above, it states "You pay VAT when you buy the goods or to the delivery company before you receive them.".  Nothing there about paying VAT after you've received the goods.  I understand paying taxes before the goods are released, but retrospective taxing seems a bit wrong to me, especially as FedEx have taken the paperwork from PJ that was inside the package that I would need for reference....

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When I've been charged before, it's been through the delivery company before delivery. If I was in their shoes I'd want to charge that way - trying to collect it after the fact would be a massive pain for them and perhaps not very successful. On that basis, I suspect you'll nearly always know about a charge before you receive the goods. 

That said, I placed a >£135 order with PJ before I remembered this issue, and it hasn't arrived yet, so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed on that one. I also subsequently placed an Asiatees one but with the calculated risk that it would still be decent deal if I get charged (really good price, BF). In either case if I do get charged I believe it'll be a double charge of vat, which would be annoying but by no means unheard of (as per @alvinlwh 's experience above).

For RC bits do I understand correctly it would be VAT plus a "handling fee", no actual import duty is due for this class of good? 

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5 minutes ago, BuggyDad said:

When I've been charged before, it's been through the delivery company before delivery. If I was in their shoes I'd want to charge that way - trying to collect it after the fact would be a massive pain for them and perhaps not very successful. On that basis, I suspect you'll nearly always know about a charge before you receive the goods. 

That said, I placed a >£135 order with PJ before I remembered this issue, and it hasn't arrived yet, so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed on that one. I also subsequently placed an Asiatees one but with the calculated risk that it would still be decent deal if I get charged (really good price, BF). In either case if I do get charged I believe it'll be a double charge of vat, which would be annoying but by no means unheard of (as per @alvinlwh 's experience above).

For RC bits do I understand correctly it would be VAT plus a "handling fee", no actual import duty is due for this class of good? 

DHL/Fedex have a delivery dateline (2d, 3d, 1w, whatever) to meet so they have to deliver before collection. RM (and HKP,, JP, etc) have a window (2w - 4w, etc) so they can afford to play the waiting game. 

No, AT does not charge you VAT on behalf of HMRC. Only RCMart does that. 

RC bits come under toys (no difference if just bits or bits to make a whole car or just the chassis), so 95-03 Tricycles, scooters, pedal cars and similar wheeled toys: dolls: other toys: reduced-size ('scale') models and similar recreational models, working or not: puzzles of all kinds. 

And probably (not 100% sure on this one) sub category of 9503-0075-90 Other toys, put up in set or outfits: Other toys and models, incorporating a motor - other, VAT 20%, customs 4%.

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Anthing over £135 will incur VAT and import duty (see my link earlier), and as alvinlwh says the import duty percentage depends on the category of the goods.

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While you folks are ranting about import duty, I wanted to rant about my substitute USPS post lady yesterday..:lol:

The early black Friday purchase (MID) delivery was already late by a day, I decided to WFH yesterday as it said signature required on the delivery notification..  I was in between meetings when post finally arrived like 6 hours late from the usual delivery time.. :wacko:  I met her up front by the driveway as I didn't have time to babysit her, I had another meeting coming up real quick.. 

Well, she handed me 2 small boxes and tried to leave.. I'm like hold on, there should be a bigger package I've been waiting all day for.. she was kind of nice about it and searched her truck.  While she as searching, I noticed she had an iPad running, streaming a movie while driving and delivering mail..  talk about distraction.. :blink:  

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7 minutes ago, Willy iine said:

While you folks are ranting about import duty, I wanted to rant about my substitute USPS post lady yesterday..:lol:

At least you have parcels to rant about. RM had been on strike for the past two days and my big 1111 Aliexpress order had been stuck at Inverness not moving towards me. 

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Just to add to this, here’s the email I received from FedEx, when I paid it it’s on release on payment only regardless of delivery service requested by sender.

I put a lot of items through FedEx weekly as our work account is with them, my driver said he was surprised it had been paid so quickly! He rarely delivers to me but collects a lot, and checked to make sure it was correct before delivery, I will say his service is impeccable, he knows where left packages go or collect from if I’m out, always gives me time to run down stairs from my office!

Off topic a bit so here’s the offending demand! Paid Sunday, delivered Monday!

 

A7F63847-27A5-4D0B-885B-D7BEDDEF32B1.jpeg

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20 hours ago, Twinfan said:

Anthing over £135 will incur VAT and import duty (see my link earlier), and as alvinlwh says the import duty percentage depends on the category of the goods.

I just received an Aliexpress 1111 order today consisting of 10 items. This £135 limit will be interesting as AE sometimes combine different orders into one package. 

In my case, I made 4 different orders, when combined will be over the £135 limit. I did not choose for combined postage, AE did it on their own. Wonder how will HMRC consider such a package, especially when I already paid VAT via AE for each order on checkout. 

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1 hour ago, Twinfan said:

If it's in one package you may be in trouble?  Good luck...

They had came via RM, with a RM tracking number. Delivered without tax demand. Not sure how it works though. 

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4 hours ago, Badcrumble said:

I've not posted up the Tamico deals this year but surely this one is too good to miss...if you want one...

TD2 -  168 EURO

https://tamico.de/Tamiya-58697-Astute-2022-TD2-2WD-Kit-110

 

Hmmm. 

For reasons unknown, the TD2 interests me where the TD4 doesn't. But I've just bought 2 kits, so I really ought to stop there! 

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Same, the TD2 has much more appeal for me.  I just can't get into the TD4 at all.

I'm looking forward to building my TD2 now that my Hop-Ups have arrived.

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