alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I've stupidly shown my wife how to search fro items on e-bay. She collects bone china, and has found an item in her set from Germany, and two from Canada.

Has anyone bought stuff off e-bay from abroad? They are in e-bay shops, if that makes a difference? Is it safe?

Would I still pay VAT, customs etc on second-hand items?

Alcazar

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

Yes you will if they open it. If you buy a lot it will get noticed. Some slip through though. If it does get opened you'll be stung for another £30 or so from the shipping agent (DHL or whoever) for additional handlign fee.

Getting the seller to mark it as a gift helps but won't if it happens a lot!

I bought Supertones from the Scooby from the US and it was fine apart from the postage!

5t.

Tidgy

also make sure its insured.

good feedback is a must as well, if a seller has 10k feed back and 50 or so is bad then your onto a winner, you cant please everyone but a high percentage like that is good, i've been buy dvd's from abroad for a while to get them before they come out here

also some items even though they say uk dont come from here.

OllyK

No worse buying from abroad than the UK. I regularly buy stuff from the US, Hong Kong and China. Not had a problem yet.

Tidgy

only isseu i ever had was witha uk company and adelay with delivery, arrived after about 3 weeks.

speedymonkey

Same here
Had an item arrive from Hong-Kong after about a week
Bloody quicker than most people in the UK

Sonic'

Best one I had was ordered through ebay from Hong Kong about 4pm friday our time, parcel arrived monday morning 8.30am our time, thats far quicker than virtually any uk transaction I have ever done on ebay

I do buy from abroad a few times, as the deals are much better for certain things

sparkykev

You won't have to pay any duty on the item from Germany.
And you'd be unlucky to have to pay anything on items from outside the EU, if they look like low value items.