US Dollar and Buying from Overseas Suppliers

[Bigbella]

Other possible issues:

Warranty

Will the seller ship to the US? Sometimes the manufacturer restricts sales area. Other people have reported this?

If one is overly concerned with US warranties, that may be a consideration; but the typical array of crap guarantees, mean nothing to me. It also helps if you can work on your own gear.

To skirt manufacturers’ restrictions with international sales, simply maintain a foreign address, readily available online — often with a free-of-charge option — who offer consolidations of orders; and choices of carriers. They also cover all the customs issues and their paperwork is dirt simple. There’s yet to be a single issue.

I maintain an address in the UK and another in Germany, with the latter site also offered in English, should that ever be required; and I have found terrific deals; the availability of obscure parts and different regulator models over the years — deals that I couldn’t possibly find in the US . . .

 

[BoltSnap]

foreign address, readily available online — often with a free-of-charge option — who offer consolidations of orders; and choices of carriers. They also cover all the customs issues and their paperwork is dirt simple. There’s yet to be a single issue.

I maintain an address in the UK and another in Germany, with the latter site also offered in English,

Can give names or websites please?

 

[Jcp2]

Can give names or websites please?

The addresses go with different names, papers, and a bag of euros and dollars. Also box of mustaches and glasses.

 

[Bigbella]

Can give names or websites please?

Sure . . .

www.myukmailbox.com , out of Sheffield and www.mailboxde.com, out of Zittau. Both will provide shipping addresses and consolidate multiple orders into single shipments and will store parcels, free of charge, for quite a while before charging nominal fees.

After Brexit, the German site has been, by far, the most convenient (and dare I say, efficient), for ordering within Europe . . .

 

[BoltSnap]

Sure . . .

www.myukmailbox.com , out of Sheffield and www.mailboxde.com, out of Zittau. Both will provide shipping addresses and consolidate multiple orders into single shipments and will store parcels, free of charge, for quite a while before charging nominal fees.

After Brexit, the German site has been, by far, the most convenient (and dare I say, efficient), for ordering within Europe . . .

Thank you!!


You will have to pay VAT in the UK and Germany when you use these services or do they provide paperwork for shipping outside EU and UK?

 

[Bigbella]

Thank you!!


You will have to pay VAT in the UK and Germany when you use these services or do they provide paperwork for shipping outside EU and UK?

There was never any VAT collected, since your ultimate mailing address, associated with either account, is outside the UK and EU; and they provided all of the necessary paperwork. You simply state the value of the items, along with a PDF of receipts from either brick and mortar stores or, say, ebay.co.uk or ebay.de, etc.; and you're good to go . . .

 

[BoltSnap]

There was never any VAT collected, since your ultimate mailing address, associated with either account, is outside the UK and EU; and they provided all of the necessary paperwork. You simply state the value of the items, along with a PDF of receipts from either brick and mortar stores or, say, ebay.co.uk or ebay.de, etc.; and you're good to go . . .

If you buy from a dive shop in Germany, for example, this dive shop doesn't charge you VAT when they ship to the German address?

 

[Bigbella]

If you buy from a dive shop in Germany, for example, this dive shop doesn't charge you VAT when they ship to the German address?

That has yet to happen.

The provided mailing addresses, mailbox.de, etc. already point toward use by foreign customers; so too, any European eBay sites. The terminal address is always your US mailing address -- though, admittedly, you seem to be a nomad . . .

 

[BoltSnap]

you seem to be a nomad . . .

I am a war displaced person (many wars actually, no joke) , I sleep where I can park my camel and set up my camel hair tent.

 

[Bigbella]

Gotta love the camels -- and camel hair tents, sooo warm . . .

I just shot a note to a friend aus Deutschland, and she said that the VAT is a still bit of a gray area with some purchases and inquiries -- and mention of its final foreign destination -- should be made with each shop; but, like I said, that hasn't been my experience.

I just purchased a dive watch for my niece from the UK and some tools from Germany -- no VAT . . .