Anybody bought a TSeries from Bill and imported to UK?

[dd]

Hi
What is the correct procedure for clearing through customs / paying vat etc when importing to UK?
The reason I ask, is that I have ordered a T41p from Bill........



Any information that can help me through this potential mindfield would be useful.......

Thanks in advance

dd

[Imran]

Phone up customs and exercise to make sure, i just did and they have told me there is no charge apart from VAT.

Fedex will keep the laptop unless they have your details or number to charge you for the VAT

BUt to be sure and for you to validate my answer please do so yourself and tell me to.

Whens the laptop coming?

[dd]

Hi Imran

Thanks for the info.

The T41p should be with Bill later this week.
So I guess it will be sometime next week?

Thanks

dd

[ian]

Sorry Imran, but something you wrote made me crease up - "Phone up customs and exercise" - the word is actually "excise" but the thought of doing a few pumps etc. while calling customs really appeals (when you see the size of my stomach you'll realise I need this !) - of course none of this goes any way to answer the original question...

Just as an aside, I bought my T42 from Bill and I live in France - simply paid the VAT and Bob's your uncle.

Good luck

[Imran]

suppose im like bill, im literate but cant type.

i sure hope i spelt literate right

[ian]

Imran - believe me I wasn't criticising you at all - it's just that I have a nasty tendency to 'read' things into what people have written - and that made me laugh - better than making me cry !

[JHEM]

Sorry Imran, but something you wrote made me crease up - "Phone up customs and exercise" - the word is actually "excise"

It was a Freudian slip Ian.

Personally, whenever I have to deal with Customs (especially after 9/11), I often get quite exercised!

Regards,

James

[John Moore]

[

Just as an aside, I bought my T42 from Bill and I live in France - simply paid the VAT and Bob's your uncle.

Out of interest did you pay the courier company the VAT or did you have to pay Customs and "exercise" the VAT directly and then supply proof to the courier company that it was paid? If you paid the courier company did they just show up on your door with the package and demand the due amount or was it allready paid through credit card before they delievered it?

Sorry for asking such a stupid question but my laptop is falling apart ( dell crap ) and I do want to buy one from Bill latter in the year so I'd like to know what is involved.

[ian]

No problem - ask away...I called FedEx as the delivery had been delayed due to a weekend and they asked me if I would pay the VAT (No customs duty) - to which I obviously replied "Yes" as I wanted to see my laptop.

When it arrived, I gave the nice FedEx chappy a cheque for the (already agreed) amount, raced upstairs and started playing...

[VC15]

Is this also true for Canada (Ontario to be specific)?

I'm getting mixed messages. From what I have read the VAT in Canada is 7%. But I was also under the impression that I might have to pay an additional 8% provincial tax.

If anyone from Canada has bought a thinkpad from Bill please let me know what exact costs you paid and who collected them.

Mike

[csarrasin]

Hi
What is the correct procedure for clearing through customs / paying vat etc when importing to UK?

I too have ordered a T42p from Bill and have had it shipped to London.

As Imran says, there is no charge beyond VAT (except small service charges here and there, should amount to about £10 or less).

One thing I would make sure of, assuming Bill shipped via Fedex (which he did for me), is to ensure you know their local contact numbers.

In my case, a lady called up 2 days ahead to say the TP was on its way and that somebody would be in touch to collect a credit card number to pay for VAT - so far so good. But then, on the day the TP was supposed to go through the customs, they didn't call me, presumably because they were too busy. In the end, I called a few times until a guy finally took my payment but the whole story delayed my TP's arrival by a day. Needless to say I was unimpressed with them

Apart from that, the whole experience has been flawless and the TP is a really great machine. BTW, you can get a replacement keyboard with a different layout from US direct from IBM for about £32 (incl. shipping)...

Cheers,
Christian

[boudie]

My understanding about importing from U.S. to Canada is
that you pay the 7% GST and whatever your provincial
sales tax is. In the "Atlantic provinces" that's 7+8=15%.
In Alberta it's 7+0=7%. Lucky Alberta!
At least I had to pay 15% on my last purchase. Ouch.

[VC15]

That's what I was told too. I'm gonna call up customs tomorrow hopefully and find out for sure. Another 8% is a lot of tax to pay.