Chinese steam engines

[Axel BentellParticipant @axelbentell]

I want to ask if anyone have tried any of the many different Chinese steam engines sold on Ebay? They are cheap and look ok, but that don´t have to mean a lot!?

Thanks!

[Axel BentellParticipant @axelbentell]

[Martin Field 1Participant @martinfield1]

I think the Microcosm ones are well thought of, but I would always use British, including second hand, but that's my preference. The Mamod forums have a lot on the subject. I believe one of the manufacturrs is even a forum member.

Martin

[Andy StonemanParticipant @andystoneman15177]

Hi Axel I have a microcosm single cylinder steam engine and found them to be an excellent choice, Along with the package I received a hand written note from the maker thanking me for buying one of his engines and hope I have Plenty of fun with it. Which I must say I have and also think their workmanship is fantastic.

Andy

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

If you have to pay tax I would estimate that they will be at least 30% more…

Plus the Handling Fee imposed by the Royal Mail. It has been £8 but I think it may have gone up to £12 – and that's regardless of the value of the contents.

DM

[Martin Field 1Participant @martinfield1]

Ain't nuttn I want enough to pay tax to a bloomin' postman!

I was once sent some slot car tyres as samples from NZ. I didn't ask for them and told the posty to shove 'em!

He was not happy and neither as the Kiwi fellow!.

I think these overseas companies should sort out the tax their end, so you just pay one price, done and dusted.

Martin

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Martin

For normal commercial transactions I'm afraid it doesn't work like that, except where you're buying stuff from within the EU. In this particular instance if the NZ guy had marked the Customs Declaration 'Commercial Samples' then no tax or duty would have been payable.

I recently had a P94 sent back from Australia for repair and the customer had declared its value for UK Customs as A$100, whereas the correct value should have been NIL as it was being temporarily imported for repair and return. I had to stump up 20% VAT and £8 Handling Fee just to find out what was in the box! Needless to say the customer wasn't best pleased when I told him that he already owed me nearly £20 before I'd even started to look at it!

The Golden Rule is to check how much you might be letting yourself in for and to make arrangements with the sender to do it correctly BEFORE you do anything else. If you do manage to "get away with it" then you're lucky!

I understand that there is one HK-based supplier who asks you what value you want them to declare for Customs – a) Full price; b) Half Price, or c) A Gift. All rather naughty. HMRC have been advised but, as usual, they don't seem to give a damn. Suit yourself!

Dave M

Edited By Dave Milbourn on 02/05/2016 10:55:01

[Dodgy Geezer 1Participant @dodgygeezer1]

…I think these overseas companies should sort out the tax their end, so you just pay one price, done and dusted.

Martin

All countries in the world have their own tax regimes, many having multiple taxes of varying kinds to pay on imports. And, as Dave pointed out, there are also handling charges to consider. All of these are subject to re-interpretation and change at no notice.

The overseas company would have to maintain a huge administrative overhead simply tracking and advertising these requirements, let alone paying the multiple extra payments attending each sale. Far simpler to appoint a local agent, have him import a number of items, paying all necessary fees, and then sell locally. Which is what is happening with many such products – though I have had occasion to complain that it hasn't happened yet for some of the latest steam generators…

An alternative which I have seen some Chinese providers do is the pitch the price at £15 and charge £20 for postage – thus dropping the price of a £35 item below the cut-off line for taxes…

 

Edited By Dodgy Geezer on 02/05/2016 14:31:50

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

An alternative which I have seen some Chinese providers do is the pitch the price at £15 and charge £20 for postage – thus dropping the price of a £35 item below the cut-off line for taxes…

I wonder if anyone has told them that the value of goods for importation is the ex-works price plus the total cost of transport from the country of despatch to the first destination inside the country of importation? It is, of course, purely academic and applied only on the very rare occasion where a) there is actually a person looking at import entries (as opposed to a computer); b) that person knows the rules, and c) actually gives a tinker's cuss.

DM

[Martin Field 1Participant @martinfield1]

Dave,

like I said there ain't nuttn I want from abroad enough to get involved in all that tosh. And until they sort out a rolling scale of charges that is stuck to by everybody, I would suggest nobody gets involved in importing anything. Then they'll get their fingers out and sort out a working answer.

I had a kit sent to me at a client's expense from NZ and another from somewhere else I forget and the tax charged more on the kit than anyone else I mentioned it to, all of whom had had one of the same kits and the one from elsewhere had no charge at all. I sent the NZ one back via the same officious peaked hat as before at the PO.

On telling the client what has happened he ended up paying Heaven knows what as the sorting office hadn't at that point sent it back to NZ, so the client paid the price from USA! And then had it reposted to me. Then he decided that he wouldn't pay for the master until he'd sold enough to cover it! So he wasted his money in the end, cussing the tax system till he was hoarse.

Martin

[Dodgy Geezer 1Participant @dodgygeezer1]

What gives you the idea that the postage they ask you to pay is the same as they actually pay?

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

the value of goods for importation is the ex-works price plus the total cost of transport

That's the cost to the importer as per the commercial invoice presented with the Customs Entry. In the case of China I believe that the state subsides the cost of exporting goods to the point where it's actually free to the seller.

For my sins this is an area of expertise built up over 31 years. I personally like paying tax as much as the next man, especially if that next man is 'Sir' Philip Greed Green!

DM

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

I tried taking the taxman to lunch but my local chippy doesn't do foie gras.

Have you seen Sir Greeds yacht?

Nice thing to enjoy your pension on…. shame that BHS employees haven't got their pensions to enjoy.

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

He should take the hint from 'Capn Bob' Maxwell – another pension scheme "administrator" who bought a yacht and named it after a close member of the family. I don't suppose it was his conscience that pushed him over the side, though. None of these guys seems to be fettered by such things.

DM (I hate Foie Gras!)

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Ah yes the dizzy heights of tax avoidance (words chosen carefully) populated by the mega rich and famous, people that are so superior to us mere mortals that they have an entire government to protect them from having to make any contribution to society.

It is entirely fair that the poorest in our country are forced to live below subsistence level so that the rich can enjoy the fruits of their tax cuts.

Morals and scruples are just words in a dictionary.

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