nheather Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Hi,Just before Christmas I was browsing Amazon for Bandai Gundam kits for my son and I cam across the Star Wars kits. They looked very impressive and cheap but then I noticed the catch - they are all from marketplace sellers based in Japan.I'm always a bit nervous about buying imports because of the possible extra costs. Anything over £15 (excl. p&p) are liable for import taxes (just VAT at this level). I have no problem paying the VAT but I don't like the random courier admin fees.The kits tend to be around £15 to £22 each including p&p but unfortunately the postage isn't itemised, just listed as free.I don't want to by a £16 and get hit with an extra £3.20 VAT and £12 courier admin fee.Does any one here buy from Amazon - and if so do you get hit by customs?Many thanks,Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Moore Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 I've been ordering the Bandai kits from ebay, but most of the Japanese sellers on there are the same ones that show up on Amazon. I've never had a problem with any of them, and I've never been hit with additional charges. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nheather Posted February 1, 2016 Author Share Posted February 1, 2016 I've been ordering the Bandai kits from ebay, but most of the Japanese sellers on there are the same ones that show up on Amazon. I've never had a problem with any of them, and I've never been hit with additional charges. Andy Thanks, will give it a go then, starting with a Y-Wing. Cheers, Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andygif290368 Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Just don't buy a lot in one batch, your less likely to get caught out on singles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 As above advice, mine have come from Japan with no problem, they have also been very well packed and have been fast with the delivery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight_Flyer Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 If the description clearly says the price includes p+p then you should enquire about the actual price of the kit. Generally speaking the retailer should only declare the cost of the item excluding postage for customs purposes, this is the price you need to know. If he item is over £15 then using courier usually guarantees customs will hit you with a charge plus the courier's fee. However if you specify something like SAL shipping or small packet there is a possibility customs can miss it due to the volume of parcels they have to go through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nheather Posted February 1, 2016 Author Share Posted February 1, 2016 Just don't buy a lot in one batch, your less likely to get caught out on singles. Good advice. If I want three models, order them one at a time, and with enough of a gap that they don't spot they are all for the same customer and send them together. Cheers, Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomMajor Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 check out the hmrc website as there are tax codes for you to use that reduce the vat you have to pay on models. Make sure that the code is written on the shipping document on the outside of the parcel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaneS Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Hi, Just before Christmas I was browsing Amazon for Bandai Gundam kits for my son and I cam across the Star Wars kits. They looked very impressive and cheap but then I noticed the catch - they are all from marketplace sellers based in Japan. I'm always a bit nervous about buying imports because of the possible extra costs. Anything over £15 (excl. p&p) are liable for import taxes (just VAT at this level). I have no problem paying the VAT but I don't like the random courier admin fees. The kits tend to be around £15 to £22 each including p&p but unfortunately the postage isn't itemised, just listed as free. I don't want to by a £16 and get hit with an extra £3.20 VAT and £12 courier admin fee. Does any one here buy from Amazon - and if so do you get hit by customs? Many thanks, Nigel The VAT would be on the item cost plus postage, not just on the item cost. We sell Bandai SW kits. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadman Disciple Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 (edited) My wife bought me 2 of the Bandai SW kits for christmas from aJapaneseseller on amazon uk & they were £16 each, free p&p. I told her if she managed to get them, to buy them from the same seller & when I got them christmas day I asked her if she'ed paid any customs & she replied no. My son buys all his anime DVD's & blu-rays from amazon japan (as its the best way for him & cheaper) & I asked him what the customs charges are & he told me they arent too bad. So if my wife would have had to pay customs on the 2 kits she bought me, it would have been about £5-£7 at the most. My son also said that the customs charges are hit & miss, sometimes he has to pay, sometimes he does not. Cheers, Wayne. Edited February 2, 2016 by Deadman Disciple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nheather Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 The VAT would be on the item cost plus postage, not just on the item cost. We sell Bandai SW kits. Thanks, didn't realise you could get them in the UK. Someone told me that you couldn't get them because Revell had an exclusive with Disney on Star Wars models in the UK (maybe Europe). Will have a look at your site. Cheers, Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nheather Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 My wife bought me 2 of the Bandai SW kits for christmas from aJapaneseseller on amazon uk & they were £16 each, free p&p. I told her if she managed to get them, to buy them from the same seller & when I got them christmas day I asked her if she'ed paid any customs & she replied no. My son buys all his anime DVD's & blu-rays from amazon japan (as its the best way for him & cheaper) & I asked him what the customs charges are & he told me they arent too bad. So if my wife would have had to pay customs on the 2 kits she bought me, it would have been about £5-£7 at the most. My son also said that the customs charges are hit & miss, sometimes he has to pay, sometimes he does not. Cheers, Wayne. The problem is not the customs but that the courier is free to add their own handling fee for their services to deal with the customs and lend you the money for payment (even though you never instructed them to do so). I had one parcel come in from the US with less than £4 VAT but a £15 courier handling fee. Cheers, Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadman Disciple Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Either way she didnt pay anything on top, whether it was a courier charge or customs. If its Parcelfarce, they pretty much charge what they like. So it was a win-win situation in our case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaneS Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 (edited) Thanks, didn't realise you could get them in the UK. Someone told me that you couldn't get them because Revell had an exclusive with Disney on Star Wars models in the UK (maybe Europe). Will have a look at your site. Cheers, Nigel That's true, pretty much. The models have always been officially unavailable but unofficially available. Now they're unofficially unavailable as well. We have, ah, "other sources". Edited February 2, 2016 by ShaneS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blastvader Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 In my experience most Amazon sellers mark their items as samples or gifts and price them somewhere around $10 when shipping to the UK. They know their customer base. If people start getting customs charges from importing via them, they'll just find another seller. An added bonus when buying from Japan is also the weird Japanese sweets that you often get thrown in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Morpheus Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 I had no problems getting 1/144 Falcon from a Japanese seller on Amazon. Took a while, but there were no problems. However I recently got stung for £20, on my doorstep!!! By a UPS delivery guy telling me there was a customs charge on a package from China!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blastvader Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 I had no problems getting 1/144 Falcon from a Japanese seller on Amazon. Took a while, but there were no problems. However I recently got stung for £20, on my doorstep!!! By a UPS delivery guy telling me there was a customs charge on a package from China!! In my experience the Chinese sellers care a lot less about whether you are going to get stung or not. Though a few HK based stores do allow you to put what price you want written on the box in at checkout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Baker Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 I haven't bought from Amazon yet but I have found some great deals on eBay for the Bandai kits. You can adjust the filter to show lowest price (including shipping) first. I live in the USA so the VAT is not an issue, butt here haven't been any extra charges, just a private individual selling to another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solid Fett Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Hi I have just signed up on here and saw this topic my wife has also just ordered a bandai kit from Japan to be honest whenever I have ordered before I have never had any problems. Shane can i ask what your site is please as I'm going to be looking at more bandai star wars kits and would be great if I could get them here Thankyou in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMD70 Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Hi I have just signed up on here and saw this topic my wife has also just ordered a bandai kit from Japan to be honest whenever I have ordered before I have never had any problems. Shane can i ask what your site is please as I'm going to be looking at more bandai star wars kits and would be great if I could get them here Thankyou in advance Japan-cool I'd imagine… thats his avatar and in his signature? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solid Fett Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Japan-cool I'd imagine thats his avatar and in his signature? Thanks SMD For some reason I can't see his signature and couldn't make out the avatar as I'm on my phone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gruffy Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 The VAT would be on the item cost plus postage, not just on the item cost. We sell Bandai SW kits. Lot of very nice stars wars stuff on your website! I'm starting get very weak looking at the y wing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeoman1942 Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 I got a bandai first order storm trooper via Amazon with no problems. Well packed and it arrived in a couple of weeks. I'd give them a go but do single models rather than a big batch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazB Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 (edited) Hi, Just before Christmas I was browsing Amazon for Bandai Gundam kits for my son and I cam across the Star Wars kits. They looked very impressive and cheap but then I noticed the catch - they are all from marketplace sellers based in Japan. I'm always a bit nervous about buying imports because of the possible extra costs. Anything over £15 (excl. p&p) are liable for import taxes (just VAT at this level). I have no problem paying the VAT but I don't like the random courier admin fees. The kits tend to be around £15 to £22 each including p&p but unfortunately the postage isn't itemised, just listed as free. I don't want to by a £16 and get hit with an extra £3.20 VAT and £12 courier admin fee. Does any one here buy from Amazon - and if so do you get hit by customs? Many thanks, Nigel I've got a Y-Wing from Japan and a Snowspeeder on the way from Amazon. Took a couple of weeks, but arrived quicker from Japan than some things I've ordered from within this country. First one had tracking info. Second doesn't but had a nice message from the seller telling me it was on the way and that not to worry if there is a slight delay. So far, both cases had free postage, and both were £20-21 Edited February 9, 2016 by GazB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaneS Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Thanks SMD For some reason I can't see his signature and couldn't make out the avatar as I'm on my phone I think you already have it now, but it's http://japan-cool.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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