Chr15 Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Hi, was wondering if people had bought from Plazajapan and shipped to the UK. Was wondering if you get charged tax on the kits you buy and get shipped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 (edited) You get charged for customs services by Royal Fail or whoever the carrier is, for anything over the value of £15. The higher the value of the item the more you get stung. That applies to goods coming from most, if not all, countries, outside the EU, and once Brexit is done will apply to the EU also. Doesn't matter who you buy from, unless they are one of those companies that "fudge" the documentation (thus risking goods being seized), and I doubt Plaza Japan is one of those... Edited October 3, 2020 by RobL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 I have bought kits from HLJ, PlazaJapan and Hobby Search. It all depends on who is doing the checking when the kits come into the UK. I have had kits not charged and some do. From PlazaJapan l have always paid the charges. Regards Robert 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chr15 Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 Does it end up still cheaper than buying in the UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 26 minutes ago, Chr15 said: Does it end up still cheaper than buying in the UK? Depends on what you buy, and from whom. Hasegawa gets marked up by the importer/distributor in the UK by an ever increasing chunk. You can often save by going direct to Japan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 (edited) 4 hours ago, Chr15 said: Does it end up still cheaper than buying in the UK? Depends. I've bought stuff from overseas, although not model related, only to have to pay the equivalent of the items value again in Royal Fail fees. To me it seems to be a bit of a gamble, because no-one seems to know exactly what an item will cost in customs/Royal Fail/courier charges, and you only find out when the item arrives at your house! Edited October 3, 2020 by RobL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 8 hours ago, Chr15 said: Does it end up still cheaper than buying in the UK? As others have said it really depends on what you are buying. One thing's for sure that you should factor in 20% VAT on to the cost of your item AND the cost of shipping plus factor in the hated "Handling Fee" charged by whichever Company acts as the Agent for the HMRC, whether that be Royal Mail, or one of the many Couriers. You might get lucky but then again you might not so best to be prepared for a request for payment before you receive your item from said Courier. The other thing is that the Exchange rate can work for or against you in that the charges will be worked out on that day's rate, not the rate you bought at. If it is something that you are unlikely to find in the UK or is from the likes of Hasegawa or one of the other Japanese manufactures then it might work out slightly cheaper but if it is readily available closer to home then I'd advise buying in the UK. That way you'll get your item quicker and you'll have some come back should it be damaged or faulty. As with all things, "buyer beware". Duncan B 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp Donkey Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 My Finemolds Vietnam F4E arrived this morning from PlazaJapan, having ordered it on 9th March. Great price, great service and no add on charges. First time I’ve ordered from them (or anybody else in Japan), but faultless service SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 On 03/10/2020 at 09:37, Robert said: I have bought kits from HLJ, PlazaJapan and Hobby Search. It all depends on who is doing the checking when the kits come into the UK. I have had kits not charged and some do. From PlazaJapan l have always paid the charges. Regards Robert Exactly the same here. Not sure now if any of these companies are now charging UK VAT though? Even though sometimes it can be expensive you can buy stuff that never sees the light of day in the UK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp Donkey Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 My Finemolds F4E £35 all in from PlazaJapan SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpopandchips Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 But late but I used to order regularly from banzaihobby.com and Plazajapan, never got stung for charges when the total cost ( kit and postage) was under £30, not sure why but anything that was alsways a gamble and anything over around 40-45 would generally get the extra charges. Both great companies and will deal with again when funds allow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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