Woo-hoo!

HCLE developments! I got a letter off our beloved Royal Mail today.. They have collated the Customs charges on my HCLE and sent me an invoice to pay or my knife goes back to the swamp! (They are about as reasonable as the Taliban)

<Drum roll......>


I have to pay...






Wait for it...






$75.00 <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Yep really! $75.00 to get my knife. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/barf.gif" alt="" />

So $140 for the knife $48 s&h (ouch) and now $75 ransom. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif" alt="" />

I'm sick to the stomach.. There goes my MPLE money. Oh well enjoy yours! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

holy smokes

how do they figure how much they are going to screw you out of?

Vance it's;

'Import Duty', 'VAT' (Value Added Tax, similar to your sales tax- but 17.5% because our Government are scum) and 'Royal Mail handling charge'.

And it's a bit of a stinger!

time for a british revolution

Hell Yeah! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Might be cheaper to just come to the US to buy blades???

It seems like something else must be involved to get up to $75.

From what I've been able to find, ( http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=19100180&mediaId=19100260 ) the handling fee should be £8.00, which converts to $15.83.

If the 17.5% VAT is applied to both the $140 cost and $48 shipping, that would be $32.90, resulting in a total of $48.73 (if they only apply it to the $140 price, that would be $24.50, for a total of $40.33). Not that that isn't a lot of money, but is there something I'm missing (like a tariff on cutlery) that brings it up to $75?

I missed the 'Import Duty' in your post, but haven't been able to find a reference about the tax rate for it -- that's probably the difference. I can see where it would be really frustrating.

They suck. I feel for you, Paul. That's practically the cost of the new release.

Next time let me know and I would be happy to pick one up for you and send it as a private sale of a used knife from one commonwealth country to another? We would not be breaking any laws and it should be much cheaper and i would be thrilled to help a fellow dog not get screwed by the UK government. It might be a evil nice tax knowing the way they think of cutlery over there?

dang

i thought 6% sucked

holy wigs on their heads Paul! that really sucks bro. maybe you could come live at the P.O.P.s Chateau de Cheese! can you clean homes? because their cleaning you out!

Holy cow Paul... That SUCKS!!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Is there some reason you don't leave that country?

With all of the silly laws against knives and guns and taxes up the rear, I don't know if I could put up with it.

Your country has a lot going for it and some great history, but you government seems to have a long history of taxing it's people to death. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbdn.gif" alt="" />

I don't know the whole story and what you "net" percentage of taxes really comes out to with income taxes, property taxes and such.

I think when we hear about number like you posted it sounds very unreasonable. But, the average American pays about 28% income tax, then property tax, then around 8.25% tax here in Houston on purchases. Some states have a state tax. So, we all pay a lot as well.

I just don't know what your total taxes are....

Anyway, I hope you like the MPLE. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

.