Page 1 of customs

can any one tell me how best to avoid paying vat and customs on imported dvds---i have ordered cds before from usa and have had to pay.What are the rules?

See http://www.hmce.gov.uk/forms/notices/143.htm

Basically, if the package is over £18 (not including P&P), or £36 if it is a gift, it becomes liable to duty. If so then duty is charged at about 21% (including VAT) on the price including P&P, plus a £1.50 handling charge by the Post Office. *DO NOT* use any fancy courier or carrier, unless you are very desperate to get the disk *NOW*, as the shipping cost will be enormous, and you guarantee to be charged both the duty and something like £10 handling charge!

If you order from Play or DVD Box Office they send disks singly, so you should not be liable. If you order from A&B Sound the shipping cost if each each disk is sent separately is little more than if several are sent in one package. If you order from Amazon it is a gamble whether or not you get charged - it seems to go in phases.

I`ve ordered many disks in my time from overseas, America, Hong Kong, Malaysia etc etc and I`ve ordered as many as ten disks at one time and never paid customs duty. No-one has ever asked for any kind of tax to be paid, they use recorded delivery and ordinary post... Yeah I can see the post man asking me for money, yeah right postie, see ya later.

LT-Jones