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At 12:19 p.m. 31/08/01 +0100, you wrote: hi >I have discussed this issue of unreasonable price difference between USA >and >the UK with several dealers on numberless occasions. It applies to any >imported item, no matter of what kind. The general claim is that most of >the >difference is due to custom/import taxes, nothing to do with the dealers >themselves making more profit. Another small portion is due to higher >overall business costs for UK traders (higher income tax, higher rents >etc.) >and the actual cost of shipment. governments sucks us continuously, that's they task above all ... >I don't know if there is a solution. So far the only way around it I could >find is to get someone to buy things for me abroad, then send them to me >marked as "personal present" - Even so the Customs have occasionally >opened >the parcel and questioned the "present", once charging me the import tax, >the value added tax plus a handling fee..., thus doubling the actual cost >of >the "present"! i think this is the solution, since you have a way of claiming those taxes added if you can demostrate that it really was a present. at least here in spain. i did it for a preamp i bought from an australian friend and it lasted a call to the customs (that prior retained the *present*) (... "what's this thing for ?" .. ehermmm ...) to solve the matter maybe this can vary depending on the *present* value. any lawyer here to clarify all this ? cheers, Raul Bonell Tapeadores http://www.dragonet.es/users/d3055/tap