My Zulu is about to be shipped to the UK from NL for repairs but I realised that might involve tax/duty. Does anyone have experience how to go about that? The headset will obviously be returned to me, so I wonder if there is a way to avoid being charged duty/tax?
I asked for the German repair shop, but that is not available anymore. Thanks for your help!
Ask the UK shop what they do. Any business which does not export is stupid and lazy so don’t use them. Ask them if they know the tariff code…
In theory this is simple, at the UK end. They just send it back by airmail (small packet, under 2kg) or a courier. There will be a repair value invoice and you pay import duty (small) and VAT (20%?) when you get it.
I recommend you send it from a company not as a personal customer. So send it from your employer or whatever. See other threads… it is to do with the non-B2B provisions, to stop somebody in the UK buying a handbag from say Germany and avoiding the 20% VAT. Anybody can buy a handbag from the US but most people think that’s “too far”.
Unfortunately there is an under the table “brexit punishment” policy being operated by BE NL and some others whereby they delay or just return packages from the UK, marked “refused” etc. This is with airmail; does not happen (anymore) with couriers like UPS etc. We have had to basically stop airmail for shipping to the EU for this reason (10% of packages got this treatment).
Thanks Peter, I’ve asked the shop (Headset Services Ltd. in Suffolk) what they do. The repair is prepaid through Lightspeed, so I’m trying to avoid any extra charges!
I don’t think that there should be any extra charges, but they will probably attempt to charge for the full VAT/Duty on the headset value!
Probably a good idea to ask what courier they will use, and ask the courier company how to handle it. There might be something that you need to do to flag it initially as being sent for repair.
Also work checking from the UK side that there won’t be custom charges when it arrives INTO the UK for repair!
Peter wrote:
NL and some others whereby they delay
I sent some unpopulated PCBs to someone in NL, it took almost a month to reach them – so be prepared for a long wait (hopefully things have improved since then…)
Yes that sounds like you got a “dose” yourself 
Airmail is supposed to take 4-5 days and that is what it takes from say the US to NL.
Headset Services are one of the main outfits around and they ought to know what they are doing. But I would still email/phone them.
A package sent UPS from the UK to PL spent about a month in a UPS warehouse in PL because no one at UPS could be bothered to put it through customs; took 3 or 4 phone calls and two dozen emails for them to get to it. Next time I’m flying over to pick stuff up myself…
Years ago we found UPS is no good for Poland because they subcontracted their business there to some other outfit.
DHL is the best firm for international shipping – and the most pricey We use them via a 3rd party (e.g. via Kuehne+Nagel – much cheaper).
Peter wrote:
Years ago we found UPS is no good for Poland because they subcontracted their business there to some other outfit.
From my point of view as a receiver of goods UPS is easily the worst of all the major shippers, even for domestic shipping. I guess they offer good terms to senders…
Best to find out what Headset Services actually use.
I phoned them on 01787 373282 and they would not discuss it over the phone and requested an email… Useless company IMHO and I would not use them. But by all means @0fficer do email them. Are you really in Madagascar?? Also note that your username starts with a zero not “O”
