Importing Parts

[wireframe]

New here, first post. Had a bit of a search, but couldn't find anything - I've been thinking about importing some parts for my AS, maybe an AK-47 style stock and / or barrel, as its chea[per from the US.

Just wondered if anyone else has done this (surely, someone?) and if you had any issues with Customs at all?

 

[alexd]

Imported quite a lot... In summary it is often no cheaper when you include shipping, custom and VAT

generally I only do it if the item is unavailable in the UK. Plus on a micro level if you don't support UK sellers, scale that to a macro level they eventually cease to trade!

 

[Tom]

Importing from abroad looks cheaper at first, but you need to take into account international postage. This in some cases costs more then the goods themselves, some companies won't send to the uk and others may have varying postage options. Pick the cheap option with no tracking and you have no idea if the package has vanished or is taking forever.
Depending on the value of the item you may have import vat/duty to pay. There are thresholds so it may not be due, but if you buy more items to make the postage viable then this ups the package value and increases the chances of charges
If charges are due then the way it works is the importing courier handles it all, and you are sent a bill. This will also include a fee which varies depending on courier and could be just £8 or £20 irrespective of the value and the duty.
You pay then await delivery
Standard duty is import vat at 20%, so you overpay on postage, get to pay the vat you would have paid in the uk and an extra £20 on top for the privilege.
Note that the value for calculations may not be the invoiced amount, it could be reassessed.
Avoid the importing tricks that people recommend such as having it marked as a gift, a sample etc. Customs know all of this and it just flags it to them. The only impact that 'gift' has is to slightly increase the threshold and possibly save a little vat

Certain items will be a waste of money for nothing - import a cylinder and it's unusable as they are to foreign standards and only a few are marked with multiple standards - even if the same bottle is marketed in the uk it does not mean the us one is marked for both countries

If customs (or the courier) are suspicious that items may relate to a RIF then you get a vcra questionnaire - this affect the obvious mag fed guns, but has also affected some standard paintball guns, including tipmann bravos. Speedball guns have not been affected to my knowledge. If you cannot come up with a defence then the package is returned or destroyed
Ak bodykits are available in the uk but this would not prevent a customs officer deciding it is for 'manufacturing' a rif. It is in the eyes of the beholder and not a specific definition

If you need it and its not available here then go for an import, but first consider asking a shop to get it for you. They deal with us suppliers already and can bring goods in at a net cheaper price

 

[alexd]

If customs (or the courier) are suspicious that items may relate to a RIF then you get a vcra questionnaire - this affect the obvious mag fed guns, but has also affected some standard paintball guns, including tipmann bravos. Speedball guns have not been affected to my knowledge. If you cannot come up with a defence then the package is returned or destroyed

I've had to do a couple for speedball markers... it seemed to be more a policy of certain couriers (I think it was UPS) rather than every single import. This was a few years ago though, so it may have changed now!

 

[Canon Fodder]

I've imported plenty of stuff, but never because it was cheaper, only because the stuff wasn't available here, if it had been I would have bought from the UK.

As a quick and dirty example I imported 5 pump kits from ANSgear which where priced at $30 each, I picked 5 because it was just before a price jump in shipping costs.

All told including import duty I was hit for £30 a kit.

If you do import one thing to consider is the shippers "handling fee", if it comes in through royal mail and there is any import duty or VAT due they hit you for an extra £8, other shippers do the same.

I really wouldn't bother for stuff like this, I suspect you'll ditch a stock on an A5 pretty soon after you start using it anyway - they aren't very practical.

 

[wireframe]

Thanks for the responses guys, there's some really good points made. It seems just as cost-effective to buy from the UK once you factor some of the hidden costs into the equation.

 

[Canon Fodder]

another top tip would be to try to borrow an A5 with a stock on and play a couple of games with it (i.e. try shooting it at people while wearing your mask and moving about). it can be tricky to sight down the barrel properly. On this marker for example you'll notice I've got the butt pad raised as high as it will go and I can still only just sight down the top tube:

http://p8ntballer-forums.com/threads/who-needs-mills-lathes-and-vices.144316/

 

[Tom]

By not affecting speedball guns I'm basing that on them being (relatively) safe to import, in many cases the questionairre is sent out based on the customs declaration, or the sender. If you get a questionairre and pass then you often find the package unopened

Even if a speedball gun was thought to look like a gun, the majority will be VCRA exempt due to colour.
That's not to say a black speedball gun will get through every time - woods guns have been destroyed with out obvious 'gun looks'

Things will vary from time to time based on countries or what is being targeted. All couriers will handle appropriately - your one package is not worth their business
Some individuals will have different opinions of what should be queried

 

[wireframe]

I guess the safest (and most sensible) thing to take from this is to buy UK stock, supporting the UK scene and avoiding the risk of purchasing an item twice if it gets destroyed on import the first time.

 

[alexd]

By not affecting speedball guns I'm basing that on them being (relatively) safe to import, in many cases the questionairre is sent out based on the customs declaration, or the sender. If you get a questionairre and pass then you often find the package unopened

Even if a speedball gun was thought to look like a gun, the majority will be VCRA exempt due to colour.
That's not to say a black speedball gun will get through every time - woods guns have been destroyed with out obvious 'gun looks'

Things will vary from time to time based on countries or what is being targeted. All couriers will handle appropriately - your one package is not worth their business
Some individuals will have different opinions of what should be queried

yeah... most of them have never been pulled. just a couple. Never used the phrase "gun" as I'm sure it sends the shipping agent into a tailspin!

both times it was a for egos, which are not RIF etc. From memory the packaging was unopened, but it took significantly longer to get through customs. More recently I caught by the change in T&Cs for Fedex which doesn't want to ship markers... the whole process is becoming increasingly difficult and has curtailed my US procurement activities!