Shipping RIF section to UK from USA

[Digital]

I am looking to purchase the upper and lower of an RIF with a Daytona kit installed inside. (Note there is a buffer tube but no pistol grip, rails, outer barrel or inner barrel. There is no hop either so the gun will not fire.
I no longer have UKARA, but I have an Instagram account which usually provides a suitable defence!

Obviously since it is a Daytona, it costs a lot so I

a) don't want it seized
b) don't have much money left for shipping
c) don't want VAT and customs duty to be very large. Obviously since they are percentage based the price will be very very high!

So what should I do?
Get it sent in two bits, body and Daytona seperate, so if the body gets seized I don't lose the Daytona? But how will they react to the bolt carrier assembly?
Should I mark it as a gift? What extra fees should I expect?

I ask all these as I recently purchased a rather expensive pistol slide.... Which pretty much wiped my wallet clean. When customs said they needed more money or I wouldn't get it, with a limited time to reclaim it, it was very VERY stressful for me .

All help will be very appreciated. Thanks!

[phil]

Re: Shipping RIF section to UK from USA

sent in bits

I bought a xm177 a few yrs back, it was sent whole, never got it as seized, but ive sent an m14 in parts before from usa to home and got that ok

[druid799]

Re: Shipping RIF section to UK from USA

If you don't have the funds to cover VAT and handling fees I'd say don't buy until you do , odds are it will get pulled and then you'll be right up s**t creek ! Better to wait until you can actually afford it than take the risk it 'mite' get through ok ?

[leroyinmotion]

Re: Shipping RIF section to UK from USA

Ive had a few guns and parts from the states everyone got stopped in customs and charges placed so with that history id say its pretty much a dead cert yours will and the dreaded parcel farce handling charges too.

[Archer1963]

Re: Shipping RIF section to UK from USA

I am looking to purchase the upper and lower of an RIF with a Daytona kit installed inside. (Note there is a buffer tube but no pistol grip, rails, outer barrel or inner barrel. There is no hop either so the gun will not fire.

Regardless of what is there or not, it's down to UKBF/HMRC etc to decide in their view if its a RIF or not - if it still looks like an M4, then there's a good chance it will get noticed and examined

I no longer have UKARA, but I have an Instagram account which usually provides a suitable defence!

An Instagram Account ? Somehow I really doubt that it would be considered a valid defence under the VCRA

Obviously since it is a Daytona, it costs a lot so I

a) don't want it seized
b) don't have much money left for shipping
c) don't want VAT and customs duty to be very large. Obviously since they are percentage based the price will be very very high!

Nothing that you can do can actually prevent that happening. If its x-rayed or flagged for inspection and opened then so be it. HMRC/UKBF have the power to stop,search and seize anything they choose, and you as the importer have no say in the matter. If you can't afford the Shipping Costs, Duty and VAT then done but - simple as that, Harsh, but accurate. As to a smaller VAT & Duty bill ? That's is down to whichever Import Agent is handling the Customs Entry, which particular Tariff Code is chosen at time if Entry. VAT will be calculated on 20% of the Value of the Goods plus any Freight/Import Charges plus any additional Import Duties.

Marking it as a gift or asking for a lower actual value could be taken as a means of avoiding paying the correct amount - UKBF take a dim view of this

So what should I do?
Get it sent in two bits, body and Daytona seperate, so if the body gets seized I don't lose the Daytona? But how will they react to the bolt carrier assembly?
Should I mark it as a gift? What extra fees should I expect?

Don't want to appear harsh on this, but having been involved in Customs for over 30 odd years, I've come across most issues and have first hand experience of a lot of them.

[Digital]

Re: Shipping RIF section to UK from USA

Ok thanks, that's very helpful.

So what should I do?

Lets say the product costs 'x'. How much should I save above 'x' (e.g. x+25%) to avoid anything I can't pay.

What service should I ask him to send it with?
Should I split it into the body and the internals?

You said the UKBF take a dim view on it, so would you advise against it?

[druid799]

Re: Shipping RIF section to UK from USA

Me personally I'd make sure I had cost+P&P+20% to cover all eventualities ?
It wouldn't be a problem splitting just as long as an appropriate value was placed on each parcel , as Archer said (and I would recommend listening , he knows what he's talking about) HMC and the BA take a VERY dim view on fraud , which is what it would be . I personally know of of a player who got a HK retailer to mark a RIF down well below the value , custom cought it and charged him UK price which was well over double what he paid and quite frankly he was lucky he didn't get prosecuted as well .

[Archer1963]

Re: Shipping RIF section to UK from USA

Essentially what Druid put.

BUT !

Ensure you can afford to pay for all of it. Dont try and scimp on any of it.

Overestimate the final costs, its the best way as you are planning for the worst case - and very often (but not always) the charges can be less.

Budget for 30% minimum. VAT is 20% and that's added onto the cost of the goods/shipping etc.

Duty rate - as advised above, depends what Tariff Code is chosen.

The option of sending it in several parcels may work. But again, it may mean incurring charges on ALL of the separate items. That possibly could work out more in the end.

Any of the major carriers (Fedex/DHL/Etc) handle stuff from the USA. They have staff in the UK that handle the imports aNd clearance. But very often it gets sent via ParcelForce who also handle it the same way.

You will most likely incur a "handling charge" for the UK side clearance. This is often for raising a Customs Entry and for whoever to pay any Duties & Taxes etc. £20-£40 is normally charged.