Jacket and waistcoat

[Troglodyte]

Not wanting to deal with the unknown is part of it. Tariffs, VAT, customs. I've never dealt with any of it, and I'm not sure I want to.

Another part is, if something goes wrong with an order, I know how to deal with US companies including escalation paths to seek redress should the need arise. And honestly, I'd feel bad complaining to a store in Scotland, even if my complaint was legitimate. I don't want to be seen as a rude American.

Also, sometimes it's hard to tell if a product suits your tastes when buying online. With a US company I can ship it back at a nominal cost. If it has to cross the ocean, costs go up.

Then there's economy of scale. If I'm getting one thing shipped to me, it will cost more than if a US reseller receives a large shipment. So often I can buy Scottish imported goods from a US reseller for the same price or cheaper than buying it direct from the store in Scotland.

Although, I'd love to buy some tartan direct from a mill. But they seem to be geared toward selling in large quantities to businesses, and I don't know how much it would cost. They don't post prices, and shipping is likely prohibitively expensive. Conversely, US tartan resellers have their price per yard listed clearly, and will sell as little as a single yard.

I think you might be doing yourself a disservice here, and making assumptions through a fear of the unknown.

Aside from the obvious shipping costs, distance buying (mail-order and online) in the UK (and the European Union) is strictly regulated to protect the buyer, and consumer legislation is applied to overseas customers also. So you have the same protections in the USA as a customer anywhere in Britain.

In fact, much of the legislation in place is, from what I have seen and experienced, stricter and fairer than in the USA and which may vary state-by-state, and so is safer than in the USA in several ways.

Part of the distance-selling regulations requires the seller to cover the cost of return shipping if the item is incorrect or faulty, but buyer mistake or remorse is exempt.

What UK-based mills charge for their cloth, their websites and online shops usually make clear, and is usually shown as by-the-metre. For sample swatches, these are mostly free-of-charge, and a proper purchase of a length mostly has a minimum order of 10cm or 4". Shipping costs are according to destination and weight.

When this is not shown, the product as listed is for trade customers who will negotiate a rate in the usual commercial trading way, but the mills' sales department are just as happy to deal with private individuals wanting a one-off deal.

I have never had reason to buy directly from House of Edgar, but my experience with Lochcarron, Marton Mills, Strathmore Woollens, Lovat Mills, Hunters of Brora (now defunct, sadly) is that they are highly co-operative and willing to deal with private customers. Also, as a private individual, you may be lucky (as I have been) and be offered the end of a roll of material (several metres) for a nominal price. I once got several metres of a top quality tweed for the princely sum of £20 ($25) and had a three-piee suit and other items made from it.

This sort of deal is never available from a regular retailer, and I doubt the option could ever arise with US re-sellers.

The taxes and tarrifs you fear apply essentially to large commercial importers, who will be buying in bulk, shipping in packed containers and selling on for high profit. As an individual customer, you will see an international customs item code listed on any shipping documents, and existing trade agreements allow for customs declarations to be made (and any tariffs to be paid) over the counter at a Post Office. Royal Mail has close agreement and co-operation with USPS on all matters of this sort.

One of the reasons that postage costs to the USA are so much higher than to other countries (such as Canada which is the same distance and freight goes from the same airports, and Australia, which is astonishingly cheap when compared to commercial courier charges) is that the US import charges are added to the postal costs. I frequently send items across the Atlantic, and have never known an item to be surcharged after passing through US customs.

I have a number of contacts in different parts of the USA, who will buy in the UK and have the item sent to my address before then arranging their own forward shipping. As the shipping charges are scaled into weight and value brackets, my people can buy several items and ship them together for the price of one. As they use the website for buying their postage, they have full control over service used and insurance cover provided. It is a door-step parcel collection, and Royal Mail also provides a printed label and customs documentation.

It couldn't be easier.