Custom Charges

[Sylvain]

I lately ordered my first kilt, a casual Geoffrey kilt. Before ordering, I read the regulation about canadian customs fees, in the chapter about woollen (but not knitted nor crocheted) goods, and there is noting about gents' kilts. There are gents' trousers, shorts, overalls, and ladies' slacks, shorts, overalls, skirts and dresses, but nothing about kilts. Isn't it strange?

Don't worry: I asked Geoffrey to use the Royal Postal Services... It's more convenient.

[AckZel]

Thank god for free trade inside European Union! Can buy anything from UK without extra charges. And I order my computer games from play.com. They are at Isle of Jersey so... no taxes and free delivery on everything! And when ordered something from US or Canada by Air Mail, the Finnish costoms never charged me a damn thing... And I have ordered a lot of stuff from eBay vendors at least

[GlassMan]

I've found it quite interesting that whenever I've had things shipped to me from Scotland via Royal Post/USPS, I've never had any customs duties levied even on entire kilts.

[Alan]

I ordered my tank from Geoffrey (Tailor) kilts at the Highland Games in Stone Mountain Georgia. There was no charge for shipping and no custom charges. According to their web site:


''The company offers a world-wide mail order service with unique coverage in the United States."

[Randy]

I was measured by Geoffrey (Tailor) at the VA Scottish Games end of July2005. Just after Labor Day is was dropped off on my step. It was shipped to me from Georgia, USA. I think they make the kilts and ship in bulk to USA then ship to us.

[Bob C]

I did have to pay duty, once, on an item that was delivered by Royal Mail. It was a Prince Charlie jacket and vest, and I paid about $25 to my local post office.

I think that's the only thing I've ordered from overseas that topped the $200 threshold. The tartan for my tank was woven in Scotland, but my kiltmaker dealt with the duty. It showed up in the cost, no doubt, but I didn't see it itemized.

[Matt]

For receiving from USA, UPS is terrible - total value of what I ordered was about £45, they turned up at the door to deliver and demanded £12 duties, and £10 for collecting it off me, in cash! Almost 50% extra on top of the cost...

Charging all these fees to stop you buying from overseas is understandable, but only if the same things can be bought from your own country - in this case, they couldn't.

On the other hand, I ordered a book from USA, shipped by USPS - took a month to get here, but no import tax to pay.