Buying From Europe?

I bought a pair of Daytona boots on E Bay......from Germany.....and I got stung for £147 import duty and VAT

 

Well my delivery has just come and at point of drop off there is nothing to pay. It took five days from purchase from Germany

 

That is lucky Eric. What was the item; I wonder if it was exempt import tax?

 

I was about three weeks from receipt of goods to invoice for duty and VAT. Fingers crossed for you Eric

 

It's a shame they don't have their prices on their web site, i bought my S C project exhaust direct from the factory last year and comparing it with the price for an Akrapovic for my GS the SC Project are a lot cheaper but i would say the quality is on a par, but i think a lot of that was because you are buying direct from the factory

 

In the past I've bought OEM Honda parts from CMSNL in the Netherlands. Always been reasonably priced. This year I went through the process of ordering around £45 worth of bits and bobs. When I got to the end the final bill came to around £80. I didn't complete the order.
I queried it with CMSNL and basically the reply said what you all know, blame Brexit. Even ordering parts through British based David Silver (well known in the Honda world) now costs significantly more, for the same reason. I work in the world of horticulture and realise COVID has played it's part, but plant prices for example are up by around 30%, with delivery times extended. This has cost me work.
I'm genuinely not trying to stir up the Brexit argument again (seriously!) but at these times I wonder if any ordinary, Mr Average, has experienced any personal benefit yet from Brexit. So far everyone I've asked has said it's been negative for them personally. Maybe things will improve but I doubt I'll recoup the £££'s it's cost me.