The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

As of the time of writing, the dollar is worth 51p according to various currency exchange places. This is pretty low and feeble.

Such lack of spinach eating in a currency brings benefits to us Brits and our sterling... in this instance I refer of course to importing goods from the US, and via ebay in particular.

It's worth checking out - you'd be surprised.
For example like the loveable buffoon that I am I recently destroyed one of my two-way radios, which we use on our multi-car roadtrips, by dropping it in the sink. For those of you who don't know, UK personal two-way radios are crippled by legislation to a max transmission range of around 2-3 miles, and that only works if you're both up a ladder. It's more realistically about half a mile.

Anyway, to get a decent replacement pair is about £40 which seems a bit steep for a glorified walkie talkie. Naturally I decided to look on ebay and found loads of US ones. I'm not going to link to the specific auction to avoid being accused of advertising, but it turns out for £50 I can get two brand new US radios with an 18 mile range*, rechargeable battery packs, a desk charger, an in-car charger and two hands free headsets - and that includes delivery.

Thank you, girly US dollar!



If anyone is thinking of getting these sorts of consumer electronics or anything else for that matter, I suggest looking at US auctions for discount prices.






* It's slightly illegal to use these in the UK so I will of course be placing them on my mantlepiece as an ornament and under no circumstances will I be turning them on.

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

You will be hit for import duty and a handling charge by which ever delivery firm is used so its not always such a bargain

Also when importing items that are illegal in the uk you also risk having them confiscated by customs so again your bargain import can become pretty expensive

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

I'm quite happy with the (value?) of the american dollar. Bought in birthday presents for the year for family as well as treating myself to an Orlando Magics shirt.

George Bush I salute you!

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

By the time you add in shipping and import duty, it often isnt that great a deal. The sooner we have a UK/US common-market the better.

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

I was thinking about buy a macbook from a US store. I'd save around £250. Surely the shipping and export duty won't make £250.

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

I just checked on the UK Customs website for you - there's no import duty but you'll need to pay VAT at the standard rate (17.5%).
Customs website

Dunno about USA export duties though.

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

Glad you all are enjoying it :)

USA, the UK's Mexico!

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

Its been a while since I imported anything over £18 but I believe you also get a handling charge even if its exempt from import duty. Also because you cant go down and pick the items up yourself so cant pay the fee's directly the delivery firm has to do it on your behalf. For doing this they then charge a handling fee also and some courier firms get pretty excessive with their charges.

So before ordering Hebdomad make sure you work out what the VAT will be, check with customs what handling charges may be made and also find out who will deliver it and what their rates are. Theres a good chance it will still be cheaper but may not be

Additionally be aware that you can get some warranty problems with electrical equipment from abroad. If something goes wrong then local support won't always deal with you and if you have to send it back you will often have to send it back to where you bought it

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

not in jersey you won't :cool:

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

Given we're in a common market with part of South America, I imagine it'd be the same as the EU one.

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

You already have that, the only difference is that there would need to be some check on goods for their place origin, as there is with people entering the UK from Europe now.

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

If only I were more materialistic* I'd be buying shedloads of cheap books, CDs and DVDs.



*financially endowed

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

My camera is somewhat damaged and as Ive decided I quite like this whole 'photography' malarky a quick check on prices revealed Id save about 150-200 quid just by waiting a couple of weeks before I travel to the states.

If the dollar were a person it would be the offspring of both stevie wonder and stevie hawkings..

I'd raise a glass to the Bush Administration tax policy and his insistance on going to war spending money he doesnt have...However I have only a bottle of coke with about 1/10 remaining so that will have to do.

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

it's pretty sad that at this point it would be a better investment to turn all my savings into pounds and put them in a coffee can under my mattress than in a "high-yield"* savings account.

unfortunately, my bed is entirely too uncomfortable already what with all the VHS and magazine storage going on.


* usually around 0.7% these days:(

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

According to Bankrate.com, the average money market/savings account yield is 3.6%. If you're only getting 0.7% on a "high-yield" savings account you might want to shop for a new bank. My savings account, for example, pays 3.68% which isn't that great but at least qualifies as "high-yield" in comparision to my checking account.

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

5.3% instant access ISA, bitches.

You poor, poor americans :(

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

Poor us. By the way, what is your income tax rate?

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

It's complicated: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/it.htm

Basically in the new tax year that's coming up soon, you get £5,225 (just short of $10,200) tax free and then there's a series of bands (10, 22 and 40%) depending on how far over the tax free allowance you go.

Also, I don't have any income to tax :(

Also also, UK income tax does not include compulsary national insurance payments which go towards your state pension.

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

Just to reply to the 1st post .. of this degenerating thread..

1 special edition Harry Potter wand in wood with import duty which is not available in the UK for the price of a crap plastic one, bought by my daughter for her step brother who loves harry potter .( i was balking at the price .. until i saw the exchange rate)

go US dollar !!!!!!!!!!!

now is the time to visit and pick up those bargains, and see the sights.

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

that's actually pretty comparable to what we have here.

ours also 'does not include compulsary national insurance payments which go towards your state pension' nor 'insurance payments which go towards' medicare and medicaid. nor state income tax, local income tax, etc.

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

You have additional income taxes? Ouch.

The UK state health service is funded through a combination of income tax + national insurance so most people don't pay for private medical insurance, although it's becoming more common because the NHS is getting shitter.

Other than that we have council tax which is set depending on the size/value of your house and what area of the council's authority it is in.

Then there are the "optional" ones (road tax if you have a car, etc).

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

I'm not really sure what you're basing this on because the Labour Party says it's getting better (as you would expect) but so does the Conservative Shadow Secretary for Health, Mr. Duncan Smith

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

the sun said it so it must be true!!!

Re: The limpwristed excuse for a currency that is the US dollar, and you!
 

true although a hefty amount get it for free as part of an employment package.