us customs question
 

i may be buying some stuff from a fellow pelican and im looking at the possibility of getting a last minute flight to the states to pick the stuff up as a cheaper option than the cost of shipping them to the uk and paying import duty on them.

whats the deal with used car parts and us customs? can i get them back free of charge if i declare them as a gift?

I dont think the US Customs Service cares too much.

How much does it all weigh and will it fit in a suitcase? And do airlines allow car parts to added to checked baggage?

The problem would be once you got back to Ol' Bilghty. As they are not household goods and personal effects - you may need to clear through U.K. Customs. The duty is minimal, it is all the fees that are a pain.

go there and send them back as gifts.

Have done this a lot. How much are you talking about? If it will fit in a suitcase or two then post it and mark it as a gift. Get a letter from the guy you got it from that it was junk and that he gave the stuff to you for free.

JoeA

Well, if they are goods acquired abroad by purchase, they aren't a gift. So long as the material being exported isn't a weapons system, software, etc., I wouldn't think our customs service would care. It would be HM Customs you'd have to worry about, and I imagine they are not to be trifled with. :)

Also, there are excess baggage fees if you go over a certain weight. Add that to the fact that your (heavy) luggage will be tossed around the tarmac like so many holidaymakers samsonites and it sounds like a bad proposition.

thanks fellas.

Andy