 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all, I was at OktoberTest last year at Hemmel and was blown away by a pair of Volkl Deacon 84s. I have persuaded my wife that to beat the non-skiing blues this year, I can buy a pair (as along as I can get a very good discount) but the trouble is, I can't find any good deals on UK sellers and most of the online stores (even though they have a .co.uk website) are actually based in the EU so I'd get hit by VAT and customs duty. Most UK sellers are not even stocking the Deacon 84. Volkl have not got back to me and I'm now not skiing this half-term, Facebook keeps reminding me of 1 year go, 2 years ago you were... with amazing pictures from my skiing and I can't find my lovely new skis.
Have others been caught out buying from .co.uk sites but having a customs nightmare?
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Can anyone point me? I'd even consider buying ex-demo if they're not thrashed but the price has to be super good (like sub £500 for new and even lower for ex-demo).
Cheers all - keep safe and we'll all be back next year!
G.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Mr.Egg, out of stock - hopefully the OP was lightning quick 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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We're all different, but having spent a lot of money on new skis and not being able to go skiing would do nothing to cheer me up.....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@onefff, Hi G - pretty sure he sells Volkl - suggest you give our fellow SH Spyderjon a shout at The Piste office, he's the purveyor of all things in shiny new ski hardware...sells me stuff I don't really need every year, i'm sure he'll have something quality to suit your needs at the right price!
https://thepisteoffice.com/
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| Snowsartre wrote: |
| @Mr.Egg, out of stock - hopefully the OP was lightning quick |
yep, they was instock when I posted!
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If the items are advertised on a .co.uk website, indicating that it is a UK company, then the advertised price is the price you should pay, unless otherwise stated, regardless of where they are delivered from. (Sale of Goods Act).
If the supplier is registered for VAT (or equivalent) in the EU, then they should invoice you net of VAT, (as they are exporting the item and it will be exempt). The VAT will then be added at the UK rate on delivery.
It's probably worth communicating with them first to find out.
If they are not VAT registered, then I suggest looking for the same item from somebody who is. This will unfortunately, have an impact on the sales of the smaller suppliers, who will then have to pressure their respective Govt. to adjust their VAT rules to allow them to compete fairly.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@brianatab, there's a number of overseas companies that have .co.uk sites or .com sites designed to make them look like UK businesses when they're not - but they're not subject to UK trading laws/Sales of Goods Act etc. One has particularly dodgy trading practices and if they were in the UK then trading standards would have shut them down years ago.
@onefff, I organised the trade attendance at the OktoberTest event and I'm a Volkl dealer so if you PM me your requirements I'll be pleased to quote you. We were also selling off many of the demo skis from the OktoberTest (I advertised them on this forum after the event) and they got snapped up pretty quickly but you might be lucky and the model/length you tried might still be available.
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Thanks all - some great answers and options all round - I can see some of you have done searching for me and everything - great stuff.
The ex demo on Snow Lab have been out of stock for a couple of weeks - Mr Egg - not sure where you saw they were in stock. Also, they were 177s and I'm looking for 172s.
MarkyMark, I might get in touch with SpyderJon but my guess is that he will have to source from Volkl and will struggle to get down to the price I'm willing (allowed) to pay.
Thanks Ster - I didn't try the 80s but I think they might be a bit too narrow for me based on the skiing I want to do. Also, I fell in love with the 84s. It's like being in love with Mel B and settling for Mel C. Also, the RRP of the 84s is about £100 higher than the 80s so my guess is, again, they'd struggle to get to my price.
Brianatab - again, great comments and you sum-up the real issue here - it's not free trade, there is an import cost. Until everything settles down, it's not a viable option to buy from the EU. Thus, from now on, we will pay more for our skis here than our friends in the EU do because of customs duty. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The duty on skis is 2% the Vat is 20% ( https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/commodities/9506112900 )but you shouldn't be double charged for it so buying from an EU based firm they should sell to you EU vat free.
Why not see what @spyderjon, can do. You may be pleasantly surprised and if not but he knows exactly what you are looking for and it comes up he can contact you...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I'd get in touch with Jon, worst case is he can only do a price you're not willing to pay and you just say 'no thanks'.
EU based traders should remove the VAT element from their country when you buy. E.g I bought something from Germany and the 19% German VAT was removed, but I did pay UK vat and a handling fee to the courier before delivery. Sucks but it's what people voted for.
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"...It's like being in love with Mel B and settling for Mel C...." I would take Mel C any day over the 'B' !!
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You know it makes sense.
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@SnoodlesMcFlude, They can only remove the VAT element if they are registered for VAT, otherwise they take a 20% hit on their profits as they can't off set it against the VAT they paid. The bigger guys will win every time.
They other option is to try to buy direct from the manufacturers (for new), as they will be registered.
Unfortunately, a lot of smaller businesses on both sides are going to be hit hard on with these rules, but that might have to be the price paid to put pressure on the politicians to come up with a sensible compromise in the ongoing negotiations.
We have agreed not to bring in some tariffs/regulations for the first 6 months. Maybe we ought to bring them forward. The sooner everyone on both sides realise the problems it will cause to their own traders, the sooner common sense rather than Political ideals (does that ever happen in the EU  ) can prevail.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Example of the Regs I think we should bring forward are on dairy products. It is currently almost impossible for UK cheese producers to sell direct to customers in the EU due to the certification costs. Currently, EU cheese producers don't have this problem, leading to a very unfair one way market. If we insisted on them following the same rules, they will very quickly agree to the reciprocal recognition of standards that existed before 1st Jan. The delay in this recognition by the EU is deliberately designed to seek a trade advantage.
Apologies, thread drift from skiing, but relevant to buying goods from EU.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ekosport have them in 172 with bindings for £493 + £20 shipping and say:
| Quote: |
| *BE AWARE : THE UK CUSTOMERS PAY THE UK VAT ON OUR WEBSITE AND WILL PAY THE CUSTOM FEES UPON DELIVERY. |
I've used Ekosport a few times with no issues.
Custom Fee is 2%
https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/headings/9506
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| brianatab wrote: |
| @SnoodlesMcFlude, They can only remove the VAT element if they are registered for VAT, otherwise they take a 20% hit on their profits as they can't off set it against the VAT they paid. The bigger guys will win every time. |
How big is the list of companies who aren't registered for tax?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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in the UK the limit for VAT is £85000, which if you are selling skis etc you think you would hit fairly easily if your company was making you a living and not just a fun side job.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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.... and the UK threshold is MUCH higher than most eu countries.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Plus companies sometimes register despite being below the threshold. Just don't see that there are many companies exporting from EU to UK who aren't registered in their home country.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Layne wrote: |
Ekosport have them in 172 with bindings for £493 + £20 shipping and say:
| Quote: |
| *BE AWARE : THE UK CUSTOMERS PAY THE UK VAT ON OUR WEBSITE AND WILL PAY THE CUSTOM FEES UPON DELIVERY. |
I've used Ekosport a few times with no issues.
Custom Fee is 2%
https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/headings/9506 |
So that's about a tenner in duty and then whatever fees they slap on the top (normally £15-£20) so that's pretty good. Thanks for the advice on EkoSport - worth knowing they're an OK bunch. I had spotted that deal but I'm really wary about EU purchases right now. I might wait and see if Spyderjon comes up with a miracle and then, if not, might pull the trigger on that.
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@onefff, plus be aware that any returns, should it be necessary, to a Euro seller might now be more costly and likely to need extra customs paperwork now.
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| onefff wrote: |
| So that's about a tenner in duty and then whatever fees they slap on the top (normally £15-£20) so that's pretty good. |
What fees?
| onefff wrote: |
| Thanks for the advice on EkoSport - worth knowing they're an OK bunch. I had spotted that deal but I'm really wary about EU purchases right now. |
Glisshop is the other main one but they are not shipping to the UK currently. They both have a massive range and I've always found that one or the other is massively cheaper than anything in the UK or indeed other EU retailers. I have spoken to a real person on the phone aswell and they are very helpful.
We are 4 and the kids ski and board so I have to shop frugally!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Layne, couriers charge fees to cover processing the vat and duty collected
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@holidayloverxx, ah ok. And how do you find out how much that will be?
I assumed it was covered in the £20 shipping costs (used to be cheaper from Eko/Gliss I'm sure)...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Layne, the courier will usually have a guide, sometimes varies on weight/price I think but around £15 is usual.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Update - Spyderjon has come up trumps (no American reference intended) and my new arrivals should be with me soon. Shame I won't be able to use them soon but at least I can cuddle them 
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great news.
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You know it makes sense.
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| brianatab wrote: |
| The delay in this recognition by the EU is deliberately designed to seek a trade advantage. |
I don't think that is likely. The EU would probably have preferred a treaty which maintained the regulatory alignment in meat and dairy goods. It was the biggest sticking point over Northern Ireland. I suspect it was Johnson who refused to consider that for hard-line reasons, plus a desire to suck up to his good friend Trump by allowing the UK to buy US-produced meat that didn't meet EU standards.
However the problem of UK skiers buying their equipment direct from the EU suppliers was unlikely ever to have been a matter considered.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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@onefff,
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MarkyMark, I might get in touch with SpyderJon but my guess is that he will have to source from Volkl and will struggle to get down to the price I'm willing (allowed) to pay.
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There you go.....good to deal with real people 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Another option is to wait until you go skiing - tap up a friendly hire shop directly well before you arrive - ask them to sort you out a test in a few pairs of skis on your shortlist with a view to buying a pair (at pre negotiated prices ) ...
Take a ski bag with you and pay for ski carriage home... stick to the "nothing to declare" channel on the way through UK airport !!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| sheffskibod wrote: |
| Take a ski bag with you and pay for ski carriage home... stick to the "nothing to declare" channel on the way through UK airport !! |
I drive so that's not an issue. The bigger issue for us is that we self-cater and take a load of food with us because (a) it's cheaper and (b) we have a Coeliac in the group. The EU ban on UK dairy and meat is gonna be a bit of a bug too.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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No truth in the rumour that the whole Brexit shebang was engineered by a shadowy Notts ski shop proprietor......
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| No truth in the rumour that the whole Brexit shebang was engineered by a shadowy Notts ski shop proprietor...... |
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Dave of the Marmottes, The Notts purveyor of all snow hardware things shiny and new, raising the spirits of all good SH magpie's around the UK throughout lockdown and well beyond.
Credit where credit's due @spyderjon, you provide an excellent service and quality products.....
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Has anybody ordered from Ekosport since 01.01.2021?
If the customs is 2%, what are people getting charged on the UK doorstep for collection of customs duty?
It used to be so simple, just might go out and buy some rotting fish!
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@DocP, if customs is 2% then it would be price plus 20% plus 2% plus about 15 quid to the courier for the privilege
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I know others on here have stated Ekosports have produced the goods for them, but did a quick review on them via other sites and the general consensus is bad with no customer service to contact if anything goes amiss as this Company although stating it is a UK site, is actually based out of France.
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@Simon94, all the bad reviews I can see appear to be down to Brexit and them not being able to handle the issues and complaints. Which is not to excuse them for it totally but now things have settled down I would hope things get back to normal.
For me despite it being a co.uk website it's pretty clear they are not UK based.
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