Valueflash.co.uk

[Dave]

I tried Valueflash for the first time this week and was immensley impressed with their service and prices. I purchased 2x512mb SD's, next day delivery and not only were they the cheapest around I could find, but I even received a call on my mobile saying they would send one out for the next day, but they were then out of stock, but they'd get one in the next day and send that out Special Delivery also.



Yeah right I thought, it's going to be a weeks wait. Nope, exactly how they said it would be.   Two days after ordering I'm now running 2x512MB SD cards in my iPAQ's now



That's what I call customer service! A speedy service, and keeping the customer informed.

[peteoheat]

Yep, In agreement with you. I bought a 256Mb SD card & Cruiser card reader from them and it was both the best price around and delievered promptly.

[peteoheat]

As a followup I've now found somewhere even cheaper!



This ebay store based in NY sells to the UK market. Some of my friends have ordered from them and the transactions have gone very smoothly with goods arriving in ~3days.



£42.00 + £4.99 delivery for a 256MB Sandisk SD card!



http://www.stores.ebay.co.uk/ukmemorysupplier/plistings/list/all/dept9/index.html?col=2&dir=-1
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Royaltek Sapphire, IPAQ 3970 firmware rev 2.00, TTN 2.22, GB Maps on 256Mb Sandisk SD Card

[DavidW]

It always worries me when an outfit outside the EU appears to promise no VAT.



So far as I can tell, their packages consist of dutiable goods that are over the duty free limit. I don't know what the exact duty on memory cards is, and it may be 0%, but I'm 99% sure they're not exempt from VAT (as VAT is charged on memory cards bought inside the EU), which means that duty at the appropriate rate should be levied, then 17.5% VAT on the duty, purchase price and shipping cost. On top of that, Royal Mail typically charge a fee for settling up with HM Customs and Excise for you.





It could be that this outfit are relying on Royal Mail often failing to collect duty, particularly on small packets, even though they have an accurate Customs declaration attached. I've had a few small packets from the States that were technically liable to duty and VAT, and only one had them charged (that one came via DHL, not the Royal Mail - and DHL's charge for settling up with Customs was a right rip-off!). All the packets I've had via the Royal Mail that should have had a few pounds duty and VAT charged have been allowed through duty free (in at least one case picking up some Customs rubber stamps - that one, I'm sure, was over the value limit for a gift).





If anyone doesn't attach correct Customs labels to a package that requires them, particularly in a deliberate attempt to avoid duty and tax, that's against the rules. It's tempting to declare merchandise as a gift, and/or declaring a value well short of the actual value. I think there's another way round with electronic goods, which is to declare them as being sent for repair, rather than being purchased.



I'm sure that people try to get round Customs, though all the goods I've had from abroad have always been correctly declared. I expect the chance of a relatively low value and inconspicuous packet being caught by Customs if it is misdescribed is low - though I have had packages from friends abroad opened and inspected by HM Customs (they turn up festooned in Royal Mail tape saying that they were officially opened and inspected by HM Customs). I'm certainly making no particular allegations here about anyone, including this particular eBay store.



I just want to raise a note of caution in case anyone is invited to buy from abroad knowing or believing that an incorrect Customs declaration will be attached to the goods - or indeed, is tempted to buy from outside the EU forgetting that HM Customs can and do levy duty and VAT on goods imported from outside the EU. I don't know in cases of false Customs declarations whether the recipient potentially bears any liability - and whether HM Customs can seize the goods.





I certainly do not have any first hand knowledge of how this outfit operates or marks its packets, nor am I an expert in Customs or postal law. Meanwhile, their feedback rating on eBay is incredibly high!





The other thing is that of all the brands of SD card on the market, those made to Sandisk's design (which are not only those sold labelled as Sandisk, but they can be found relabelled as many other brands including many recent Lexar cards) tend to be the slowest and have the worst compatibility. The particular problem is with the Dell Axim X5 - on the whole, Sandisk cards simply do not work reliably on that Pocket PC.







David

[peteoheat]

David,



I'm not sure what the guys way around VAT is, or indeed whether he pays it for you included in the cost. I've had a quick word with my friends that have ordered from him. Unfortunaly neither paid much attention to the contents of the shipping document.



That said, they have placed upwards of 10 orders with him and neither of them has been charged anything extra in the way of VAT.
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Royaltek Sapphire, IPAQ 3970 firmware rev 2.00, TTN 2.22, GB Maps on 256Mb Sandisk SD Card

[MikeB]

PetroHeat,



I think you missed David's point the seller is not allowed to charge VAT as he is not in the EU so tha sale is Tax Free at the vendor's end.



In theory you get charged the VAT by the delivering company, if there is any to pay. If the package is over about USD25 than you should be charged. If the seller does not put the correct valu on the customs form, which is often the case then you do not get charged.
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Mike Barrett

[Dave]

I think I also read somewhere last week that US based companies are now going to have to start charging EU tax, whether that includes UK tax I'm not sure. Something about having to be ready for the second week of July seems to spring to mind. Maybe it was just another one of those nightmares I keep having, like the one where a group of us start up a website called Pocket GPS.

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