Buying A Dress From The USA? What's the real cost?

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We get customers who come in and try dresses on and then search the Internet for a cheaper price, we all do it and that is the power of the Internet. Alternatively some customers call us once they have seen a dress on a web site and have noticed that we are a stockist of that label in the UK.

The most common question we get is 'Can you match the price of the US web site?' and there are web sites that will even offer free worldwide shipping to entice you into buying from them. We know from customers experience that buying from abroad can often not be as good value for money they first thought, especially if there ends up being a problem or it is the wrong size or fit.

The other enticement from websites in China or the US are to mark the invoice as 'Sample' and give a false price so you pay lower import duty and VAT. We found one site that actively promoted this saying:

'And sometimes, we will choose the best shipping method for you according to your event date for you to get fewer taxes. And we will also do something to help you to get fewer taxes or even free taxes, for example, we will put " Sample" , and lower amount (maybe USD 30, USD 50, USD 80) on shipping bill. If you do not want these words appeared on shipping bill, please inform us when ordering. '

As the person who is importing the goods you are legally responsible for this and UK Customs are always on the look out for goods coming into the country who are trying to evade import duty and VAT.

Of course we all want to get the best value for our money and we hope that our prices combined with the service we offer represent good value? However we wanted to be sure that if you do decide to order from abroad that you are aware of the real cost of doing so.

Here is an example:

Faviana Style 6751

Price at Fab Frocks: £295

US web site: $298 with free worldwide shipping
Currency Conversion on 14/04/11 = £189
+ Import Duty @ 27% = £51 (12% plus a 15% retaliatory rate for USA imports because of a long standing trade war)
+VAT @ 20% = £48

Price from USA: £288 - A saving of £7

You should also be aware that:

- If you need to send the dress back for some reason the cost of return is generally at your cost and can be as much as £30
- Import Duty and VAT are not refunded when you send a dress back so you will loose this money

In this example the likely cost of returning a dress would be approx. £129 and you would have no dress to show for it.

We hope that you have found this information useful? The US web sites don't often give you details of the additional charges you will incur when your goods come into the UK, the free shipping claims can look very enticing. We hear so many horror stories from customers who were tempted by the apparent savings and it has ended up costing them more than buying from a UK stockist or even worse they have ended up paying twice when a dress just hasn't arrived and they have lost the money.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: If i get them to send my dress as a gift I can get away with paying extra?
A: The sender is required to put on the customs declaration whether the goods have been bought or are a gift but you are legally responsible for the information on the declaration and if it is wrong your delivery may be delayed or even seized.

Q: There isn't any VAT or import duty if it's a gift is there?
A: If your dress is between £15.01 and £135 then you don't have to pay import duty but you do have to pay the 20% VAT, if it is over £135 then you are liable for both extra costs on top of your dress.

For more information see the Revenue and Customs Website

If we can be of any further help or provide further information please don't hesitate to contact us