| Possible problems
with ordering your dress from overseas by
Vanessa of Dress2Party, London
PROM GIRLS BEWARE! THE HIDDEN COSTS IN PURCHASES MADE FROM OVERSEAS
ONLINE RETAILERS AND OTHER THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW !
Prom girls
beware! Buyers in the UK are often misled by the prices on overseas
websites when looking for their all important prom dress. In an attempt
to capture the UK market, some of the largest online retailers based
abroad, often fail to advise customers about the import duty and VAT
that will be payable by the customer when they receive their dress,
resulting in many unsuspecting prom girls receiving a big tax bill for
their dress that they did not budget for at all!
For example, items for sale on US sites can
appear up to 35% cheaper than the UK online price , as a result of a
simple conversion from the US $ price to the UK £ price. However, this
price is only a part of the cost, as once the dress is shipped to the UK
the customer receives a bill for the Import Duty and VAT, increasing the
cost of the dress by 40%. Unfortunately, girls will only know about this
once the dress has arrived in the UK and they are obliged to pay the
taxes, as any reference to local taxes and duties is often buried in the
small print on many US websites.
Buyers should also beware of any overseas sites
that offer to package the dress as a gift in order to avoid taxes, as UK
Customs are aware of this type of fraud and it is classed as tax
evasion!
In addition to the hidden costs, buying your prom
dress from an overseas retailer can be a risky business as the Consumer
laws and regulations that protect UK purchases do not apply. You are
unable to return a dress purchased on line from many US sites in any
circumstances , even if, as some unlucky girls discovered, they were
sent a different dress to the one actually ordered! In contrast, UK
sites are required by law to provide a full refund if the dress is
returned within 14 days, even if you have simply changed your mind about
the purchase. You will also have the comfort of being able to speak to
somebody local and on the same time zone about your exciting purchase.
For most girls, buying their prom dress is the
most exciting dress purchase in their lives so far. If that dream dress
is available to buy in the UK then keeping that purchase British means
you are less likely to receive nasty shocks with unexpected extra costs,
and in the event that the dress is not suitable in any way, it can
easily be returned.
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