Why do Rainbow 8 Not Ship to Me, Im in UK

[DovakiinofBillericay]

Basically the question

 

[Cannonfodder]

What are you trying to buy? 

 

[The Commander]

Powair6 can't ship anything over, either, claiming they can't ship airsoft related stuff to the UK. It's a byproduct of Brexit, and it remains to be seen if it is permanent or if it will resume once the ne rules become clearer.

 

[AlphaBear]

As above it’s to do with their systems not being compliant with the new regulations for accounting for export into the UK. You think  exporting to the UK will be complicated. Wait till they try to sell to Northern Island. The NI can trade as ‘normal’ with the UK and also with the EU for the next 4 yrs. That will cause more headache for the EU as accounting software will need to address this issue. 

 

[Steveocee]

Rainbow8 have suspended shipping to the UK due to our fabulous new strain of COVID restricting flights into and out of the country. If you read their website it's clearly there in the most recent posts.

Incredibly annoying as 4.3 Battlecats are due at any time.

 

[Tommikka]

There are a few issues.

There’s worldwide Covid logistics, last minute Brexit confusion and the combination of those with lots of stay home internet shopping and Christmas 

Following the Brexit deal there are changes to imports into the UK and the handling of VAT, duty and tariffs.

Import something for under £135 and the foreign seller now has to deal with customs.

There is going to be a period of disruption where many are just going to avoid the problem, and after that things will normalise but with a higher admin load for foreign businesses to trade with our market - including direct to individuals.

A thing we can do is to support the UK retailers, let them have the business, make it viable for the importers and distributors and get UK after sales support

More info is in the thread linked below:

 

[ak2m4]

Yup Chinese retailers now have to charge and pay up front the VAT of the destination country.  I ordered a pair of gloves from Aliexpress last night and when you click the BUY button you're suddenly charged 20% extra.  It's not a Brexit thing as the whole of the EU is affected, same in New Zealand as well I believe from what a friend has said.  This change has been in the planning for a number of years I read.

 

[Guest]

Yup Chinese retailers now have to charge and pay up front the VAT of the destination country.  I ordered a pair of gloves from Aliexpress last night and when you click the BUY button you're suddenly charged 20% extra.  It's not a Brexit thing as the whole of the EU is affected, same in New Zealand as well I believe from what a friend has said.  This change has been in the planning for a number of years I read.

If you spend more than £135 you don’t get charged the VAT

 

[Alimcd]

Incredibly annoying as 4.3 Battlecats are due at any time.

Check out HiCapaHub.co.uk, Kyles got a preorder up. I’ve snapped up a gold one. Who knows when they’ll get here though...

 

[Steveocee]

Check out HiCapaHub.co.uk, Kyles got a preorder up. I’ve snapped up a gold one. Who knows when they’ll get here though...

I've messaged asking if there is a rough ETA. I don't mind preordering and them arriving E.O Feb but if it's preorder now to receive in June then I'd rather wait.

 

[Alimcd]

I've messaged asking if there is a rough ETA. I don't mind preordering and them arriving E.O Feb but if it's preorder now to receive in June then I'd rather wait.

Good point, I just wanted to make sure I had an order in. 
 

I’ve also currently got a Mega Slide and some AIP sights on an order that’s on hold with R8 until we become less of a Heath risk. I wonder which will turn up first!

 

[ak2m4]

If you spend more than £135 you don’t get charged the VAT

Yup, I wonder what the deal is on duty and handling charges.  Are they just going to waive all duty and let everything slip by in the knowledge that the government is pocketing an extra 20% ?  Going to be an interesting time for sure.

 

[Tommikka]

Yup, I wonder what the deal is on duty and handling charges.  Are they just going to waive all duty and let everything slip by in the knowledge that the government is pocketing an extra 20% ?  Going to be an interesting time for sure.

£135 is the magic number

Up to £135 there is only VAT and no duty.  So the seller gets the admin grief, the package passes customs clearance and we don’t pay the extra £8 to £20  fee to the carrier who handled the admin

Over £135 and the seller doesn’t charge and prepay the VAT.  Duty is due so the package gets stopped, we get a bill for 20% import VAT, x%duty and the £8 to £20 handling fee is back

https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

 

[Steveocee]

So basically almost any order I place with R8 is foobarred now. Oh great joy.

 

[The Commander]

So basically almost any order I place with R8 is foobarred now. Oh great joy.

Yep, and we can't order anything from Powair6 because they won't even deliver to the UK.

Seems to be a widespread thing, beyond airsoft retailers: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-news-latest-updates-boris-johnson-sunak-b1782440.html
 

 

[Davegolf]

I had this with Powair the other day, the problem is some European retailers were slow on registering for their new VAT codes, for example Powair hope to have theirs mid-to-end of Jan.

A lot of Far East retailers are simply not shipping because of COVID restrictions.

 

[Steveocee]

Check out HiCapaHub.co.uk, Kyles got a preorder up. I’ve snapped up a gold one. Who knows when they’ll get here though...

I bit. Purple on order. I just feel I "need" one of these Battlecats in my life lol.

Also R8 look to be a bit easier going now, announced they are shipping again and charging £10 for postage so hopefully it comes through in ok time.

 

[Cr0-Magnon]

I believe the Rainbow8 issue was actually unrelated to BREXIT (at least directly). More to do with a lack of flights and/or a massive increase to the per kg airfreight rate. I work in shipping and I know our airfreight department are being quoted £16 p/kg on some routes when it was previously more like £1.50. Same with seafreight, it's gone from USD 1000 per 20' container to something like USD 8000.

 

[witchcraft58a]

I believe the Rainbow8 issue was actually unrelated to BREXIT (at least directly). More to do with a lack of flights and/or a massive increase to the per kg airfreight rate. I work in shipping and I know our airfreight department are being quoted £16 p/kg on some routes when it was previously more like £1.50. Same with seafreight, it's gone from USD 1000 per 20' container to something like USD 8000.

Thats what i thought too, i ordered some parts from them back end of christmas, they emailed explaining the delay in air freight, said they could send by sea.  i decided to wait until air freight was an option again, glad i did as they arrived yesterday!

 

[Steveocee]

R8 are shopping again though now, I have noticed that postage has doubled (£5 to £10) but I couldn't give a monkeys when they have what I want and nobody else does.