USA to UK import tax

[platoongod]

yay, way to go. a fab example of how to kill UK stores. bottom line is by the time you get it in it will cost you more.

Hardly an intent to "kill uk stores", 99.9% of my gear is from lips, i rarely by second hand or from any other retailer other than lips, i purchased a mask and padding from your trade stand at round 4 of cpps last year amoung many other things online and have been buying form your site since around 2008/9 (forget the year).
So im not trying to kill uk stores, i simply applied for sponsorship from a well respected company in the industry, if you would like to read my original reply to them when they approved sponsorship you are more than welcome to, but i can tell you it said the following. - "Do you deal with uk distributors? As if its possible could we purchase the gear from LIPS paintball uk based company who i know deal with Guerilla air products." ,
I have never purchased from anywhere other than uk, and my first port of call was asking them can we purchase through lips.
I would also be happy to send you my email address so you can see my history of ordering on the online shop.

 

[L.i.P.S]

This is a real interesting thread, my original reaction I stand by.

The few true stores in the UK will slowly die if they are not supported by the players, paintball will then become even more expensive in the long run.
People go on about the cost of playing now, compared to 15 years ago its cheaper by a long shot.

platoongod you mentioned you purchased stuff from us at round 4 of the cpps, thankyou, but if the trend turns back to importing direct then firms like us will not be at the cpps because we won't be in business.

As far as your email to them is concerned well I have to say they are breaching there own rules which is kind of pretty sad, or maybe desperate.

 

[platoongod]

As far as your email to them is concerned well I have to say they are breaching there own rules which is kind of pretty sad, or maybe desperate.

What rule is that then? i put that question to them as i wanted to keep the business in the UK, and deal with well established firms such as LIPS, the reply i got back was it would be coming direct from them. Or is that the rule breaker, as in ...they can provide via a uk distributor? Which ever reason we have now respectfully declined with them for various reasons, but one of them being we have no intention in taking trade away from uk retailers, whilst i think your reply may have jumped the gun (no pun) slightly, i do understand your point, so i apologize if by me asking this question and getting answers it has perhaps informed others, again not my intention , i had a question got it answered and that was that, i didnt think of the bigger picture with regards to stripping business from uk retailers.


In short, certainly would hate to see anything happen to your selves or any other retailer in the uk, so if i caused offense or my question led to becoming informative on how to goo via the import option then i apologize.

 

[L.i.P.S]

no need for a apology, see you soon.

and if we can help sales@lipspaintball.com

 

[Robbo]

I think this notion of individuals grey importing works to undermine our domestic companies and if pursued, all it will mean is we have less and less retail outlets at the very time we need more .. we need to try and grow our sport as well as grow our industry to service any rise in players.
All the time we have people endorsing back-door methods to save a few quid, we ain't doing ourselves any favours ....

 

[platoongod]

Aye understood on that now, again never the intention and now having been informed from the guys at L.I.P.S, overseas sponsorship that inst working in UK retailers favor seems silly and ultimately damaging , hence we backed out, again sorry if this thread by the answer's i received has informed those that may not wise up.

 

[Robbo]

Plat, I think your post has raised a good point and what ostensibly looks like a money-saving mechanism is in the long run, anything but.
I'm glad you brought it up and I'm glad the LiPS guys helped to explain matters.
All I know is, one of the reasons our sport is in the trouble it finds itself in is because far too many people are looking to buck the system and not think too deeply about the consequences.
I can 100% understand that people will always want to save money, but sometimes, the grass isn't always greener for your back-pocket ...
I remember when this country had well over 20 retails outlets but now ... it's like tumbleweed junction, it unfolded that way for a reason and that reason isn't too difficult to discover.

 

[madness]

I remember there where two shops in plumstead one by the station one in Herbert road plus one in catford plus one in dartford and also smart parts in bexley.I could visit them all in one morning. Those where the days. Now all I can do is look up on the smut(Internet) and I miss out on a chat and a catch up on the gossip. I know I have p8ntballer but I'm old and old fashioned and I like face to face. Bring back the good old days.