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Subject Topic: Buying LEDs From China? Post Reply Post New Topic
16/11/2013 at 5:38pm
 Location: Northumberland
 Outfit: Knaus Sudwind 550 TK
View GCMS2012's Profile View Profile   Reply to GCMS2012 Reply   Quote GCMS2012 Quote  
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Just reading on the 'net about Christmas shopping online and buying outside of the EU etc.

They are saying you may not be aware of - and have to pay for import duty / Vat / tax, whatever.

I'm hoping to change my caravan lights to LEDs one day, and so have looked at the far east for them, as informed on here by an article...

Was wondering, will I have to pay any taxes etc on such small and cheaper items?

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Damned if I do...

Damned if I don't!!!!


16/11/2013 at 6:04pm
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I have bought many an item from china no probs at all. As for the LEDS dont, they are rubbish,

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Roughing it in style at Calloose caravan and camping holiday park nr St Ives.(seasonal pitch)
Its not a hangover, its wine flu!


nant mill.N/Wales
just dont go there.


16/11/2013 at 6:52pm
 Location: Co.Durham
 Outfit: Bailey Ranger 500 4
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I bought some from China for the internal lights in my car. They are great. They have an adapter on them and fit straight in.
I have read about other people having them in the caravans and say they are good. There are different shades ranging from white to a warm colour so you will have to make sure you get what you want.
I never paid any duty when they came in the normal post.

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gail


16/11/2013 at 8:26pm
 Location: Northumberland
 Outfit: Knaus Sudwind 550 TK
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One says yes - One says no, so far.

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Damned if I do...

Damned if I don't!!!!


16/11/2013 at 8:51pm
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Never paid duty on goods from China....but I try to keep the cost below £20....although I did buy a digital r/c transmitter this year for £35 and didn't get caught by the duty people


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17/11/2013 at 12:38am
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: http: www.arcsystems.biz
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Value has a lot to do with if tax is due, Don't know about the UK limit but sending to NZ I make sure the goods within, therefore the invoice is less than their limit of circa £85. I'd assume then the LED's won't reach the UK tax due threshold or sent in separate lower value packages?

Chinese LED's though have to date been generally considered short life rubbish!


17/11/2013 at 1:04am
 Location: Midlands
 Outfit: Mondeo Avondale Gram
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Bought lots of stuff from China. And never had to pay duty on anything.

LEDs whether bought from the UK or China probably originated there anyway.

Quality may vary between batches and sometimes in the same batch.

I bought some 12v 30cm LED strips. 2 are very bright and draw more power than the other 2 i have.

But lots of UK sellers have the same items and claim they are superior.
Unless they test every single LED then its always a bit of luck involved.

But they are so cheap you can afford a bad one every now and then.



17/11/2013 at 8:52am
 Location: Essex
 Outfit: 1996 Bailey Senator 5000
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Almost every Chinese seller marks the value down on their goods. Typically they'll come through with a declared value of $10 so well below the personal importation limit.

 



17/11/2013 at 9:50am
 Location: Cambs
 Outfit: Tin tent diddy tent BIG tent
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Just be aware that many of the LEDs being sold are of older technology and are being sold off cheap to get rid of stock. They are ok but not as efficient as the newer versions. I recently compared the brightness of a new 3W led against a 5W unit purchased about 5 years ago and the 3W version was much brighter than the 5W version. The technology is moving forward at great speed. Somewhere I saw a graph of light output against power consumption and it closely followed Moores Law as used in processor development.

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'A sure cure for sea-sickness is to sit under a tree'


18/11/2013 at 5:08pm
 Location: Essex
 Outfit: 1996 Bailey Senator 5000
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LED's should be rated in Lumens as it's a true representation of light output. More expensive units are rated this way but cheaper direct from china units likely will not be.

Lets face it if you're spending a couple of quid on a lamp and it's not quite as bright as it might be then it's not the end of the world.



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