Source for Chinese tooling?

[TGD]

I’m back to model engineering after about a 30 year break. I had a lot of stuff but family came, jobs changed and house moves occurred .etc, ... everything was gone practically. Now with Covid restrictions etc, I bought a Chinese mini lathe on impulse from Amadeal and am anxious to get going but I need to buy a lot of tooling and supplies.
Any recommendations for a single Aliexpress store or other such source from where I might get everything in one order?

[Roger B]

It depends on the risks you want to take against price. Someone like ARC in the UK makes reasonably sure of the quality and offers after sales service. CTC tooling in Hong Kong is intermediate and most of the Aliexpress/Banggood you get what you get.

[samc88]

Ive also got an amadeal mini lathe. Most of the tools Ive bought are from ARC and RDG tools, both great companies to deal with. Ive recently upgraded my lathe to taper roller bearings which has made quite a difference to usability (But then mine gets abused a bit with jobs that are a bt too big for it really)

[Jo]

Any recommendations for a single Aliexpress store or other such source from where I might get everything in one order?

I would check on what value import duties kick in: in the UK anything over £17 attracts a £12 tax collection fee from the Royal mail which is why it is better to  place lots of small orders.

Jo

[Caber]

Jo, new rules as if BREXIT is they have removed small order exemption so standby for £18 minimum charges for any import no matter what value


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jo]

Thanks Caber,

You made me check the UK Government website to see how things change as a result of BREXIT: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-and-overseas-goods-sold-directly-to-customers-in-the-uk and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-143-a-guide-for-international-post-users/notice-143-a-guide-for-international-post-users

My reading is that we can now buy up to £135 of stuff and not get dinged with Import Duty, VAT or Excise Duty 

Jo

[Jasonb]

Don't think so Jo

VAT on everything no matter how small, the likes of E-bay will collect it at point of sale. So basically all the cheap far eastern stuff bought direct has gone up 20%

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/listings/default/vat-obligations-eu?id=4650#section1

[Jo]

E-bay.UK is considered to be a UK Business and therefore is required by law to charge VAT and it is included in the price they charge you. They may be hosting overseas sellers but legally you are buying from a UK registered business.

If you buy directly from overseas i.e. Aliexpress etc. UK Taxes and import duty is not charged to the seller, it is the purchaser who is responsible for the taxes/duties as defined under the UK Government rules, as above.

Jo

[Admiral_dk]

Hi Mike

I believe that the outside sellers don't include VAT as this is done by Customs when it arrives on our shores - and the Post Office takes quite a bit of cash for their service in those cases.
I have been charged 185,-DKr. for the service + the 18,-DKr. in VAT from them, from a package from China.

Per

[Roger B]

I see from the engine thread you posted that you may be in Ireland. If that is so RC Machines in Luxembourg may be a possibility avoiding the potential Brexit problems.

https://www.rcm-machines.com/en/

[AdeV]

You made me check the UK Government website to see how things change as a result of BREXIT: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-and-overseas-goods-sold-directly-to-customers-in-the-uk and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-143-a-guide-for-international-post-users/notice-143-a-guide-for-international-post-users

My reading is that we can now buy up to £135 of stuff and not get dinged with Import Duty, VAT or Excise Duty 

That certainly seems to be the case in Notice 143... but the Brexit guidance seems to suggest that anyone selling goods into the UK with a total consignment value of £135 or less will have to register for VAT & add VAT at source (unless you're a VAT registered business, in which case normal VAT rules apply). It also suggests the LVCR (Low Value Consignment Relief) has been abandoned (per Caber's post).  I guess the question, therefore, will be: How many Chinese sellers will register for UK VAT? Not many, I suspect...

[Allen Smithee]

You made me check the UK Government website to see how things change as a result of BREXIT: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-and-overseas-goods-sold-directly-to-customers-in-the-uk and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-143-a-guide-for-international-post-users/notice-143-a-guide-for-international-post-users

My reading is that we can now buy up to £135 of stuff and not get dinged with Import Duty, VAT or Excise Duty 

That certainly seems to be the case in Notice 143... but the Brexit guidance seems to suggest that anyone selling goods into the UK with a total consignment value of £135 or less will have to register for VAT & add VAT at source (unless you're a VAT registered business, in which case normal VAT rules apply). It also suggests the LVCR (Low Value Consignment Relief) has been abandoned (per Caber's post).  I guess the question, therefore, will be: How many Chinese sellers will register for UK VAT? Not many, I suspect...

Sadly AdeV is correct, Jo. It seems all but the large overseas business-to-consumer suppliers are already telling the UK to stuff it and simply refusing to ship to the UK. I've already had this with some spares becoming unavailable because there are no UK-friendly sources. So much for the "they need us more than we need them" bollox that was written on 350 million buses a month...

AS

[Jo]

Sadly AdeV is correct, Jo. It seems all but the large overseas business-to-consumer suppliers are already telling the UK to stuff it and simply refusing to ship to the UK. I've already had this with some spares becoming unavailable because there are no UK-friendly sources. So much for the "they need us more than we need them" bollox that was written on 350 million buses a month...

Aliexpress seems to still be willing to let me order from them  It looks like the EU countries are refusing 

Jo

[Allen Smithee]

AlienExpress is like Banggood - a website front for a gazzilion separate sellers. Some are just ignoring the new rules and will probably say it's your fault if it gets blocked in the post. Others have already said they won't ship to the UK - like the supplier of that 3d printer I have for which the only spares supplier is a Banggood shop that no longer shops to the UK...

PDR

[Jo]

 

First one I tried no problem..

Jo

[Jasonb]

It was the default GB that came up that was causing it problems hence I deleted my post once I tried UK.

[AdeV]

Damnit, so I just spend the last hour on AliExpress trying to find a seller who won't ship to the UK. Now I find myself looking very seriously at an ER50 collet chuck & set of collets for the lathe...

 

I only just got my 6-jaw fitted, and already I want more chucks!!

[Jasonb]

Damnit, so I just spend the last hour on AliExpress trying to find a seller who won't ship to the UK. Now I find myself looking very seriously at an ER50 collet chuck & set of collets for the lathe...

 

I only just got my 6-jaw fitted, and already I want more chucks!!

I've heard that if you want to build an engine from castings that you need a lot of tooling/machines

[propforward]

Damnit, so I just spend the last hour on AliExpress trying to find a seller who won't ship to the UK. Now I find myself looking very seriously at an ER50 collet chuck & set of collets for the lathe...

 

I only just got my 6-jaw fitted, and already I want more chucks!!

A collet chuck is a good idea. I like mine very much. They are definitely better when collets are included.

Such are my insights and wisdom.

[Jasonb]

This page posted on ME seems to confirm that VAT will be charged on everything and unlike Jo's post about not paying VAT below £135 covers sales below this level as either the OMP collecting the VAT or the seller if no OMP involved so as I said VAT is payable on everything as the £ 15 allowance has been abolished ( £18 mentioned in Jo's post was changed to 15 in 2007). As to how well it will be implemented and enforced that's another matter.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-vat-treatment-of-overseas-goods-sold-to-customers-from-1-january-2021/changes-to-vat-treatment-of-overseas-goods-sold-to-customers-from-1-january-2021

Does sound like it may be better when purchasing old castings and such like as from what I can make out purchases from private sellers will only be affected once over £135 but I could be wrong on that

[Jo]

This page posted on ME seems to confirm that VAT will be charged on everything and unlike Jo's post about not paying VAT below £135 covers sales below this level as either the OMP collecting the VAT or the seller if no OMP involved so as I said VAT is payable on everything as the £ 15 allowance has been abolished ( £18 mentioned in Jo's post was changed to 15 in 2007). As to how well it will be implemented and enforced that's another matter.

Jo

[Jasonb]

At the top of that 143 notice it says "import, export etc FOR BUSINESS"

As most on here are private individuals wat is there probably doe snot apply as it is about business to business transactions.

[Jo]

At the top of that 143 notice it says "import, export etc FOR BUSINESS"

 

Jo

[Jasonb]

 

[Jo]

That is not part of the TAX LAW (notice 143) it is how they have filed the LAW so people can find it on their website 

Jo

[Jo]

Just checked Aliexpress is adding VAT at the check out 

Good job I have been stocking up during the 2020 Lockdown 

Jo

[Jasonb]

Good job you realised that before placing all those orders for £134.99 items  , as I said vat on everything but still remains to be seen if what is being charged makes it back to HMRC.

[Jo]

I have to spend it on something 

The most expensive stuff at the moment we are buying is wild bird nuts/seed 

Jo

[AdeV]

TBH, I'd rather pay VAT on a 5 quid item, than get stung with a £1 VAT bill & £12 "admin fee" from the post office! It also levels the playing field somewhat for UK companies - e.g. my company is VAT registered, and if I sell something for 5 quid I'm legally bound to charge VAT. Of course, we're still stuck with a huge wage and infrastructure cost differential which makes competing on price against China very difficult, the only real differentiators are build quality and speed of delivery.

[Jasonb]

It can be expensive, suppose you have got to catch a lot of wild birds to get a decent amount of nuts