Quote:
Originally Posted by Forrest
Just as a potentially interesting aside, I have recently ordered in the US an original Volvo Penta distributor cap and rotor arm, similar to the one linked by Baggy. It will be a while before they get here. They are both being sent by different suppliers to a reshipping service which will consolidate them into a single package for export.
Now, I know there is a cost for this service (I have used similar in several countries) and I know I shall get stung for at least VAT by UK Customs. However, what I find amazing is the comparable cost of parts in the US.
Distributor Cap $37.99 (£30.30) plus $9.99 domestic shipping.
Rotor Arm $20.65 (£16.47) including domestic shipping.
Remember these are genuine OEM albeit old stock. Bosch via Autodoc are £96.85 and £19.45 plus delivery in the UK, and I've seen them a lot more elsewhere. So I don't anticipate I'll be over-paying by too much. Rip-off Britain is alive and kicking!
For those not already aware Penta is Volvo's marine brand and the redblocks were sold as marine engines by Volvo. Some (but not all) parts are interchangeable and the marine stuff tends to be pretty decent quality.
I wouldn't recommend the approach I'm taking to anyone as using a reshipping agent is slow, expensive and means you're unlikely to be able to return anything that arrives faulty or broken. However, another tip for anyone stupid enough to try this is that sales tax (the US equivalent of VAT) varies by state and some states don't have it at all. You obviously want your agent to be based in one of these to be able to buy tax-free online in the US. There might be potential currency issues and costs involved too depending on how you pay. I use a dollar account, so don't have to contend with that.
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Hi Forrest, I ordered just under $100 of parts from FCP Euro last year and I didn't get any customs charges/VAT added on when it arrived so you should be fine.