Auroras back in stock - Page 4 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Sean Williams · 8th Oct 2006, 9:31 pm

Simple - Parcelforce are the approved collecters for HMG - i fthere is ant possibility of a duty charge the packet is sent to parcelfarce to deal with.

Cheers
Sean

garfy · 8th Oct 2006, 11:17 pm

Hello Sean,
Thanks for that.

It`s always the case when someone has the monopoly

It`s a bit like a car MOT a licence to print money.

Regards,
Garfy.

ppppenguin · 10th Oct 2006, 7:40 am

Parcelfarce seems to have charged us £13.50 virtually every time but curiously the VAT has been much lower than the expected 17.5%.

My first Aurora came by Royal Mail where the VAT was about right and the processing fee only £3.50.

The only remedy I can see is to have one shipped to you (or a friend) who's travelling from the US to the EU. Strictly speaking you are still liable to VAT on personal imports above a certain value (£135?) but by then the unit is secondhand and worth less than that

Station X · 10th Oct 2006, 8:19 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ppppenguin

Strictly speaking you are still liable to VAT on personal imports above a certain value (£135?) but by then the unit is secondhand and worth less than that

The limit is £145 worth of all other goods including gifts and souvenirs. If you bring in something worth more than the limit of £145, you must pay charges on the full value, not just the value above £145. Of course an Aurora will cost less than £145 in the states, as you won't be paying such a high postage charge.

Station X · 10th Oct 2006, 11:55 am

I have deleted a number of posts from this thread, including some of my own, as they may contain inaccurate information concerning TARIC Codes and VAT rates.

I spoke to HMRC today (they wanted all my details) and they advised me that "Collectors items" imported from the USA and carrying TARIC Code 9705 00 00 90 attracted zero import duty and the reduced rate of VAT at 5%. What constitutes a "collectors item" is hard to define, but I was told that it did cover valve radios. Any further enquiries to HMRC on 0845 010 9000 please.

ppppenguin · 10th Oct 2006, 12:25 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Station X

..."Collectors items" imported from the USA and carrying TARIC Code 9705 00 00 90 attracted zero import duty and the reduced rate of VAT at 5%.

That accounts for the apparently low VAT on many of the Aurorae. 5% of £160 is £8 which is about what a lot of us have been charged before adding the £13.50 fee. That's one little mystery solved. I suggest that Darryl sticks to the 9705 00 00 90 code since it seems appropriate and gives a lower VAT rate.

channel405 · 10th Oct 2006, 1:21 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by garfy

Hello, I bought an Aurora on September 22nd and it arrived today.....

Hmmmm, thats worrying. I bought mine on the same day but have nothing so far. I did get an email from USPS Shipping with a tracking number, but even that doesn't work. Suppose just have to wait a bit longer, it could be the Welsh bit of the Post Office using plodding sheep to transport parcels instead of vans.....

ppppenguin · 10th Oct 2006, 1:26 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by channel405

Hmmmm, thats worrying. I bought mine on the same day but have nothing so far.

If it's any consolation my first Aurora took over a month to arrive and we thought it had been lost.

Quote:

Originally Posted by channel405

...it could be the Welsh bit of the Post Office using plodding sheep to transport parcels instead of vans.

I always knew the Welsh were inventive when it came to uses for sheep.

channel405 · 11th Oct 2006, 10:41 am

Can I just ask how was it delivered to you, did the postman bring it to your door and ask you to cough up or did he put a card through the letterbox instructing you to pay and collect at the post office?

ppppenguin · 11th Oct 2006, 10:59 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by channel405

Can I just ask how was it delivered to you, did the postman bring it to your door and ask you to cough up or did he put a card through the letterbox instructing you to pay and collect at the post office?

The Postman no longer asks you for money at the door. Not in London, maybe in remote country areas. For the one delivered by Royal Mail I got a card from the postman. then it's call at the sorting office, cash only. For Parcelfarce I got a card posted to me with the option of collecting, phoning with credit card info or sending a cheque.

chipp1968 · 11th Oct 2006, 1:36 pm

i think i payed over phone with credit card .. u know ...sorry i mean YOU know ..all automated rubbish

tvden · 11th Oct 2006, 5:11 pm

Jeffrey even here in the wilds of suffolk you still have to go 4 miles to the sorting office

garfy · 11th Oct 2006, 8:33 pm

Hello,
I am in Cornwall and every time i have a import charge i get a letter first,and when i phone up to pay i just listen to a womans vioce on a mackine as evrything is automated.

You use the phone buttons to first to put in the item number and then the credit card number,expiry date and three digit security number to pay.

So you cannot even have a moan at someone now at the other end.

If i find myself getting annoyed at this i just think of the ex wife and then i realise that it can`t be all that bad.

Regards,
Garfy.

TNC · 17th Oct 2006, 10:03 am

Just received mine via a happy holiday maker in the US - ergo no duty!!

Could someone please advise:
1. The Aurora's power consumption?
2. Is the 9v socket pin negative or pin positive?

Many thanks,

Trevor.

Station X · 17th Oct 2006, 10:08 am

Just follow this link:-

http://www.auroravideosys.com/converter

and look at the bold type.

ppppenguin · 17th Oct 2006, 10:09 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by TNC

Could someone please advise:
1. The Aurora's power consumption?
2. Is the 9v socket pin negative or pin positive?

RTM which can be downloaded freely from the web site. In fact the info is right there on the web site without having to download the manual.
http://www.auroravideosys.com/converter/

9V, 250mA and centre +ve though there's protection against reverse polarity. Any voltage between 7V and 12V is actually OK.

PS: Graham made his post while I was still typing.

chipp1968 · 17th Oct 2006, 1:48 pm

im thinking about getting another

but not decided yet .

ppppenguin · 17th Oct 2006, 1:58 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by chipp1968

im thinking about getting another

but not decided yet .

Why not get 13, one for each channel

I'm sure Darryl would offer a quantity discount.

chipp1968 · 17th Oct 2006, 5:59 pm

not that well off for such extravagancies, though i can see a second one comming in usefull in the not too distant future , its a pain moving it from set to set , and cos its so small and light i can see it getting damaged . already stepped on it twice

also i can have a different test card on the other

Dave Moll · 17th Oct 2006, 6:49 pm

Not wishing to depress Aurora sales, but you could always runner several sets from one Aurora, using
splitter(s), unless, of course, you want more than one programme at the same time.

8th Oct 2006, 9:31 pm	#61
Sean Williams Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: St.Ippolyts, Hitchin, Hertfordshire QRA IO91UW Posts: 3,513	Re: Auroras back in stock Simple - Parcelforce are the approved collecters for HMG - i fthere is ant possibility of a duty charge the packet is sent to parcelfarce to deal with. Cheers Sean __________________ Engineers make things work and have spare bits when finished

8th Oct 2006, 11:17 pm	#62
garfy Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cornwall,UK Posts: 25	Re: Auroras back in stock Hello Sean, Thanks for that. It`s always the case when someone has the monopoly It`s a bit like a car MOT a licence to print money. Regards, Garfy.

10th Oct 2006, 7:40 am	#63
ppppenguin Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: North London, UK. Posts: 6,168	Re: Auroras back in stock Parcelfarce seems to have charged us £13.50 virtually every time but curiously the VAT has been much lower than the expected 17.5%. My first Aurora came by Royal Mail where the VAT was about right and the processing fee only £3.50. The only remedy I can see is to have one shipped to you (or a friend) who's travelling from the US to the EU. Strictly speaking you are still liable to VAT on personal imports above a certain value (£135?) but by then the unit is secondhand and worth less than that

10th Oct 2006, 11:55 am	#65
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 20,636	Re: Auroras back in stock I have deleted a number of posts from this thread, including some of my own, as they may contain inaccurate information concerning TARIC Codes and VAT rates. I spoke to HMRC today (they wanted all my details) and they advised me that "Collectors items" imported from the USA and carrying TARIC Code 9705 00 00 90 attracted zero import duty and the reduced rate of VAT at 5%. What constitutes a "collectors item" is hard to define, but I was told that it did cover valve radios. Any further enquiries to HMRC on 0845 010 9000 please. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

11th Oct 2006, 10:41 am	#69
channel405 Tetrode Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: CH3, Blaen Plwyf Transmitter, Aberystwyth, WALES Posts: 72	Re: Auroras back in stock Can I just ask how was it delivered to you, did the postman bring it to your door and ask you to cough up or did he put a card through the letterbox instructing you to pay and collect at the post office?

11th Oct 2006, 1:36 pm	#71
chipp1968 Rest in Peace Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somerset, UK. Posts: 2,356	Re: Auroras back in stock i think i payed over phone with credit card .. u know ...sorry i mean YOU know ..all automated rubbish Last edited by chipp1968; 11th Oct 2006 at 1:56 pm.

11th Oct 2006, 5:11 pm	#72
tvden Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Halesworth, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 413	Re: Auroras back in stock Jeffrey even here in the wilds of suffolk you still have to go 4 miles to the sorting office

11th Oct 2006, 8:33 pm	#73
garfy Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cornwall,UK Posts: 25	Re: Auroras back in stock Hello, I am in Cornwall and every time i have a import charge i get a letter first,and when i phone up to pay i just listen to a womans vioce on a mackine as evrything is automated. You use the phone buttons to first to put in the item number and then the credit card number,expiry date and three digit security number to pay. So you cannot even have a moan at someone now at the other end. If i find myself getting annoyed at this i just think of the ex wife and then i realise that it can`t be all that bad. Regards, Garfy.

17th Oct 2006, 10:03 am	#74
TNC Hexode Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, UK. Posts: 384	Re: Aurora setup for the first time. Just received mine via a happy holiday maker in the US - ergo no duty!! Could someone please advise: 1. The Aurora's power consumption? 2. Is the 9v socket pin negative or pin positive? Many thanks, Trevor.

17th Oct 2006, 10:08 am	#75
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 20,636	Re: Auroras back in stock Just follow this link:- http://www.auroravideosys.com/converter and look at the bold type. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

17th Oct 2006, 1:48 pm	#77
chipp1968 Rest in Peace Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somerset, UK. Posts: 2,356	Re: Auroras back in stock im thinking about getting another but not decided yet .

17th Oct 2006, 5:59 pm	#79
chipp1968 Rest in Peace Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somerset, UK. Posts: 2,356	Re: Auroras back in stock not that well off for such extravagancies, though i can see a second one comming in usefull in the not too distant future , its a pain moving it from set to set , and cos its so small and light i can see it getting damaged . already stepped on it twice also i can have a different test card on the other

17th Oct 2006, 6:49 pm	#80
Dave Moll Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK Posts: 6,050	Re: Auroras back in stock Not wishing to depress Aurora sales, but you could always runner several sets from one Aurora, using splitter(s), unless, of course, you want more than one programme at the same time.