UK Brokerage Service

 

If you have found an item on eBay, or from a shop online, that is based in the USA, but they won't take your UK based Credit Card, or they won't ship to your UK residence, I can help!

 

Shipping is pretty expensive from the USA to the UK, but it is nothing compared to the savings you see when you consider the currency exchange rate.

 

How it started...

This started on the Volkswagen Forums many years ago, when I shipped some California Waterblades to a guy over in the UK who wanted to try them. I sent them over, and he was happy, and nobody got robbed:)

 

Soon after, he contacted me again looking for some parts for his VW (turbos and intercoolers), and I was able to supply those. This led to various other items being bought and shipped over to him through out the years.

 

Recently, I had someone contact me about obtaining some computer equipment for them. They wanted a device that was for sale here in the US, but they wouldn't sell it to him, because they had a UK based sales office. The UK office wanted £3500.00 and you could buy it here in the US for $3500.00, or about 50% of what it costs over in the UK.

I agreed to complete the transaction, told him to send the money to my PayPal addy, and I would buy it, have it shipped to me, then I would ship it on to the UK. Considering the fact he really didn't know me (I'd posted to the forums but we didn't KNOW each other), and the fact the dollar amount ended up being about $4000 USD total, I thought I wouldn't hear from that guy again.

I was wrong, as a few days later, $4000 was deposited into my PayPal account. I was shocked. I transferred the money to my bank account, still waiting for PayPal to come back and tell me the funds were from a stolen CC or something, and waited a day or 2 after the finds transferred to my checking account. Nothing happened, everything seemed legit.

I contacted the computer place, order the $4000 item on my own credit card, and had it shipped to my house. I then re-packaged it (having experience with Royal Mail - ha!), and sent it on to the UK. It arrived safely and everything was well, nobody got robbed:)

That led to another person who was aware of that previous transaction to contact me about sending over a MK1 Golf fiberglass body kit that was only available over here, and couldn't be shipped there. The item arrived here (in horrible packaging), I re-packaged it and freight shipped it out to the UK.

While waiting on those parts to arrive to me, another person has contacted me with a parts request. They had a VW part they wanted in quantity, had found the item at a US supplier, and was in contact with them to arrange for me to buy them. The person sent me the supplier info, and I then went and searched and found the part at over 15% off at a different supplier I use, saving money for the UK buyer right at the start. Because the MK1 Golf item needs to go special freight due to the size, I can offer this person about 60% off on his shipping costs by sharing a container headed to the UK with the MK1 parts.

A recent shipment was for an OBDII scanner and Levi's jeans, because Levi's are between £15-£25 here! Another recent one was a Nintendo DS game (US only title, £32 shipped!). I've also just sent over an 80% shim kit for the 020 trans, and the same person then contacted me for a camshaft... so it can be automotive related or not, if there is money to be saved buying in the US, then why not save it on other items?

I might not always be able to save you money, but I am pretty good at finding a good deal, especially with VW parts, but also on just about anything. I'm pretty good at searching for and finding the best deal on items, and let me tell you, on some parts, the savings can be pretty huge from one place to the other! It really pays to shop around sometimes, and that is something I can try to do for your purchase needs.

If this brokerage thing really takes off and I have a lot of people needing things, I will look into forming a LLC or small business for the purpose of obtaining discount shipping rates to help save even more money.

 

What it costs....

It is a sliding scale kind of thing.

If the item is $0-$100 value (US $), the cost is $25 US to broker the deal.

Items with a US value of $100-$500 will cost 20% to broker the deal ($20-$100)

Anything over $500 item value the cost is 15% ($75-up)

The $25 fee for the lower priced items keeps people from contacting me for little items, like a $5 DVD or something, but if you find a VW tool or something here for cheap and really have to have it, contact me and we can work something out cheaper than $25 :)

Something else to consider when thinking of costs will be import VAT and duties. I can mark the item as a gift, but if it is insured for a lot of money, they'll catch it. If I mark it returned goods, and it is shiny new, you or I or both of us might get into trouble. The only way I think to not pay is to send it as a damaged returned item, and not insured. Very risky, and quite possibly not worth the VAT they might charge if the shippers lose or damage the item.

 

How it works...

I can help in one of 2 ways... I can allow the use of my US mailing address to accept items, or I can allow the use of my US Funds to buy items in the US, or both.

Using my money...

Basically, you find the item you want over here in the US, then email me to arrange payment. As much as I hate it, PayPal is about the best way to do it. They are cheap and simple. You send me the money for the item, I order it, when it arrives to me, I ship it on to you, re-packed and insured.

Yes, you pay me first. ;)

I can provide a couple people to vouch for me, I won't take off with your money, and will give you all my contact info, so you have to pay me first, before I go and put something on my credit card I don't need nor want!

You pay for the item and shipping to me, and the shipping from me to the UK, as well as my brokerage fee to complete the deal. I provide the US funds to the seller, or provide the US address for shipping, and then I provide the packaging labor and take the package to be shipped out to the UK. I get free cardboard and make the boxes most of the time, but if there is something special that needs purchased to ship your item in, you cover that cost. I can make frames and supports inside the box with more cardboard, but if there is something you want packed with something special, like formed expanding foam bags or air bags packed in, that would cost extra.

Using my address...

If it is just my US address you need, then you'd contact me to let me know something is arriving, I would accept it, then find out what it costs to ship on to the UK. You'd then PayPal me the money for my brokerage fee and the shipping to the UK. When it arrives, I'll ship it on. You'll have already paid the seller for the item and shipping to your new US address (at which point you give the seller my address), and I'll send it on to you from Ohio.

PayPal Info...

When using PayPal, you'll end up paying an extra 3.9% or something (I can't keep up with them) to ensure the right US $ amount reaches me. That is another handy thing about PayPal, you can send the money, if it is not enough after their fees, I can refund it fully, and we just try again with a new higher amount, and it doesn't cost anything extra to try each time. Same with sending too much, I can refund it, and we can try again for free.

 

Why I do it...

The money, obviously!

Seriously, I like helping out the UKers who are already being screwed with prices of stuff over there and VAT and so on, it allows me to meet new people and contacts over there, and it also provides me with a little extra income.

 

What I will send over...

Pretty much anything! You're paying the shipping both ways, you provide the money up front, I'm not at risk at any point.... so I'll send anything over, providing it won't land me in prison! Don't ask for me to act as a broker for a MAC-10 submachine gun or a 50 lb. shipment of weed, I'll have to decline. If you want an entire car sent over, I'll try to help broker the deal.

 

Need something? Contact me!  (BrokeGTI@sbcglobalDOTnet)