MS5308 for sale (UK/EU) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: amiq
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2013, 06:44:56 pm
content: I bought one of Franky's MS5308 meters (from Hong Kong) early in February. Parcelfarce sat on it for 3 weeks before passing to customs so I ended up buying another LCR meter here in the UK. I've just paid online Parcelfarce's (illegal) ransom letter, so it should be delivered tomorrow (7th March).Total cost to me was £141 (+ CC fees) - I'm offering the unused unit for sale at £126 in the UK (plus shipping).

author: iloveelectronics
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2013, 09:41:49 am
content: Quote from: amiq on March 06, 2013, 06:44:56 pmI am really sorry to hear thatI sent a few of these to the UK and I think yours was the one that got stuck the longest! There was also another buyer who had to pay the tax/fees yet one other buyer didn't and he received it in less than a week! Sometimes the postal system is like a lottery...

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2013, 10:04:08 am
content: If you import something into the UK from outside the EU then you'll have to pay VAT and duty on the cost of the unit and shipping, so if it's a heavy £50 unit with a £100 shipping fee then you're paying 20% of £150. On new units then there will also be a duty to pay as well, dependent on the item classification. Whichever parcel company that arranges this will charge the importer for the VAT, duty and their time in handling it.

author: amiq
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2013, 05:10:38 pm
content: Quote from: KJDS on March 07, 2013, 10:04:08 amYes, but parcelforce have acted criminally for years by withholding parcels until their handling charge is paid. I have in the past reported their actions to the police, who agreed they were committing a crime. There is no mechanism for the recipient to pay the HMRC charges and then be invoiced for the handling charge, allowing him to dispute it. The procurator fiscal decided that it was not in the public interest to proceed with the prosecution, which is laughable considering the hundreds of millions of pounds involved.It takes DHL about 30 seconds to process the paperwork for an international parcel, assuming Parcelfarce are competent enough to take they same time one chap should be able to process about 202,500 parcels in a working year, which could amount to charging the recipients over £2.7 million pounds. Of course they give some crap about transferring parcels too/from HMRC if necessary, but they are in the same premises in Coventry. Even if the parcel paperwork specifies that the recipient will arrange customs payment parcelforce will ignore it - I have been through that loop with them many times but it takes a lot of time and effort to fight them.Incidentally DHL have not charged handling on personal imports for a few years now.Anyway - the meter arrived today. Anyone interested?

author: amiq
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2013, 03:05:32 pm
content: I checked out the operation of the meter today, and it measured within spec on all the reference standards I tried.I'll throw in the new set of 2500mAh NiMH batteries I used in the sale.

author: amiq
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2013, 12:28:17 am
content: Still available...

author: amiq
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2013, 12:44:45 am
content: Still available...