Purchasing Golf Clubs

[Adz1984]

Im currently looking for some new clubs, cheapest option i think may be to buy some whilst in florda, does anybody know how much it would cost to bring them back, and how i would go about it?

Thanks.

 

[UKDEB]

You could either buy a full set, together with a bag, and just bring them home as part of your luggage, or you could take your bag out with you and put your new purchases in it to bring them home.

 

[mickg7dyd]

Hi,
I'm not a golfer myself (stand too close to ball after I've hit it.. ) but I have looked round some of the shops to get some prices for my brother in-law who is a keen golfer and he reckons there are some bargains to be had. Also you'll see from the picture I took below a fair amount to choose from..!!

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w110/dvcmick/2002_0514_163754AA.jpg

Mick.

 

[Steve and Sarah]

No worries with getting clubs - some really good deals to be had particulalrly at Edwin Watts.

Bringing them back should also not be a problem as most scheduled airlines (Including Virgin and BA) are happy to take a set of clubs in place of one of your suitcases.

I even a managed to get them to take a GT Mountain Bike (In it's box of course) a couple of years back as it was a QUARTER of the price that the same bike is in the UK.

My advice is go for it - mail the receipts home and then go through the green channel at customs. It's up to them to prove you bought them there.

 

[Claire L]

Some airlines allow you an item of sporting equipment free in your baggage allowance.

Claire

 

[Andy B]

Your limit for bringing goods into the Uk is £145 If customs stop you with more then you pay tax on the whole amount.

 

[Claire L]

It's up to them to prove you bought them there.

In fact the opposite is true it is up to you to prove you didn't buy them there.

Claire

 

[UKDEB]

In fact the opposite is true it is up to you to prove you didn't buy them there.

Absolutely true - just what I was going to say. And posting the receipts home won't help you, either. If Customs have a mind to, they can intercept your post. I'm not saying it's particularly likely for a set of golf clubs, but it's certainly within their authority.

 

[Boss Hogg]

As Claire said, if Customs stop you the onus is on you to prove clubs and (anything else) was not purchased in the US.

That having been said I would buy some and bring back and take the chance personally.

If you do decide to buy a set out there, get yourself a cheap bag, a travel cover and bring 'em back in that. I'd make them look a little used in case you get pulled by Customs, you might avoid some awkward questions then. Also, make sure you have some balls and tees in the bag. A little underhand I suppose

In my experience, depending on what you are looking at, you may find that a set of irons can be bought nearly as cheap in the UK as the US, but, it is woods, drivers and putters where I think you'll find the greater savings.

Check out somewhere like Edwin Watts for some decent prices.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Take out your old set in your bag. you then have a ticket showing you broughtb the clubs with you.
Buy them ASAP you get out there and then have a few rounds to test them out and scuff em up
If you get stopped and have to pay, so be it, but your chances of being stopped are very few and far between, if you go to the USA once a year, if you do get stopped at any time, you will have made up the cost anyway over a period of time.

 

[boff64]

DO NOT POST RECIEPTS THROUGH THE POST

If you think you are getting a bargain then swallow the fact that you'll have to live without the receipt.

As mentioned earlier Customs are ruthless if they get on to you.

A cautionary tale, a friend of ours went to Hong Kong and bought a camcorder, posted the receipts. The receipt duly arrived through the post but had been sealed up with selotape,

A couple of days later, during the day a knock on the door at the Weekend. Customs officials. Made the husband and wife sit in different rooms, and turned the whole house upside down. Our friends had to account for everything in the house that may have been bought recently whether it was from their holiday or not.

THE ONUS IS ON YOU TO PROVE WHERE YOU BOUGHT IT!!!

This may sound dramatic but remember that Customs officilas have greater powers of entry than the police. They only have to have justifiable reason of intent to enter your property and that liberally could be anything. They have more powers of entry than the POLICE !!!!

 

[gbrchill]

You could smuggle them through with you when you go through the green channel. Alternatively you could divvy them up amongst the rest of the family and each bring a couple of club through (below the duty free limit). If that isn't possible it is still worth divying them up and each member going through the red channel and declaring the excess. I presume that the clubs are bought individually so each member of the family would only have to pay vat and duty on the clubs that took them over their limit.

I have gone to declare stuff in the past and been waved through because the one customs officer there was busy sorting someone else out and we didn't have much to declare.

I've declared stuff where I presented the customs officer with a big pile of recipts and when he's got 10 down and so far they've only been a few dollar each. He looked at me, shrugged and asked me to guess the total value and
charged me based on that.

You have every reason to be concerned with the customs people if you are smuggling goods through, for very good reasons.

If you bring your clubs back and then take them on a subsequent holiday and get stopped on your return you may still have to prove that they are legitimate and either purchased in the UK or have had VAT and duty paid.

Chris.

 

[Andy B]

You could smuggle them through with you when you go through the green channel. Alternatively you could divvy them up amongst the rest of the family and each bring a couple of club through (below the duty free limit). If that isn't possible it is still worth divying them up and each member going through the red channel and declaring the excess. I presume that the clubs are bought individually so each member of the family would only have to pay vat and duty on the clubs that took them over their limit.

I have gone to declare stuff in the past and been waved through because the one customs officer there was busy sorting someone else out and we didn't have much to declare.

I've declared stuff where I presented the customs officer with a big pile of recipts and when he's got 10 down and so far they've only been a few dollar each. He looked at me, shrugged and asked me to guess the total value and
charged me based on that.

You have every reason to be concerned with the customs people if you are smuggling goods through, for very good reasons.

If you bring your clubs back and then take them on a subsequent holiday and get stopped on your return you may still have to prove that they are legitimate and either purchased in the UK or have had VAT and duty paid.

Chris.

I do not think that splitting a set of clubs up between say 4 people will fool the customs officers if they decide they are interested in you.