Buying fishing tackle online from the USA?

Has anybody ever done this?
If yes, what online shop did you use?
Also, did the items get stopped by customs on the way in?

I am contemplating buying a reel and a few spools of braid from the USA as the prices are unbeatable and the P&P is only 20/30 dollars but I want to be sure first that there are no hidden pitfalls.

Any info would be much appreciated.

Problem with buying from the U.S. is your liable to pay vat. I know someone who buys non-fishing stuff from the U.S. all the time but gets it through private post. There's still a chance you could be done if the package is randomly checked. Otherwise you could get them to put a lower price on the customs form but if its lost insurance won't cover.

Donagh

Get it shipped by surface mail (boat) - takes a while to get here, but I order in bulk well in advance, ensures that when something is running out, I have it ordered and in transit. This not only ensures that you dont get charged the import duty etc, but the postage is peanuts !

If you are in a hurry with it, and you have friends or family in the states , get it delivered to them, and get them to post it for you.

How does transport by boat evade the customs and VAT charge? Will it cast iron avoid these charges by going by boat? If it does than thats what I'll do.

Is there a tackle shop you can recomend to buy from in the USA that transports in this fashion?

Hi Colm, I have a list of shops who do this for me, but then I'd be giving away my sources and doing myself out of business !

I wouldn't like to say cast iron , but I paid import tax and duty once (the first time), and since then, I order well enough in advance, ship by surface , and wait impatiently !, or get my cousin to take delivery if it's a smallish parcel , and post from their local post office.

I suppose by surface , more stuff comes at once, so the chance of a single parcel being pulled out is slimmer.

I would now like to distance myself from any future tackle smuggling activities you may be undertaking, and tell any young people reading that it isn't big and it isn't clever, and I in no way condone it !! There, I'm in the clear !!

Go for it Colm !!

What value of items can you import legally (For personal use) without having to pay duty?

I import 6 to 10 rods a time and found a little wrinkle. The US tackle dealer I trade with gives a separate invoice for each Rod. These are placed in the shipping documents wallet with one invoice showing. It appears the Customs and Excise never bother to check just read the top invoice. For 1 Rod $50 - $70 so no duty or VAT charged.

I may try the suface mail route. The orders are getting bigger it's only a matter of time before the penny drops with the man in the blue suit!...

I have bought tackle from the states twice once from http://www.tackledirect.com. and the second from Power Pro.
The first order reached me with nothing extra to pay ( a couple of bulf spools of Braid) and the second order i was caught to pay 25euro vat ( reel ).