Play Asia Nasty Customs/Vat Charges?

[Geezer]

Yep, they go through parcelfarce

Unfrortunately for me I've been stung a couple of times in the past on stuff that was marked down-they just charged on the full value it was insured to ft:

[marcus]

Unfortunatly most of these delivery companies are much the same. I ordered a Pana Q from Japan a while back, which got from Japan to the UK with no problems at all. Parcel Farce got hold of it, and then proceeded to lose it. It did turn up funnily enough back at the UK retailer I ordered it through, albeit over two months later.

[Pootle UK]

My first encounter with Play-Asia was sometime ago when I ordered 3 GBA-SP's and got stung big time. I've never used UPS so can't comment. I posted a review of the company on our GCII (Gamecube Import Invasion) forum:

http://pub86.ezboard.com/figngamecubeboardsrefugeesfrm13.showMessage?topicID=52.topic

After the review, I received an e-mail from Play-Asia answering the points that I had raised in my post.

Hi Steven,

I just read through your review on GameCubeRefugeesBoards.

Thanks for the nice things you are writing about us. We do hope to satisfy
each and every of our customers.

For import duties [snip].

For the payment issue, we will accept credit cards from this coming weekend, and certainly we will only bill when items are sent. Your order
was paid via PayPal and there is no possibility to charge or debit your
account on the day of shipment, the funds are debited at the time your settle the payment by PayPal.

So I think both of the points to your dislike are solved and we would be
glad if you ordered with us again.

[snip]
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me again.

With best regards,

Charles
Play-Asia.com

Okay so I was naive about PayPal at the time and I guess I was more angry I got hit with charges But they didn't accept Visa at the time and I'm sure glad they do now!

Since my 1st time ordering from them I must admit that they've been spot on every time and thankfully (touch wood) have never been stung since. They tend to mark my parcels as 'sample' now which is nice.

*MartyG edit - certain things snipped out of the e-mail quote due to PA asking you not to mention it*

[Papercut]

Parcelforce are brilliant at losing stuff.

I've noticed they shift more and more stuff with duty charges, and while they sort out the paper work the parcel dissappears from their tracking system.

They thought they'd lost my F Zero GX for a week because they'd slapped on a duty admin charge.

[Pootle UK]

I must say ParcelForce used to be good - but their delivery times are awful now.

A mate of mine in the US frequently ships over some goodies for me. At first I used to receive the parcel within a week of him shipping it.

Now it takes 4-6 weeks to get to me ft:

But to be honest there's not a lot we can do about it... not as if they're going to fold anytime soon

[memories]

Blimey beware a good UPS write up.

I got my Taiko No Tasujin today and it arrived in one piece and with no extra cost.

4 days from shiping to arriving at my door.

After reading what people were saying i was getting worried that i would be hit with a hefty charge but thankfully no.

Have i just gotten lucky ?

btw: what a game this is and the drum controllers are fantastic. Mates are coming round the morn for a few social shandys and a blast of this. Should be caper.

[Shadow_Zero]

If it's cheaper than 22 euro's you don't have to pay anything.
Though I'm sure UPS always calculates handling costs.

I got hit BIG time again on my Yu-Gi-Oh collector tin boxes.
I just find it such friggin bull**** they do VAT over shipping costs.
And it's even more bull**** when it goes like this: retailers can get discount from UPS if they use UPS on regular base (or something like that). So I had to pay $33 for my package. But what do they do when they calculate VAT? They calculate it over the 'actual' shipping costs, which was $90. It was a package of 4 lbs, with UPS Expedited, and it took a week to get here. And that costs $90?!
Bah, it's all friggin' crap!
The retailer doesn't pay $90, I don't pay $90, but the customs calculate VAT over $90, yeah right...

[Robster]

I have just ordered for the first time from playasia and selected EMS.

I have asked them to mark it down so I will let you know what happens.

Fingers crossed I dont get stung, I will be very annonyed if I do.

[?pint]

Unfortunately EMS is Parcelforce, and when it comes down to it, you will have a better time with UPS. The ?10 handling fee was ****ing gay, and I kicked up a fuss about it, to no avail, but I still got the package very prompt. And UPS is cheaper than EMS by about ?5 or so on big items anyway.

[Junko]

Sorry half pint but to use the expression " ****ing gay " really isnt on ft:

ft: ft: ft: ft: ft: ft: ft: ft: ft: ft: ft:

[Square]

I'm sure he meant no offence Junko.

[Ginza]

He can say what he likes Junko.

Oh yer and another thing its really not on for you to use that many emoticons.

[Junko]

Sorry was just being pissy

..... bad day

[Sergeant Syphillis]

Right, I'm going to order a Panasonic Q, what does everyone think I should use?, EMS, or USP? Also is there any point in asking them to mark down a package that big?

Cheers.

[Robster]

They will mark it down for you mate if you ask them too.

Weather or not you get stung for import tax is another story as if its a bit bulky they might be more inclined to check it out.

As for ems or ups - the best thing to do is read the thread and make your own mind up as both have pro's and cons so its 6 and half a dozen.

I recently ordered donkey conga and used ems but ems uses parcelforce when it enters Britain. So its just a case of waiting to see what happens next.

Sorry if I have confused you more now.