ianphampton Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Berk HFCs – direct from the USA I missed the last group buy of these, and was quoted “£420 delivered†for a non-group buy price. As I’m not easily put off by minor inconveniences I had a look getting a pair direct from the USA. After checking the Berk website ( http://www.berktechnology.com where the list price is $499.99 ) I found you can get them cheaper from Concept Z Performance in Phoenix. ( http://www.conceptzperformance.com ) Advertised price there is $449.99. I called Concept Z and they told me the international shipping was $80. Contact there (“Cozâ€) was efficient and friendly, and “ . . .there’s no problem shipping to the UK†So. . . I ordered them on 8th June $529.99 has appeared on my Barclaycard as £333.14. When they arrived today, I had to pay UPS £23.38 for import VAT and admin fee, and this makes the grand total price of £356.52, - so I’ve saved about 20% off the price. So – if you’ve also missed the group buys, and want a pair of HFCs, it’s no problem buying direct from the USA, you’ll get them in less than a fortnight and they may cost you less than you think. (Of course, this varies by the $ / £ exchange rate, but currently £1 buys you $1.60 so it’s pretty good) All that needs to be done, now, is scrape up the necessary for a trip to Abbey to fit them and get a remap to enjoy the full benefit! Edit added 21/06/11 at 00:30 - Tarmac tells me there may be a VAT invoice from HM Customs which has not arrived yet - so suggest you wait a while before ordering, I'll update this if I get another bill - or will update in 10 days if nothing further heard from HMC&E. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomS Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Great find! I'll be grabbing a pair from them if they're that price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarmac@TarmacSportz Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 That doesn't add up. I'd expect something else in the post shortly unless the value was marked down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleDeuce1973 Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Did any other invoices turn up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMR Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 yeah I agree with Tarmac, you should of paid £83.69 for VAT and import duty if they were declared at $449 + $80 shipping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianphampton Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 So Far, nothing I'm hoping that after 2 weeks now they've forgotten about me. . . .in which case I have a pair of Berks for £333.12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimjim Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Did anything turn up for extra on this my good man? HMC&E send you a bill for a hundred notes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Yeah what happened (says the guy who test drove Wills roadster yesterday and loved the sound and likes Berks now...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will370z Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Yeah what happened (says the guy who test drove Wills roadster yesterday and loved the sound and likes Berks now...) Haha, glad you liked it col, you kow you want them Your car looked very impressive yesterday, good to see its in caring hands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarmac@TarmacSportz Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I had a customs invoice come to me last week 6 months after I imported something so doesn't mean much, the rules are there otherwise we would buy everything from abroad. I personally don't think it's worth the risk especially when I do them cheaper than buying direct and have them in stock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will370z Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I had a customs invoice come to me last week 6 months after I imported something so doesn't mean much, the rules are there otherwise we would buy everything from abroad. I personally don't think it's worth the risk especially when I do them cheaper than buying direct and have them in stock +1 definitely recommend getting them from tarmac, he provided mine, great service, perfect fit and a great sound. Definitely the best thing ive done to the car. Cheers again mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianphampton Posted October 4, 2011 Author Share Posted October 4, 2011 I've never had any additional demand from HMC&E so I have ended up with a pair of Berks for £333.12. I must say I really like the performance boost - and the sound just goes through me every time . . ! Just in passing - buying stuff from the USA is really no problem, especially if the parts are light weight. I bought a carbon fibre engine cover too, and saved probably 35%. Obviously you need to weigh up the advantages against the disadvantages - stuff getting damaged in transit, for instance and hassles over sorting that out. Paying guys like the traders makes sense as it means THEY have the admin and the frieght to worry about, and it's worth paying a premium for that. Saving 10% on £60 or £70 may not be worth saving the money, when buying from a trader is easier and you get the peace-of-mind. But then - saving 25 to 30% on £300 for robust parts, from a reputable US dealer . . . well, maybe then it's worth thinking about. I have to admit the start point on my Berks was that I'd just missed a group buy, so the motivation was that I wanted them. . . . sooner than I was prepared to wait for another group buy, and as buying from the USA is pretty easy - the price differential of £70 staying in my pocket was a helpful extra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimjim Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 All good advice... Will look into both options, States and local... Tarmac... what price do you supply them for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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