Does it come in a box? Yes - then shake the box and see if it rattles. If it does, it's a game. If it doesn't, it's a book. The reasoning is that games contain dice (which rattle) and books don't...
Mind you, this was 15 years ago when I worked in a games'n'comix store so nowadays that don't work with computer games.
I think the only time I got charged VAT & duty on an eBay purchase was on some china I had shipped over from the States. Given the situation with china is unclear whether it's rateable or not, I didn't bother claiming it back, especially as I'd recently got a computer upgrade costing ten times the price not being charged VAT & duty.
One thing, if the shipper is a courier firm, they *always* collect. If things are posted - surface or air, the Post Office has better things to do with their time than to go through every mail bag.
TTFN Maddy E
> Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 14:00:12 +0000 (GMT)
> From: ASHLEY MUNDAY <aescleal_at_...>
>Subject: Bit off topic - shipping from the US...
>
>I always go for air-mail - nothing worse than having
>your gear stuck on a banana boat for weeks. I can
>generally buy stuff off eBay or SJG and get them over
>here in a week. Unless customs take an interest of
>course and charge me £100 import duty and VAT on
>things that aren't eligible for either.
><tory_mode>Twisting bastards. Should be taken outside
>and birched. We've lost so many colonies through
>taxation you'd think they'd realise by
>now.</tory_mode>
>
>Which reminds me, ATTENTION ANYONE FILLING OUT US
>CUSTOMS DECLARATIONS FOR UK DESTINATIONS! Most RPG
>things are BOOKS, if you put "games" on the label UK
>customs and excise assumes they're computer games and
>slaps huge charges on. While we can claim it all back,
>it's a pain in the arse.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Ash
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