# Experience with Altservices UK



## Thumbs (Sep 8, 2013)

Hi does anyone have any experience with Altservices in U.K.? They use UPS, do they charge exorbitant "brokerage" fees? After shipping and taxes was it still worth buying from them? Any info would be great.
Thanks
Thumbs


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## blademan (May 8, 2005)

I have only used them once a few years ago. At that time they shipped by post. Service was fast and communication was good. There was duty on the stuff I ordered and hst. I think the duty was around 12 %. My experience with UPS and brokerage fees has been bad, I avoid them at all cost. You could always email alt and ask if they would ship by post.


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## jakethesnake (Mar 29, 2016)

I ordered $50 worth of product form them last June and they shipped through Royal Mail standard air. Can't remember how long it took, but I didn't get hit with duties on this order.

I paid with PayPal and it was shipped 2 days after.


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## Bigjono (Apr 21, 2009)

I order regularly from ALT but for higher price items expect UPS to hit you with duties, but then UPS screw you wherever you order from. Select the Royal Mail option.


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## Z3R0 (Nov 6, 2014)

I order from Alt very often and have had the same experiences. Alt themselves are fantastic - UPS not so much. For smaller and lower-valued orders they're my go-to. For larger orders, you have to account for UPS fees coming in a fair bit higher than USPS/CP fees and judge if Alt or Lancaster will end up cheaper overall. Sometimes Alt is still cheaper.

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## sask hunter (Jan 27, 2007)

I have ordered from both places at the exact same time. ALT had faster shipping but ditto on UPS. Lancaster is good - if you live close to a border town and can drive over and save the shipping into Canada.

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## Bigjono (Apr 21, 2009)

sask hunter said:


> I have ordered from both places at the exact same time. ALT had faster shipping but ditto on UPS. Lancaster is good - if you live close to a border town and can drive over and save the shipping into Canada.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk


That's exactly what I do


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## vviolet (Mar 28, 2017)

I've ordered several times and used Royal Mail. Very fast service; most things arrived within a week. Excellent customer service when something was missing in an order. Sometimes it's better to break up an order - I did this with my stabilizer and side bars and it was cheaper than shipping them together. I only was charged duty once on a more expensive item and it took 3 weeks.


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## bullrambler (Mar 11, 2006)

I have considered going to Lancaster Archery to see all the products that they advertise on a face to face basis. Maybe buy something while I'm down there. I've ordered from them and the delivery service took about a week to arrive in central Ontario. When I considered driving to LAS it wouldn't be to save on delivery fees as the fuel to get there and back would outweigh the cost of delivery to my door. But they do have some products that would be challenging to obtain in Canada.


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## bullrambler (Mar 11, 2006)

As far as Altservices UK is concerned I've just recently discovered the site. If I did purchase from them I would likely utilize the Royal Mail services as UPS is reliable but they seem to add costs when items are delivered to my door.


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## Bigjono (Apr 21, 2009)

Always use Royal Mail


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## Thumbs (Sep 8, 2013)

FYI always have items declared by shipper as "Sporting Goods" they're duty free.


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## Bigjono (Apr 21, 2009)

Thumbs said:


> FYI always have items declared by shipper as "Sporting Goods" they're duty free.


UPS still kill you on brokerage fees though.


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## Thumbs (Sep 8, 2013)

I once got dinged by UPS for $70. They said it was brokerage fees from USA but wouldn't produce any paperwork. I needed the package so I had to pay up. I now avoid them like the plague.


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## Piehunter (Mar 19, 2017)

UPS charges a brokerage fee for "Clearing" custom for you. You can clear the custom yourself, pay the taxes and provide UPS with proof of the clearing in order to avoid paying the brokerage fees. 

It is a little bit more troublesome but the rates that UPS charges are pretty steep compared to the work involved imo.

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