Fabric price woes
05-27-2015, 11:46 PM
#21
Super Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: The Granite City, Scotland
Posts: 1,635
I order from Hancocks all the time - they have a discounted shipping rate of $10 per $50 spend. The first 5 or 6 orders slipped through OK, but my last few orders have incurred Import Tax and a handling fee. I think I must be on some list, lol!
That said, even with the shipping and Customs fees, I'm still only paying around half of what it costs here, so the fees are a risk worth taking
.
I'm afraid I seldom buy fabric from my LQS unless fabric is on sale, but I support them in other ways, classes, drop ins etc. and have bought two sewing machines from them.
That said, even with the shipping and Customs fees, I'm still only paying around half of what it costs here, so the fees are a risk worth taking
. I'm afraid I seldom buy fabric from my LQS unless fabric is on sale, but I support them in other ways, classes, drop ins etc. and have bought two sewing machines from them.
05-28-2015, 12:11 AM
#22
Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: UK
Posts: 92
I order from Hancocks all the time - they have a discounted shipping rate of $10 per $50 spend. The first 5 or 6 orders slipped through OK, but my last few orders have incurred Import Tax and a handling fee. I think I must be on some list, lol!
That said, even with the shipping and Customs fees, I'm still only paying around half of what it costs here, so the fees are a risk worth taking.
I'm afraid I seldom buy fabric from my LQS unless fabric is on sale, but I support them in other ways, classes, drop ins etc. and have bought two sewing machines from them.
That said, even with the shipping and Customs fees, I'm still only paying around half of what it costs here, so the fees are a risk worth taking
. I'm afraid I seldom buy fabric from my LQS unless fabric is on sale, but I support them in other ways, classes, drop ins etc. and have bought two sewing machines from them.
05-28-2015, 12:35 AM
#23
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Coventry, UK
Posts: 70
I order from Hancocks all the time - they have a discounted shipping rate of $10 per $50 spend. The first 5 or 6 orders slipped through OK, but my last few orders have incurred Import Tax and a handling fee. I think I must be on some list, lol!
That said, even with the shipping and Customs fees, I'm still only paying around half of what it costs here, so the fees are a risk worth taking.
I'm afraid I seldom buy fabric from my LQS unless fabric is on sale, but I support them in other ways, classes, drop ins etc. and have bought two sewing machines from them.
That said, even with the shipping and Customs fees, I'm still only paying around half of what it costs here, so the fees are a risk worth taking
. I'm afraid I seldom buy fabric from my LQS unless fabric is on sale, but I support them in other ways, classes, drop ins etc. and have bought two sewing machines from them.
05-28-2015, 01:29 AM
#24
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Suffolk, UK
Posts: 3,533
Okay Ladies.... Here is my twopence worth.
It hurts when I pay exorbitant prices for fabric here compared to the U.S. but I put up with it as I love quilting and would miss it terribly if I stopped. BUT I object to buying piecemeal bits of fabric....... For example, LQS here never seem to carry a full range of fabrics, just the ones the shop owner found appealing.... So I look on line, find some fabrics on a pattern or US site that I love and try to buy them here only to be told that they have only a few fabrics from that particular range. So when you see a quilt made using a particular range that you want to make... It takes weeks to find the fabrics.
Now here is the way to get fabric Customs free! If you have a friend in the US, get them to buy he fabric for you and to post it in a flat rate envelope ($24.95) which will take 6 - 8 yards depending on the length and the fold of the fabric. As the friend purchased it they can legitimately send it to you as a gift which will not incur taxes and customs up to a cost of £75 (I think... But please check the HMRC website).
hugs to all and happy quilting.
Caroline
It hurts when I pay exorbitant prices for fabric here compared to the U.S. but I put up with it as I love quilting and would miss it terribly if I stopped. BUT I object to buying piecemeal bits of fabric....... For example, LQS here never seem to carry a full range of fabrics, just the ones the shop owner found appealing.... So I look on line, find some fabrics on a pattern or US site that I love and try to buy them here only to be told that they have only a few fabrics from that particular range. So when you see a quilt made using a particular range that you want to make... It takes weeks to find the fabrics.
Now here is the way to get fabric Customs free! If you have a friend in the US, get them to buy he fabric for you and to post it in a flat rate envelope ($24.95) which will take 6 - 8 yards depending on the length and the fold of the fabric. As the friend purchased it they can legitimately send it to you as a gift which will not incur taxes and customs up to a cost of £75 (I think... But please check the HMRC website).
hugs to all and happy quilting.
Caroline
05-28-2015, 02:07 AM
#25
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Jozefow, Poland
Posts: 4,474
Okay Ladies.... Here is my twopence worth.
It hurts when I pay exorbitant prices for fabric here compared to the U.S. but I put up with it as I love quilting and would miss it terribly if I stopped. BUT I object to buying piecemeal bits of fabric....... For example, LQS here never seem to carry a full range of fabrics, just the ones the shop owner found appealing.... So I look on line, find some fabrics on a pattern or US site that I love and try to buy them here only to be told that they have only a few fabrics from that particular range. So when you see a quilt made using a particular range that you want to make... It takes weeks to find the fabrics.
Now here is the way to get fabric Customs free! If you have a friend in the US, get them to buy he fabric for you and to post it in a flat rate envelope ($24.95) which will take 6 - 8 yards depending on the length and the fold of the fabric. As the friend purchased it they can legitimately send it to you as a gift which will not incur taxes and customs up to a cost of £75 (I think... But please check the HMRC website).
hugs to all and happy quilting.
Caroline
It hurts when I pay exorbitant prices for fabric here compared to the U.S. but I put up with it as I love quilting and would miss it terribly if I stopped. BUT I object to buying piecemeal bits of fabric....... For example, LQS here never seem to carry a full range of fabrics, just the ones the shop owner found appealing.... So I look on line, find some fabrics on a pattern or US site that I love and try to buy them here only to be told that they have only a few fabrics from that particular range. So when you see a quilt made using a particular range that you want to make... It takes weeks to find the fabrics.
Now here is the way to get fabric Customs free! If you have a friend in the US, get them to buy he fabric for you and to post it in a flat rate envelope ($24.95) which will take 6 - 8 yards depending on the length and the fold of the fabric. As the friend purchased it they can legitimately send it to you as a gift which will not incur taxes and customs up to a cost of £75 (I think... But please check the HMRC website).
hugs to all and happy quilting.
Caroline
I know that I'd do it for you next time I go to the states...I feel for you all.
I know that I buy stuff and send it back to myself here in Poland via boat - and it is cheap as it isn't the mail--takes 3-8 weeks.
The mail is expensive and draws more attention. When I ship to myself, I consider everything I sent used and it is labeled at yard sale prices. We can get (daily) under $45 worth before we pay customs. I would think that it would be the same for you as we are in the EU. If it is a gift, then it is valued at $0, so there shouldn't be any customs charge. (I will readily admit that I pretty much only put fabric that I picked up at thrift stores in these boxes, however. I bring the more expensive stuff in my suitcase/carryon.)
A friend of mine put a value of more than that on some charity lap quilts that she made us. I had to go in, pay $40 or something like that in tax (based on the declared value) and received the quilts (which I could then give away). I told her about it and she will remember to put $0 on the declared value in the future.
Last edited by justflyingin; 05-28-2015 at 02:09 AM.
05-28-2015, 02:07 AM
#26
Super Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: The Granite City, Scotland
Posts: 1,635
A $50 order has the $10 Shipping charge - works out at around £38 and incurs £12-14 Import VAT/Handling.
If you get hit, don't be surprised if you get an email from a company called 'Customs Clearance Ltd.' instead of a Post Office card - it's the handling company for fees and not a spoof or spam - at least in this area and they take PayPal. Watch your 'Junk' folder 7-10 days after the Hancocks shipping email in case! Your parcel is delivered a couple of days after payment.
Hancocks (link) has loads of fabrics at $4.99-$6.99 and they have a lot of nice backing fabrics too
Their Customer Service is great too - I had a small hole in a backing fabric and sent them the photos. They replaced it without question
If you get hit, don't be surprised if you get an email from a company called 'Customs Clearance Ltd.' instead of a Post Office card - it's the handling company for fees and not a spoof or spam - at least in this area and they take PayPal. Watch your 'Junk' folder 7-10 days after the Hancocks shipping email in case! Your parcel is delivered a couple of days after payment.
Hancocks (link) has loads of fabrics at $4.99-$6.99 and they have a lot of nice backing fabrics too
Their Customer Service is great too - I had a small hole in a backing fabric and sent them the photos. They replaced it without question
05-28-2015, 02:12 AM
#27
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Jozefow, Poland
Posts: 4,474
I bought 30yds of fabric from thousands of bolts. postage was $55 (for 11-30 yds) - total cost was $250. If I'd bought it here, would have cost me $650. New lines, toile and such can be $32 metre in the LQSs, and discount shops usually charge $10-26 for 'better' fabrics, with sale items down to $5pmt. I don't really know why the cost is so high, but I do know the shop owners put on a hefty mark-up, and probably the middle man does too. If I had done that in the grocery business I'd have gone broke.
05-28-2015, 02:20 AM
#29
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 4,116
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