Gearbest already has a warehouse in EU.
They keep most of their labour costs in China and cover logistics + taxes here.
From Poland I can ship the cheapest package for €1.2 worldwide. 500g is €2.67 within Europe and €2.75 worldwide.
Lexel and Agro,
There are Customs limits so for example one can’t order lets say 3 flashlights that costs over 100 euro. Right?
I had so far most flashlight stuff coming through customs as they are declared below 22€
But best is to order one at a time, then i can pack multiple items and send within europe
of course bigger stuff than 500g needs a small package
10x20x20cm up to 25kg is 9.75€ tracking 500€ insured
on all those shops I had well over 100 orders last year, I payed 3 times customs 19% as it was bigger stuff with higher value declared
My friend and I ran a London based ebay store in the 2000s and we split up low value payment international ebay orders and re-shipped them from DE, NL, UK for a profit. German tax agents from Frankfurt send us a nice letter stating they will from now on combine some of our German packages due to the number of shipments and the “commercial appearance” of our operation. However, they also clarified that there potentially more efficient ways of taxation available for businesses.
Apparently European customs agencies run software that analyzes the shipping addresses (names/companies) and, if a specific frequency is triggered, several separate shipments can be combined and “taxed as one”.
I don’t think the tax agents actually believe that 99% of my shipments have “electronic components” worth 1.00$ as declared 
lately I had a flashlight over DHL Express labeled 1$ review sample no commercial value, no tax
Agree sad day if they start with declaratiom fee and VAT om every package in Sweden. It would kill most of the small private import from outside Europe.
Well the good newd is that you could use DHL for everything since they “only” charge 100kr+tax… and it might be worth it since they are talking about even longer handling times now.
The stuff from China is only duty free below e20 where I live. Then I pay 21% tax + 15 handling fee.
The Chinese seem to know that so just write a low price on the package.
Today I received something with a value of $25 but on the package is $6.76
Their price level varies a lot. Sometimes expensive but quite often good. Sanyo button top is now 5.49
Yup, but the price I question here is the shipping one. The batteries, by that time were cheaper (less than 5€) but the shipping costs is “too” high. More: I ordered a package from MTN last month and the shipment was even cheaper than from NKON 
(Despite I had to pay more 27€ because of Customs… :person_facepalming: )
These are some of the reasons why it is “better” to order from China, despite the time it takes to arrive, most of the times.
Having something in Europe that could deliver good flashlights/flashlight parts at good prices would be awesome, but I guess the european market may be very picky… :zipper_mouth_face:
I think it’s silly there isn’t already an EU flashlight (and related) parts store.
Would be great to be able to order small quantities of LEDs, drivers and what not.
The same store could also sell vape stuff, or RC stuff, you name it.
I guess when importing from China will be made unattractive, someone will get the brilliant idea to set up a webshop.
Funny that you mention RC and vaping - two areas of consumers products that actually have really good (and many) webshops in Europe, in pretty much all key regions/countries.
I am not sure whether there will ever be as many people in need of a good flashlight (or parts) compared to smokers or RC folks. I could be wrong, but all my RC events are packed with people from all ages, genders, families and backgrounds. Same for vaping - I don’t smoke but all my friends who do say there are even vape bars or cafes where you can hang out? they sell ejuice, parts, atomizers, coils, …
I guess these are just two industries that are much bigger than people who need a MCPCB, wires or a new LED every other month?
That’s a pretty huge import fee. Some ideas off the top of my head:
- Have your parcels delivered to someone else in another EU country without the import fee. Then have that friend forward them to you.
- Is this fee only for parcels through your postal service? What about using a private carrier like Fedex or UPS?
Yeah, i guess so…
This is sad news indeed. 
I feel lucky being in France when i read all the other sad stories regarding batteries import restrictions in many places. So far we can pretty much import anything without questions… Not sure how much is allowed before being subjected to taxes but it used to be around 100 euro - i’m usually well below on my chinese orders.
That said, i recently sent my MF-01 head to Lexel in Germany and it cost me more then 12 euro for 350g. When he sent it back to me it was only 3.60…!!!
Just inside France, the least you can expect to pay for shipping is 5-6 euro, and it may well go over 10 if the item size is above some dimension. I’m always puzzled when i place a $1-$2 order on AE and find it in my mail box 10-15 days later. This is certainly unfair to any business in EU. But then Amazon and a couple other stores adopted a “free shipping” policy regardless of the order. I can buy a single 8 euro book and receive it a couple days later no shipping fees.
There are a lot of things i don’t really get about postal services and the costs of shipping across borders or continents… :person_facepalming:
I wanna revive this thread, to vent…
In the last weeks, eventually months, I’ve started to get annoyed with one thing: lack of drivers to mod my lights.
Lexel has been out of business for a while (I hope he is better and recoverning!!!), and he used to be my main “supplier” of drivers to mod my lights, be it in 17mm, 15mm or in diameters. The drivers with Bistro HD OTSM and even drivers with Anduril are what I wanted, needed the most, as they are my favourite UIs.
led4power has also been “out of business” (although he hopefully will return soon and with more novelties and good stuff for us), but that makes it another gap as for getting good stuff to mod lights. The options are somehow limited to 17mm drivers, but they are good. And the leds available are pretty neat too!
Being LEDs and drivers what I/we need the most (not forgetting the other pieces as spacers, but kiriba-ru is still around), what options do we have in EU/Europe? Few to none, I guess! At least with theirs quality and reliability.
Buying from the USA (MTN) is quite expensive due to shipping and customs fees, although they have a variety of choice (specially different UIs in the drivers)
Buying drivers from China is somehow limited to what they offer (although Convoy and Kaidomain have good stuff, as Intl-Outdoor).
But I feel we are somehow limited in terms of options here in the old continent…
I wish I had the know how to make stuff, but that ain’t gonna happen… 
This is not a solution, just a vent… 
Led4Power is not “out of business”… He is doing some serious large orders for larger costumers…
I also currently have small order of 500 drivers from him and that is even not comparable to his larger orders… My order are peanuts…
So when you are occupied with some serious business you really don’t have much time for small business… But I am pretty sure L4P will find a way and time for small business in Europe.
It is just a matter of time…
Don’t take me wrong, and please don’t misinterpret my words 
I know that since last year he’s been working in the store and in other “large orders”, he said it himself . So, I , and the people reading the led4power thread know that he is still in business. And that he’ll be back (the earthquake was also a setback)…
But the thing is: is the store open? No! That is what I am referring to.
I am not a store owner so that I can/need/want to order dozens or hundreds of drivers or leds or whatever.
No, I’m just a hobbyist needin some drivers and leds to mod my modest flashlights. So, I won’t contribute much to the business.
But this thread is probably for that, to emphasize how we lack more options or at least more stable options here in EU/Europe to get good stuff. Even if us, smaller customers, do not generate hundreds of € or $ to maintain a business running :weary: Sad me :person_facepalming:
1st of July Germany takes VAT without exemption limit. Means: Paying VAT + VAT handling through DHL. VAT is not the problem, handling cost is (or cost for driving to customs). UK as an inexpensive EU port to China is gone due to Brexit, and LED4Power is down and will only reopen for clearance, if I understood correctly.
We’re screwed.