Importing parts from the States/International

Alot of you guys my already know the implications of importing international parcels, but those that don't, please be aware that our friendly HM Revenue & Customs chappies will want their slice of your pie.
Apparently, if it's goods sent from a company the threshold starts at £18 and if it's goods from friends, marked as gifts, then the threshold starts at £40.
The charges are the standard UK VAT rate for the tax man then the courier company will want an additional handling charge for payment they have to make for the customs charges.
As an illustration, I bought goods to the value of £77+ including the US carriage costs. Then when the goods get to the UK, VAT is charge at £13.04 then Parcelforce want a payment of £8 for paying the VAT on my behalf. So my £77+ as cost me £98+.
With VAT destined to go up to 20% the VATman will be getting an even larger slice of your pie.

Are you saying TNT and UPS inward goods don't get caught by custom charges Frenchie?
Via my work connections, I occasionally have to send out parcels to international destinations, and both courier company's that I use varified that the statutory VAT charges are correct on imported international goods. Not saying I'm right, but did ask the question to people who are involved in this business daily.
In my case, US priority mail was the chosen method by the seller, hence Parcelforce getting involved.
If TNT and UPS goods can avoid custom charges, then getting a quote could be a money saver.

I priced up some $80 manual hubs to be sent over by UPS and DHL both came in at around the £60 just for delivery.
Needless to say I declined the offer.

The postage on my item by US Priority Mail was $43 which is about £28 then the VATman extras get lumped on. The UK customs charge seems to have been applied to the whole consignment (item and postage costs). I guess the sender puts a total figure on the documentation for insurance purposes, which then gets interpreted by UK customs when the goods arrive in the UK.
Had I known, it might have been viable to negotiate a 'documentation' figure with the sender and run the risk of a under cost claim should the goods have got lost in transit.
When I bought the original pair from the same source last year, reckon I had bit of luck cause I didn't get caught with these charges.
God would I like to get hold of the thieving scrote who as caused me this aggro and then to top it, I see a pair have been listed on here today. Never mind, the sun shines tomorrow.

I ordered some bits from Independent4X in the US a few years ago. Total was about $150ish, With the VAT/Import Duty/carriage it worked out closer to $300. Still cheaper then I could have gotten the bits over here though.

I have imported stuff in the past and if its a friendly company that you deal with you can ask them to mark the value down thus missing vat or paying less downside is if item is lost insurance is only payed on the marked value