Marks & Spencer

[frootbat]

What customs are doing is completely fair - just applying the NZ regulations on duty and GST. You're lucky you get any duty / GST free allowance! Or is the right of immigrants to receive goods from their home countries at lower cost than they would be in NZ one of the articles of the UN Declaration of Human Rights?

Er.... New Zealanders can also shop from M&S online if they want to, you don't have to have a British passport. So can South Africans, Americans, Italians, all welcome!

[frootbat]

You really should try bookdepository....

And what's more... they usually send books separately, and an individual book is unlikely to get stopped at customs is it?

[cappuccino]

The last time I ordered from M&S (about a year ago), they didn't refund the VAT on the order despite ordering with a NZ credit card and address. This might have changed?

I read somewhere that M&S deduct the VAT but then add on the 'service charge' for sending overseas, separate from P&P. The price then works out the same as if you had paid VAT - unfair indeed!

[veronica]

at risk of sounding inflammatory whats so special about Marks and Spencers. I never shopped there when we were in the UK as I always felt that it was a tad frumpy, overpriced and selling on its name the same as a lot of other big brand organisations.
On the receiving from overseas we haven't had any problems with presents and duty, usually because they are individual items and the value has been low although I must say that I was under the impression that as long as you were under the $400 limit it was fine. With sending presents back home we usually opt to buy in the UK on line, either amazon, IWOOT or equivalent and get things sent to my sister to distribute.

[Rabbit]

at risk of sounding inflammatory whats so special about Marks and Spencers. I never shopped there when we were in the UK as I always felt that it was a tad frumpy, overpriced and selling on its name the same as a lot of other big brand organisations.

A good source for mens nickers, especially if you are over 40

[veronica]

strange you should say that, its the only thing we ever buy there!!! Pete stocks up on a few packs each time he goes back (he's over 60)

[bluesky]

at risk of sounding inflammatory whats so special about Marks and Spencers. I never shopped there when we were in the UK as I always felt that it was a tad frumpy, overpriced and selling on its name the same as a lot of other big brand organisations.

For blokes, they're good for work stuff like shirts, suits etc. I recently got a great suit sent from M&S in the UK for about $600. Would have cost well over $1000 for anything remotely similar quality wise here. Same with shirts, you can get really good mens shirts for about $60. Would be over $100 here. Agree that their more casual stuff can be a bit grandad-tastic.

[James 1077]

I use M&S for work shirts, chinos, socks, boxers and casual summer shirts.

There aren't many places that do extra large socks (most seem to be one size fits all - which doesn't seem to include those with size 13s!). They also do shirts with 2 inches longer on the sleeve and length which most other places don't do either (unless you start paying big bucks at specialist tall people shops!)