I have asked the seller if they can attach the nude mesh sleeve. I know one buyer who has done something similar and was able to get what she wanted (for like $10 extra), so I think I can get that out of them.

"Tomboy clothes", eh? Must be an occupational hazard. (Both of us are computer engineers!) Well, I don't know about Alexei... but if you have a nagging primary coach who whines "Are you going to wear your hair like THAT!" (it was in a ponytail), you BETTER clean up nicely!!!

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I asked them to add black mesh sleeves to the dress I just won and they said it would not be a problem (they didn't ask me to pay any more, either).

Like RachelSk8er, I also asked them not to stone the dress since I like to do it myself and I also am going to use this for a Spanish-themed program and would like to do a Spanish-themed stone pattern.

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I've got mad salchow disease!

My sister's an Import Broker, so I'll ask her about this and let you guys know what she says. She won't tip off Customs, don't worry.

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FYI - when I ordered a dress from Carrie Jones in the USA- it came through the mail regular post but the postman ran the bell to collect taxes, etc. Lucky for me - I had enough cash on hand.

In my experience ordering from USA, UK and others - sometimes stuff comes through regular mail without any problems, even if the item is not declared a gift, and other times the parcel has been held up at customs so I have had to go in person to pay the duties, taxes etc. before it would be released. In one case, I ordered blades that should have come in with reduced duty and I had to pay the higher duty then go after customs for a refund.

I certainly hope not as that's double what I paid for the dress including postage!!!

Still on the subject of customs, does anyone know if the value of the item includes what you paid for postage? I've found that if the value is under £18 then no duty is paid. The dress itself was way under this figure, but with postage it would be over that. I'm just curious as to how they work it.

I'm not overly bothered if I have to pay a bit, however I know others from the UK who have bought the same items and haven't had to pay, and it just seems pot luck if you get charged or don't.

Estimated arrival date is now up for tomorrow, I done a bit of detective work on google earlier and found the courier that is used once it arrives in England, so I'll keep you posted.

Value of an item can be either the cost to you (if it is less than the replacement value) ...or the true value. So if you paid X for a dress or pair of blades but the replacement or full selling price is Y - then duty is usually paid on Y if you claim that amount on the customs form.

Postage is not included as this is a service to send the item.

Uh oh... I found YET another dress... and they will do the stoning work for me... and I need the dress within the month....

Oh, dear...

__________________
Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I purchased a dress from this seller for my daughter. It is excellent quality and she gets compliments on it every time she has worn it. I definately recommend the seller (although the dress we purchased was already made so I do not know how quick she is on custom sizes)

Good luck deciding!

Bad news Jazzpants!!! This dress would look MUCH better on you.. it would emphasize a long body line, where the first dress (which is still beautiful) has a more horizontal line to it and would make you look shorter. The second purple dress would be better for your shoulders and hips too..... not that you asked for my opinion.....

From what I've understood from customs (and I've had pot luck on what I've paid) I think the £18 is what is declared on the invoice /customs declaration. So despite you being told by ebay that say the item is £5 and shipping is £20 if the customs declaration has it the other way around (so the cost is £20 and shipping is £5) then that's what they charge you. I doubt the bill will be £50 if it does get stopped. My sister has had dresses stopped at customs and a ski jacket and neither of those cost as much as £50. I don't think she paid more than £20 for either, but don't quote me. I paid about £20 for a couple of metal spinners which got caught. (Then again my carrie jones dress which was $100 in the sale managed to get through without being stopped and that invoice said something well over £18).
Fingers crossed customs isn't interested in yours. Let us know the prices if you do get stung. It's worth knowing what they charge for next time. I've got two skirts in the post from Canada and I'm hoping that they sneak through.

That dress is gorgeous.

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

You press the button marked "Quote" at the bottom right corner of the relevant post - you can delete anything you don't want in the quote. If you wish to quote several people, as I did, you press the " button - bottom far right - and then when you are ready you press the "Press Reply" button.

Then let's hope they'll let it go. They didn't mine, and I did have to pay around £50 on it, but then, I think it had cost around $200 in the first place (ordered it to be made in 2005 when we were at Adult Nationals, and it didn't arrive until quite a long time after we'd gone home. And it was NOT marked as a gift!).

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Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

It arrived today with no custom!!

It's also absolutely gorgeous, soft stretchy velvet and very well made. They also supplied additional rhinestones which I thought was a nice touch.

I just need to lose a few pounds now so I don't look like a blue elephant in it!!

I just wore mine for the first time (for testing) and it got a lot of compliments! I think I'm going to get stones tomorrow.

The sleeves were a tad annoying for freestyle, but I'll practice it in a bit and if I don't like it, I will just wear it for dance. I could always take off the flared parts and it'll just have 3/4 sleeves, but I like them for dance.

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

My daughter has an extremely OTT brown and orange one from this seller. Works really well for her Indian themed free program - she is a bit of a performer though and could see why it may not suit many kids.

She has one great figure skating dress from China - but - what we really are going to need in the near future is ice-dance dresses. Don't seem to be many at the CHinese stores and they do seem to be less available.

THey made a dress to order for my daughter and it was fabulous quality and quick! Great people to work with!

I suppose the only way I would get a real answer to my question would be to go out there and see for myself which is a bit extreme.

However as an awful lot of people seem to use them I would be worried about bumping into myself, so I will probably go to my normal dress maker.

Many thanks to all for your feedback.

Oh well, you and I can both look like blue elephants at Oxford, as I expect I'll wear my blue for at least one class!

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Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

The seller I bought from had some longer skirts, and actually made my skirt 2" longer for no extra charge. A lot of the other dress companies in the US will put a dance skirt on a dress for $20-40 extra.

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

Will be Bracknell and Guildford next year for me! Am hoping that leaves me plenty of time to look less elephant-like but with me and diets probably not!!!

Well I too have a nice new blue dress and hope to be in elephant mode at Oxford in 2009 lol!

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Level one Field Moves......PASSED 05.06.08
Level one Free dance.....PASSED 02.10.08

GOALS FOR 2009

• Level One Compulsary dances.......PASSED 19.02.09
• Level One Elements.....................PASSED 10.07.09
• Level Two Free dance.................PASSED 19.02.09
• Level One Free...........................
• Level Two compulsory dances.......

Loving it, Loving it, Loving it!!!!!

Maybe I'll come to Oxford '09 as a pink elephant instead, lol.

__________________
Amanda

"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance . . . "

My Skating Journal

I might see you there then. I would like to have gone this year but I'm not good enough for the lowest category even. I mean it would be an experience, but not in good way. I mean I'm likely to get my butt kicked out the rink even next year but you have to go with a bit of fighting chance don't you!!

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Level one Field Moves......PASSED 05.06.08
Level one Free dance.....PASSED 02.10.08

GOALS FOR 2009

• Level One Compulsary dances.......PASSED 19.02.09
• Level One Elements.....................PASSED 10.07.09
• Level Two Free dance.................PASSED 19.02.09
• Level One Free...........................
• Level Two compulsory dances.......

Loving it, Loving it, Loving it!!!!!

You wouldn't look like an elephant even if you came to Oxford this year! Wish you and sk8_4fun would come to watch.

Anyway, aren't you (both or singly) doing Dunkerque?

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Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Looked at the dances for the bottom level - both too advanced for me. Haven't done either of them yet!!!!

I'd love to come and watch Oxford - I'll have to see what trains go up there. Unless yourself and Mr R happen to be going through North London en route

__________________
Amanda

"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance . . . "

My Skating Journal