Ian W.
UK web site misleads UK customers.
If you live in the UK and visit cool frames.com you will directed to cool frames.co.uk where you will be impressed with the competitive prices. Select your frame and quickly check out safe in the knowledge that what you see is what you get and that you are dealing with a UK operation. In fact you are dealing with coolframes.com in Brooklyn. Thus it too three weeks for the frames to arrive. It also meant I was liable for £23 (around $50) in UK customs and tax charges and Royal Mail handling charges. So much for "free shipping to the UK". Thus the frames cost me than hadI stuck with a UK supplier. I don't object to import charges when I have knowingly purchased from a US company. I do however think it is sharp practice for coolframes.com to direct UK enquiries to cool frames.co,uk web site where products are priced in GBP, and delivery promised 8 days while not revealing that any order is subject to surcharges from UK customs. Their communications are good and they reply to emails quickly.
Response from Cool FramesOct 31, 2016
Hi Ian, Thank you for your order! I understand your frustration with receiving a customs bill upon receipt of your glasses. For our part, shipping from the USA to the UK is free. However, we, unfortunately, have no control over what the UK government decides to charge upon delivery for import. Frankly, it is often inconsistent, and not every customer ends up being charged. As for potentially misleading customers, I would have to say that on the final page of the checkout there has always been a notice in large, red text that all orders may be subject to customs and duty tax. We try to keep our pricing as low as possible for our UK customers so that even with a potential import fee our pricing will be similar or beat local competition.