Hi Ian ,
Just wondering if you had tried any of the UTM transformers yet ,they seem to be fast expanding the range of low level ,mu metal screened with pcb pinouts , I know you probably prefer to source closer to home when ever possible , but if its non obtanium and holding up production its not much good .
Im not sure how your affected by import duty and tax on purchases from outside the EU but I suspect you probably get clobbered , if theres anyway I can help keep costs down by redirecting a shipment via Ireland Im happy to help , Im finally a bit more organised logistically now as I have a rented storage space. Courier deliveries and dispatches are handled automatically at the front desk from 9-5pm , the main 'An Post' sorting office for the city is located in an adjacent building , there might be a creative way to do it so your package is of no concern to 'Er Indoors's' custom and excise . Choosing the right designation for the goods might be another way to get the stuff 'green channel' entry or maybe a lower rate of duty , I do know know that certain kinds of electrical goods avoid import duties in the EU , mainly were talking about consumer electronics such as mobile phones and their some of their accesories , Im not sure if the UK has similar systems in place or not.
Of course to maintain the full insurance coverage of the postal system you would need to quote a realistic value for the goods on the postal forms , no way around that . Couriers might be a different story , theres one co-op based courier here , each driver owns his delivery area and gets a set fee per package , I can tell some of these boys have come up the hard way and maybe cant apply for many standard jobs where a CV is required , a more effecient service you'll never see ,there like men on a misson , hungry for road, if you dont get out to the door fast enough to thank him and give him a tip he'll have spun wheels on you and on to the next job .
Fastway opperate multinationally yet the way the profit is shared ensures the responsabillity for delivery is on the individual driver in his local area ,it comes straight out of his take home pay if he doesnt . The Fed-EX or UPS guys dont give a crap if your stuff bounces around the county for days on end.