As I said in my post above, I have always expected to have to pay the taxes etc, I have allowed for that. Also as I said above I found most of the information on the forum, it has been a great source of information for us.
The quotes I have recieved state that we are responsible for,
EVL: Local duties, inspections, taxes. Local quarantine, decontamination or immigration charges.
Britannia: Government warfage taxes, extensive customs inspections, x-rays and or agricultural inspection (if ordered) or fumigation (if ordered) and any subsequent quarantine charges.
Niether state a monetary amount for any of these "services", thats where other peoples experiences are useful on this forum. I am under no illusion that it is not going to cost me, I am a bit of a pessimist, I am allowing what I think is more than enough, if it costs less, all the better.
Maybe my original query should have been, has anybody had experience of their packing quality and shipping times as the quotes all makes it seem too good, as I am aware of the costs. Just didn't want breakages and insurance hassles if they can be avoided.
Thanks guys
Baz