New EU / UK Relationship
From Jan 1st 2021 the UK has changed its trading relationship with the EU ( Brexit ) and this means that our customers will experience changes to the way items are shipped and fees that will apply on receipt of their orders.
This is affecting all orders shipped from the UK to customers in the EU and rather than stop customers from within the EU from purchasing our products we are still allowing orders. It does mean however that there are additional steps to the purchase and we need to ask for more information than normal. In addition to this information you will now have fees to pay on arrival of goods.
Previously our pricing included 20% UK VAT however this has now been removed from the pricing you see ( when viewing from an EU location ) it does mean however that the localized VAT will need to be paid on arrival of the goods.
Even though we have paid a 12% duty when the goods arrived into the UK from China the Brexit deal means that from an EU point of view the Duty has not been paid so a duty of 12% will also apply on arrival of your goods.
We will also need customers to provide us with their Tax ID ( TIN ) at point of order or their EORI number if they are purchasing as a business.
So in summary please be aware that on arrival of your tent you will have additional costs of 12% Duty and your local VAT Tax rate will need to be paid. We are making this as clear as we can at order placement so should you chose to reject the goods and fail to pay the fees the goods will be returned to us and the original shipping costs , return costs , any freight or government fees plus an additional 10% handling fee will be removed from any potential refund of your order.
10 Garden Activities To Keep The Kids Entertained During Lock down
You may feel a little lost, as times are uncertain and routines have changed. Most schools are closed, and most of the kids will be at home. So, maybe you wonder how to keep your little ones entertained. That’s why we’ve put together a list of some fascinating and creative ideas for moving their bodies, working their minds, and connecting their families.
1. Camping In The Garden
Sadly you can’t go to any camping sites, let’s camp out in the garden! Why don’t you build your own little camping trip in your back garden? Or, perhaps indoors! Set up a small or medium-sized tent like a Qube Tent or a Pod Tent in your garden, fill it with airbeds, sleeping bags, lamps and blankets. This backyard mini-vacation will entertain the entire family; it’s the perfect weekend activity to look forward to, especially during lock down!
2. BBQ Party
We’re heading towards summer, and it’s starting to get a little warmer, so what better way is there to celebrate than a good old BBQ in the garden with the kids? There’s a lot of different ways to cook and eat outside, whether it’s a disposable barbecue, a gas barbecue or a portable grill. So, cook some sausages, get some music on and enjoy a good time with the family!
3. Mini Sports Day
Since most of your kids won’t take part in their regular PE lessons when they’re at school anyway, how about creating your own mini sports day. Set up a collection of activities you need to do, such as a sleeping bag or pillowcase sack race, tug of war or an egg and spoon race (if you want to avoid the mess, we’ve got the perfect egg and spoon race set). Get the whole family involved in the game, keep yourselves fit and have lots of fun. There could even be a prize for the winner; after all, there’s nothing like a healthy competition!
4. Learn to Map Read
Schools are closed, and most kids are at home, so you might wonder how to feed the minds of your little ones. Okay, how about doing something educational with them, like learning to read a map? This way, at the same time, they can learn and have fun. You can choose from a wide variety of maps and map equipment online and then use the beginner’s reading manual for the Ordnance Survey Map.
5. Go, Nature Hunting,
Get into the garden, create a checklist on nature and see what your kids can find! This fun activity will encourage children to explore, have fun and learn all at once, from bugs to plants, rock and soil. Depending on how old the kids are, you can make various lists, so that the different ages will get involved.
6. Teddy Bears’ Picnic
If you have younger kids, then why not have a teddy bear picnic? Make a lunch buffet style and arrange indoors or outdoors. The kids will love getting involved in their toys while spending time with you. And if your children are older, have a picnic without the toys!
7. Treasure Hunt
Children love to explore, to work out puzzles and being rewarded; a treasure hunt does all that in one! You can set up indoor, outdoor or both! Clues can either be made on your own, or they can easily be found online. And even by leaving questions about Maths, English or other subjects along the way, you could make your search educational. Whatever you do, make sure the treasure is left at the end!
8. Gardening
Get into the garden, and do some jobs. Spend some time pulling up weeds with your children, clearing twigs and leaves, watering the flowers and even planting some new ones! Children love getting involved, so get your little helpers ready and enjoy work together on this job.
9. Arts and Crafts
Painting, drawing, cutting, sticking, and the list continues. Let your kids imaginations run wild with a day of arts and crafts, indoors or outdoors. They might paint pictures, paint stones or even paint each other! When the weather is gloomy, or you don’t have a garden, then you can easily do the arts and crafts inside-they can do some painting or make pictures from painted pasta shells.
10. Wash the Car
When your children are at home, use the time wisely and include them in some of the activities. Washing the car is the task that requires the most fun (anyway, for them). So, pick up some sponges, a bucket and water and let the fun start! And if you’ve got older kids, you might even get them to help you scrub the inside. That will make the job more enjoyable for yourself too!
Pods partner with Altezza Travel
Pod tents are pleased to announce that we have signed a distribution agreement with Altezza Travel to bring the full range of Pod tents to Tanzania & Kenya. Pod has been working with Altezza for a number of years designing Extreme tents for use on Mount Kilimanjaro and the exclusive agreement was a natural progression in our relationship.
Altezza Travel offer trips to Mount Kilimanjaro and the custom made Pod tents manufactured for them offer their clients a truly unique camping experience on the Mountain. Their positive client experience has lead to an increase in bookings for Altezza and the tents are now setting the standards and raised the expectations of clients in the region.
Altezza Travel Mount Kilimanjaro experience can be reviewed here
Their site states, You may climb the Mount by several routes, which have been established by the Tanzania National Parks Authority to avoid unauthorized Kilimanjaro hiking and preserve the pristine beauty of the wilderness for the generations to come.
We recommend Lemosho and Rongai routes for novices, Northern Circuit and Machame for the beginners, and Marangu and Umbwe for climbers with prior hiking experience. Camping on all routes except Marangu (where the night stops are in huts).
Altezza will be the exclusive distribution agents in the regions of Tanzania & Kenya for the full range of Pod tents including Pod Elite & Pod Extreme and custom made tents.
We would like to welcome Altezza to the Pod family and look forward to many years of growth and development in the region.
DofE Staff test Pod Tents
Here at Pod we are constantly approached by people and companies to try out our products and recently when approached by Tony Edwards the Duke of Edinburgh centre manager for Samual Whitbread School we were more than happy to have the product reviewed by people who know their way around tents. This is the review that Tony completed after 2 separate weekends of trying both the Pod Maxi and the Pod Minis:
“I am looking at tents for staff for Duke of Edinburgh expeditions I run at my school. We have a large number of participants for Bronze and Silver and it is important to us that the staff are also comfortable to enable them to support the students effectively whilst on expedition.
With the changing weather in the UK we also need space for securing kit and shelter for staff to stay out of the elements. I have looked at traditional style tents but they are cumbersome and more for family camping than what we need.
I found the pod tents online and contacted Jason – he kindly leant us one maxi and two minis with tunnels to try out for our Bronze weekend expeditions this season.
We used the Maxi on the first weekend where 4 members of staff slept on camp beds, there was loads of space for them and lots of spare kit. It was the weekend of the high winds so we were a little worried that, due to its height, it would stand up to the elements; we needn’t have worried, we put in all guy ropes with sturdy pegs and the Maxi won through.
The second weekend we used the two Minis with a tunnel in-between and again they were used for four staff members (2 in each pod for privacy). The innovative design with the tunnel offered a great solution for splitting couples or male/female staff.
Both tents and tunnels were easy to put up and down , just from watching the you tube video we were able to set up within 5 to 10 mins the first time we had used them. I am sure with more use we will become a lot quicker.
The fabric used, the design and stitching is all of high quality and we were very impressed. These would definitely be suitable for any staffing tents for DofE, Scouting or similar”
Tony Edwards, DofE Centre Manager, Samuel Whitbread Academy, Clifton, Beds
Import Duties & Taxes
We stock Pod’s in a number of global locations including the UK which covers all of the EU countries and also Las Vegas which covers the United States so as we import directly into these locations all the taxes and duties are calculated and covered in the pricing you see on our site.
Outside of these regions however customers are responsible for an localized taxes and duties that their countries might apply and it is their responsibility to pay for these additional costs when the goods arrive.
Around the world different countries apply different rules and rates and these often change so it is difficult to give a definitive answer on the global rates however the EU HS code for our product is 6306220000 and the USA code is 6306.22.9030.
From our recent experience you could expect to see an 18% duty applied into Canada , 15% into Mexico and between 35% & 100% into South America and this doesn’t include and local GST taxes these a purely duty rates so please ensure you investigate the “total” costs that getting your Pod delivered to your location might be.
We do make this clear in both our terms & conditions and also at the cart stage of the order processing and you will be billed for the delivery cost / any return costs and fee applied should you refuse to pay these charges on arrival of the goods into your country.
We can do everything possible to assist you in ensuring our paperwork is correct and as is required for the county of entry and this may result in us asking you for Tax ID numbers or company Tax information however our hands are tied once it arrives and the duties / taxes are due.
If you are in any doubt please contact the sales department prior to placing your order and they will do whatever they can to assist you sales@podtents.com
Pod Extreme Tents
In 2016 we were approached by Altezza travel a travel company who organise and facilitate trips on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, They had seen the Pod Elite range and wondered if they would be suitable for harsh mountain environments. After lengthy discussion we advised them that the Elite range would not be suitable however we had been looking at the possibility of introducing an Extreme range of tents for just such environments.
John Dennis Review of Pods
It was March this year when eyes were first laid on POD tents in a message sent to me via a friend on FaceBook. It instantly caught my eye and knew that it needed investigating. As an adventurer and expeditioner this was a product completely suited for a family adventure we had planned.
Not being one for writing review of products, purely as the amount used, would take a life time.
POD Tents Australia
We are pleased to announce that in order to bring the Pod range of tents to Australia we have partnered with Australia company to offer localized stock and support.
Pod Tents stocked in the USA
We are pleased to announce that as of July 2016 we now have Pod’s in stock in the USA , While we continue to search for the right retail partners for our products we have decided to use a 3rd party logistics company based in Texas to ensure that our American customers get their Pod’s quickly , efficiently and more importantly shipped at a competitive rate.
Pod’s used to educate & entertain kids
When we set about designing and producing Pod’s we thought we had covered everything the tents could be used for , family camping , Scouts , Military , Disaster relief , Temporary accommodation you name it we thought of it, however a company in England had a different vision for them and they are using them for an amazing interactive learning experience for kids..