Importing a Toto WC to the UK, Help please!!

[WCinUK]

I am an american living in London, UK and need to replace the old, terrible toilet in my flat. All the local toilets I've seen here are terrible - they all have the 2" flush valve and seemed designed to ensure you have to clean the bowl after every 'serious' usage. If you have travelled to the UK at all, I'm sure you know what I mean....:o Anyway, I would LOVE to import a proper toilet - and from what I have read the Toto Ultramax or Carlyle with Sanagloss would be ideal (it must have a gravity system as the water pressure here is quite low). However I haven't found any local British supplier for Toto, nor will Toto USA export to the UK. Eljier seems willing to ship me one of their Titan toilets, and that will be much better than anything I can get here, but the Toto's are more stylish and seem to get slightly better ratings from the internet commentary, so I would still like to see if I can locate one. Does anybody know a plumbing supplier that would be willing to ship one of these units to the UK? Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance ...

[Gary Swart]

I'm guessing it may be hard to find anyone because of the danger of the toilet breaking during transit. I seem to recall that Terry doesn't like to ship them even a short distance. You might have a friend in the States get one and ship it to you. Here's an idea for packing. Several years ago I was in Italy and purchased some fancy glassware and had the vendor ship it home. When I got the box open, it was a solid block of styrofoam with my plastic wrapped glassware in the middle of the block and in perfect condition. I think a toilet could be packed the same way. Put the pieces in plastic bags, lay the pieces in boxes on top of styrofoam blocks to hold them off of the bottom of the box. Then fill the box with insulating foam. Put the sealed box in a wooden frame to provide even more protection. I think that would protect the pieces from breaking even under rather extreme conditions. There may be customs problems with this, so check first with both US and UK Customs.

[Mikey]

I bought my Toto Drake from a Web vendor and they shipped it via FedEx. It was packed in about 6" of squirted-in foam, so I don't see why it wouldn't survive a transatlantic voyage. I'd bet most vendors would be happy to give it a try for the right price.

[Cass]

Not knowing anything about foreign plumbing, is the flange, wax, and bolt set up the same there as it is in the US? and are they 12" rough in?

[Mike50]

Not knowing anything about foreign plumbing, is the flange, wax, and bolt set up the same there as it is in the US? and are they 12" rough in?

I don't either but FWIW the TOTO AQUIA dual flush is used in Thailand for 6 years now...in fact TOTO's are quite common in Asia. Toto does extensive manufacturing in Japan.


So your point of origin is not limited to the US across the pond.
I've been involved in quite a few export/shipping art (from US). Art shippers deal with very expensive pieces of art and I'm sure they can handle a $400 toilet.
They build you a custom wooden crate--that's how it's done.;)

I think you can find a vendor like Terry who will get the crate built and packed professionally. Then insure it and you will be good to go. The insurance is much less expensive than the crate itself.


Email TOTO to find out location of all distribution points. Toto is NOT limited to the United States. They are huge-- largest in the world...

Mike50

[WCinUK]

Thanks to all for the suggestions, especially what sort of technical questions I should be asking about installation and specifics on how it should be packed for shipping.

I have emailed Toto Japan but not recieved any reply, and have emailed several vendors from the Web and ****, but also not yet heard back. I suspect that this may seem to them like a lot more trouble than its worth, unless it is something they do fairly regularly...

There is something of a larger mystery here as well - why do none of these more high quality toilet makers have any market presence in Europe or the UK??? You would think there is a lot of money to be made here (at least as much as in Thailand!!)

Anyway, I will keep at it -- if anyone knows a specific vendor they think would be willing to give it a try, please do let me know! Thanks again!!

[Mikey]

Looks like an opportunity to me. Your next business card will start out: "Toto UK"...

[tamsindenton]

A little late in replying...but TOTO is now available in the UK - please see www.eu.toto.com (http://www.eu.toto.com)

http://eu.toto.com/site/TOTO/UploadedResources/category_page_thumbnail_toilet.jpg

http://eu.toto.com/site/TOTO/PageThumbnails/pagethumb_ncseries_pedestaltoilet_cw761y_235x225.j pg (http://eu.toto.com/site/TOTO/Templates/ProductDetail.aspx?pageid=70&cc=GB)