order cards online from US stores, from the EU

[Illissius]

Anyone around who has experience with this?

I basically have a couple of specific concerns:

- How is VAT handled? Is there any way where I don't have to pay it? (I heard somewhere that it only applies above a given price value, but not what it is, or where to find out...). And if I do have to pay it, how? According to Google, VAT is levied at the border... but since I'm not actually, you know, physically present at the border, how do I get the money where it needs to go, without delaying the cards getting to me if at all possible?

- How fast do the cards usually arrive? There's a tournament on the 13th of October, so, well, I'd need them by then. I notice there's a multitude of shipping options, but all besides the basic one can be rather expensive.

And is there anything else I should know? Like customs issues, or anything else...