Part of the new austerity package?

I'd still try and ask the seller though..... or, I'd wait patiently to pick a Kenko Pz-AF 1.5x SHQ - not so long ago there have been quite a few used ones on eBay UK (and even here if I recall correctly) that went for less than £100, even when everybody knew they (and the Tamron above, and now this Kenko 1.7x I'd never heard of before) were the only converters that would autofocus with SDM/HSM lenses.

I don't know how it works in the UK, but in France I never pay import taxes when I get stuff shipped with USPS Priority and the declared value is below 175€ (which from what I understood is the unofficial threshold below which Customs don't bother slapping on duties).
On the other hand I always get charged when it's shipped via USPS Express - I gess they treat it as commercial (it's not the same service that picks the parcels up once they land in France).
Here the buyer could always ask for it to be shipped as "gift", in my experience with USPS Priority it's never been a problem.

Pwynnej, there's this one if you want, it's cheaper and it will work with your DA*300:
TAMRON-F 1.4X Pz-AF MC 4
I have it, as well as the Promaster 1.7x converter, and I can't say that the latter adds that much more detail compared to the 1.4x version, even looking at 100% crops.

If the rumored new Pentax body does indeed come out with a Sony 24Mp sensor, those converters might not even add anything at all compared to a simple crop of the image without the converter.

Just got back from holidays, the K-7 is still for sale.

Never seen one of those before. I'm familiar with the 1.5x version, and I also own the Promaster Pz-AF 1.7x converter (which looks exactly the same as this one above), but I've never managed to make it work with SDM/HSM lenses, although it has the powerzoom contacts: the lense hunts forever without managing to lock focus.

Tamron Pz-AF 1.4x MC4 and Kenko Pz-AF 1.5x SHQ (not DG) are the only ones that will maintain AF with SDM lenses (but make it even slower than it already is, probably not good for birds in flight in my opinion).

I have a Promaster 1.7x which has the Power Zoom contacts, the SDM lenses try to focus in AF mode with it but never settle for the correct point, going back and forth forever. Same with the different 2x converters I've tried, Tamron and Kenko, even those with PZ contacts: focus is never achieved, regardless of the SDM/HSM lens and the DSLR body.

So you didn't get the Sigma 8-16 in the end?

Very interested... sending PM.

You're right John

I didn't think they were that cheap because I think I saw they're eBay price a little higher.
Even better for you then!

Mifsuds have the 8-16 new for £385 shipped at the moment, you could maybe buy from them and sell you DA15 Ltd here.