Nice tip with the cable ties. Here’s an extract from my instructions -
You can then remove the complete light cluster by pulling towards the rear of the car. I find that gripping the circular part of the lens with one hand with finger tips of the other pulling backwards on the pointed end. Pushing on the rear of the cluster via the grommet hole might help. There is a location clip arrowed in the third picture so don’t try levering the pointed end of the cluster out sideways.
Full instructions are here -
Like you I paid over £90 for mine from the US. Here’s how it works. They are made in China and like most Chinese manufactured parts purchased direct from the supplier are sold at a very fair price. They are then purchased by a retail company in USA, Europe or Japan. That company pays for shipping and duties at the wholesale price. They have premises and wages to pay for and also want to make a profit so add a good chunk onto the price. The customer then comes along and purchases and has to pay another lot of shipping and duties on the retail price.
So when you and I bought ours from the US we ended up paying two sets of international shipping and two lots of duties as well as paying the wages and profits of a retailer.
I haven’t actually been presented with the bill for VAT, import duties and fees yet but have factored that into my price and obviously some profit for me too. Delivered by FedEx who are sods for letting you think you’ve got away without fees and dropping it on you three weeks later! If sales take off and I get into the quantity discounts but that starts at 30 units. This time I went with the minimum 15 which was still a fair outlay. They will even do them with my own branding on the box but that is only available if I purchase 1,000 units. More chance of me winning the lottery and I don’t even buy a ticket!