Buying gear in the U.S

[krokit]

Hi guys

When ever Ive bought something from the U.S and it gets shipped over here to London Im hit with import duty or fedex fees or something. Are there any tips/tricks how I can get around this? I half remember hearing somewhere that if the sender says that the package is a 'gift' then this can help avoid import fees?? Any ideas??

Cheers

 

[jeid]

The gift method works. Well, it most certainly used to. I've heard that customs is coming down hard on that now though

 

[kev]

Nah, gift will not avoid fees no Krokit. The way to do it is to have the item marked down to $50 at the shipping end, works a treat. However, if it were to get lost or damaged then you are liable. I take the risk : )

 

[krokit]

Thanks guys

Thats interesting kev..So the person in the states is in on the game then presumably, and registers the package as being worth $50 or less?

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

I've heard the customs officials have finally learned to use Google up here, so sending a Gibson from overseas and marking it down to $20 doesn't work anymore :/

 

[krokit]

I've heard the customs officials have finally learned to use Google up here, so sending a Gibson from overseas and marking it down to $20 doesn't work anymore :/

LOL!

No, its not a guitar!

 

[kev]

Thanks guys

Thats interesting kev..So the person in the states is in on the game then presumably, and registers the package as being worth $50 or less?

Yep, it's worked here every time. Jarkko's comment is interesting though!

 

[krokit]

Nice one kev. Ill give it a shot.

 

[kev]

Nice one kev. Ill give it a shot.

I wish I explored the trick before the first time I did an import dude. £130 on a Fender Strat. Fucking government already take 1/3 of my earnings and 17.5% of whatever I buy, so they arent having money off me when i import something.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Yep, it's worked here every time. Jarkko's comment is interesting though!

Yeah, but it applies only to Finland AFAIK, so don't worry

 

[Trevoire520]

I wish I explored the trick before the first time I did an import dude. £130 on a Fender Strat. Fucking government already take 1/3 of my earnings and 17.5% of whatever I buy, so they arent having money off me when i import something.

Plus 10-40% on your savings.
Plus inheritance tax when you die (assuming you're above the threshold)

Tax on money that's already been taxed!

All so that they can have all their expenses paid so they never have to go into their own pocket for anything. Tight bastards!

Sorry for the OT. I'm just bloody annoyed at this whole system.

 

[Ermz]

Yeah, it's scummy to all hell. I don't recall ever agreeing to it when being born.

 

[grkmetlhed]

I wish I explored the trick before the first time I did an import dude. £130 on a Fender Strat. Fucking government already take 1/3 of my earnings and 17.5% of whatever I buy, so they arent having money off me when i import something.

you guys are getting screwed....don't worry, we'll catch up here in the US in no time...And we'll still have to pay for our health care and College/University costs...

a lil OT, but kinda related: Here in the US, its easy to get around paying sales tax by buying something mailorder in another state (out of state sales aren't taxed)...While that works great for the consumer, It's definitely shitty for the local business owner that gets screwed because the govt. makes him collect tax on his sales, making his prices seem higher. So some kid goes into a local music store (out of the few good ones that are left that aren't corporate chains like Guitar Center) tries out an amp, and some guy in a cubicle 1200 miles away gets the sale because that saves the kid 100-200 bucks in sales tax...So not only did the local guy lose the sale, but he also had to subsidize the sale (his power bill, rent, cost of a demo unit) to the mailorder place that has smaller overhead. (people on phones in cubicles, everything in the original shipping boxes from the manufacturer)

So..if the purpose of import duties is to persuade you to buy locally, I can see the logic in it, as bad as it sucks..what really sucks is I can probably buy a Mesa for retail here for less than a store's wholesale cost in another country...

Sorry for the rant, I have a soft spot for independent businesses, and hate big chain stores...they've sucked the life out of our culture here in the US...

 

[narcossintese]

The US Shop that sent me a new ReAmp V2 marked the package as "used guitar pedal" and it didn´t envolved any tax.

 

[tgs]

Nah, gift will not avoid fees no Krokit. The way to do it is to have the item marked down to $50 at the shipping end, works a treat. However, if it were to get lost or damaged then you are liable. I take the risk : )

I asked a friend in USA to buy some mics for me some years ago. They were about 1000 euros in total, probably would cost 2000 in Europe. He put the value to $50 I think. The package got lost and nobody knew where it was until more than 3 months later when it finally arrived at my post office. I ended up having to pay some customs fees, but I would have gladly paid more to not have to sit and worry for 3 months.

 

[jangoux]

I've heard the customs officials have finally learned to use Google up here, so sending a Gibson from overseas and marking it down to $20 doesn't work anymore :/

happened to me a couple years ago. I bought a studio projects vtb1 preamp USED for $70, the custom guys googled it and printed a sweetwater webpage where it cost almost $200 new. Of course they charge the taxes over the $200 and i paid more in taxes than on the price of the preamp.