Importing Guitars

cobhc

cobhc

Amiga Enthusiast
Oct 30, 2003
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Nottingham, England.
Ok, so I'm going to the US in September for 3 weeks, and I'm looking to bring a guitar or a bass home with me. Does anyone have any experience with doing this? Any rough estimates on customs charges, etc? Also it is worth not declaring you have anything, then crumble when they question you? Or is this a bad idea, and does it give them license to break out the gloves and fuck you over?
 
Yeah, I'm just worried about getting it back through customs in the UK, is there anyway they can prove i didn't take one over there in the first place, I mean could I be dishonest about it, and make out it's mine and I took it with me?
 
Yeah, that's true. Not like I'm gonna be bringing it back with full receipt, etc. Because I'll lose out on being able to take it back and such anyway. And I'll no doubt sit and play it unplugged while I'm over there, so it won't look brand new in the case. I'm very tempted to just buy one, with a flight case, either take it as hand luggage if they'll let me, or just stick it in the hold and never declare anything. But like I said, if they catch me and question me, is there any consequences to just owning up and paying whatever needs paying? Like will I pay more, or will I get a fine/a slap on the wrists?
 
Do it as a carry-on in a gigbag, and stick it in the overhead. That's how I got my ESP over here to Germany with me, and I wasn't given any hassle or required to write down or document that I brought the guitar onboard at all. I'd really just play it off like it was yours to begin with!
 
I bought a Les Paul in the US and brought it back to Ireland a few years ago. Carried it on the plane in a gig bag and just walked through "Nothing to Declare" in customs. Had no problems
 
cobhc said:
Sorry Jeff, not quite following what you did. You took a guitar from the US over to Germany? On a one way flight?
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Well I'm flying back at the end of the month, but the airline let me take the guitar on as a carry-on, in addition to my briefcase. Call the airline you'll be taking and ask them their policy on guitars. At worst, you'd have to gate-check it (hand it to a gate hand right before boarding, doesn't go through the same violent throwing procedure that normal checked baggage goes through), but you should be able to bring it on as a carry-on, and stow it in the overhead compartment.
 
Too bad the Finnish toll is extremely anal about anything tollable. There is no way at all you'll get items in/out of Finland without paying the full 22 % VAT and 3,7 % toll if the gear is new, and you're not coming from a trip in another EU country, or you don't have an EU country check for the proof of purchase.

Whenever you come here, you must personally make all the evidence/proof that you own the equipment and prove that you have not bought it during your trip. Guilty until proven otherwise, if you please. When you leave here on a trip, you must show them what equipment you are bringing with you, and when you return you must show that it's the same gear you're bringing back (so, no buying a cheapo 5 euro "guitar" and bringing that 5000 USD Gibson back instead).

It's complete bullshit, but that's how it is here. I personally think that is also one of the reasons why foreign (mostly US) bands usually skip Finland during European tours where they do visit Sweden and Russia and maybe Estonia.
 
hmzzz Finland is worse then Norway? I brought a couple of guitars over to my dads place, he lived in norway and i'm from the netherlands, brought him alot of dutch candy n cheese n stuff like that. My car wuz just packed as hell!!! no problems @ all. so did it twice actually.
 
DSS3 said:
Well I'm flying back at the end of the month, but the airline let me take the guitar on as a carry-on, in addition to my briefcase.
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Pssshhh, briefcase, you pretentious ass :heh: What's the occasion for your stay in Germany, by the way? Pretty cool way to spend a month of your summer!
 
JJO said:
hmzzz Finland is worse then Norway? I brought a couple of guitars over to my dads place, he lived in norway and i'm from the netherlands, brought him alot of dutch candy n cheese n stuff like that. My car wuz just packed as hell!!! no problems @ all. so did it twice actually.
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Well, that happens if you fly here, though. Drive through Sweden or Norway to Finland and there's no problem :lol:
 
You can bring guitars and other things to Mexico without any problem, because it is declared as personal baggage, i don´t know how to say it, but is like if you buy a Camera or a Laptop, you can bring it without problem with customs, i don´t know in the Uk but you could check it with the customs department first. when i bought my first new guitar from the US, i was in the same position as you hehe, just make sure first.
 
Torniojaws said:
Too bad the Finnish toll is extremely anal about anything tollable. There is no way at all you'll get items in/out of Finland without paying the full 22 % VAT and 3,7 % toll if the gear is new, and you're not from an EU country, or you don't have an EU country check for the proof of purchase.
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If you think that’s bad, I tell you how much taxes we must pay here if we import anything:
50% VAT.


Yes, we have to pay it 150% it’s original price (plus the shipping, of course).
For example, I just bought a Dean Razorback for 1200 u$s from the USA. How much did it cost, in the end? 2k u$s w/shipping. Fuck*ng rip-off.

I really, really hate this country. It’s not like we earn more money than other countries - roughly speaking, the average income per-capita is 500 u$s/month. Of course there are people that earn more (right now I’m getting paid like 1200 u$s/month), but most people get that money or less.

It’s so damn hard to work things out.

Sorry for the outrage, just had to let it out :lol:
 
I hear you, Proggm.
Ahh, yeah, that kinda stuff fucking sucks over here.
Dunno where are you from, I guess BsAs... But I'm pretty sure that not the average per-capita income at here. It's quite lower.
Anyway, my dad bought 2 axes and a head for me from the US FWIW. One at a time. Brought them with him like any other luggage. No questions, no hassle.
 
DSS3 said:
Do it as a carry-on in a gigbag, and stick it in the overhead. That's how I got my ESP over here to Germany with me, and I wasn't given any hassle or required to write down or document that I brought the guitar onboard at all. I'd really just play it off like it was yours to begin with!
Click to expand...

Isn't that incredibly bad for the instrument, and precisely the reason they invented flight cases?


My advice:
Buy the flight cases in the UK, and stick a couple of "pawn shop, $30 beater-guitars" in them. Fly over here with those, trash the "beaters" when you pick up your new ones, and fly home. Check some of the airlines baggage-check costs online. I know that it's gotten more expensive in the last 2 months. The Darkest Hour guys were pitching a fit about it the last time I dropped them at the airport.
 
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