Importing from USA to UK

[kenito]

There has been a couple of threads on this before which I can't find. I think Dave (Dlloyd) did one.

Basically, I am looking for the cheapest and also a reliable way to import a bass from US to UK. Any recommendations ?

Cheers, K

[dlloyd]

There's been a couple which detail what you can expect to pay on importing used basses legally...

http://www.ernieball.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9845
http://www.ernieball.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13991

Basically, it's broken down as follows:

({(Price + Shipping)*1.032} + £6)*1.175) + £10

1.032 is import duty at 3.2%
£6 is VAT adjustment
1.175 is VAT
£10 is the carrier's fees for processing the item through customs.

I've seen and quoted other figures for import duty. I'm not sure where insurance gets put, whether it's a one-off fee or whether it gets included as shipping (and therefore gets duty and VAT added)

At the price most EBMM basses go used, you're pretty safe if you factor in an additional $300 - $350 to take shipping and taxes into account, assuming $100 shipping fees.

To decrease the overall cost, you're either going to have to reduce the shipping cost or artificially reduce the taxes by misdeclaring the value. That could, of course, get you into a heap of trouble.

Reducing the shipping costs could be achieved by removing the neck and sending in a smaller package.

[Beth]

Hi Kenito,

If you're caught trying to devalue the instrument, it could get seized by Customs and then you have to think of that Customs agent rocking out on your instrument. Boooo....

"Cheap" and "reliable" aren't usually in the same sentence when considering importing anything -- what would be the problem with buying it from your local dealer?

-Beth

[oldbluebassman]

Kenito, I've imported three MMs and other equipment from the USA to the UK in the last 3 years. Follow the rules regarding shipping and values, declare the actual value, use someone like Fedex where you can track the shipment, pay the duties and taxes and its very straightforward. Dave's figures above are pretty much spot on.

BTW Beth I couldn't have got these from a local dealer. One was an unusual '80 Ray, one was an '80 Cutlass and the '03 SR5 was Pacific Blue Burst (never seen another in the UK ever) and was a very reasonable price at a time whan it was $1.9 to the £.

It's just a fact of commerce that EB has an extra mouth to feed in the supply chain compared with your domestic sales, and that does inflate prices. What with the Internet and favourable exchange rates you can't blame us for wanting to get a good deal.

[Beth]

No, I don't blame you for wanting to get a good deal, we're all discriminating consumers. What I don't want to see is a US dealer who has signed a legal contract with us, breaching those contract terms and lying to us for the sake of UK demand.

[oldbluebassman]

Understood. Mine were all private purchases.

Just out of interest how would someone stand if they flew to the USA , bought an instrument while they were there and carried it back with them?

[Beth]

IMHO, I don't think it would be fair to tell someone that they can't walk into a shop in the USA, buy something, and then bring it home with them. However, I have heard that some US dealers have breached contract and been caught so many times that they are not even allowed to sell to someone on vacation from a different country. They have screwed themselves in order to respond to international demand for a good deal. Sucks to be them.

[Big Poppa]

Listen
This is coming up alot these days. It is a good thing in that there is more demand for our product. There is an extra mouth to feed but they provide a set of very valuable tools and support. They handle warranty, spare parts, advertising, warehousing and a host of essential services. I think the biggest reason to support your local distributor is for that support.

[Beth]

Very well put, BP. Let's give a "hip hip hooray" to all the blokes at Strings and Things!! We love you guys!!!

[oldbluebassman]

Thanks BP.

Although now retired, I spent my working life in the international electronics industry and fully understand what you are saying. Unfortunately many, especially the younger among us, and I correspond with a lot of them through Forums like Bassworld.co.uk, have no knowledge how commerce works or how these support and marketing functions get funded. All they see is a price differential. Perhaps basic commerce should be on the school curriculum.

[Beth]

Perhaps basic commerce should be on the school curriculum.

Here here! I wish there were a lot of real-life lessons taught in public schools these days, international commerce would be extremely valuable considering globalization and internet trade.

[oldbluebassman]

Also maybe the EBMM Product Manager at Strings and Things, if they have such a person, should be a little more visible to the UK market through sites like Bassworld. Marketing and promotion isn't just about placing adverts, attending trade shows and placing instruments with prominent users.

BTW I have no connection with bassworld other than as a member. Last month we had a get-together of over 40 bassists from the UK where we each took some of our equipment for the others to try. I took my '80 preEB Ray and, because it was properly set-up, managed to change several members opinions about Stingrays. They had previously tried bad to indifferent instruments in shops and formed a bad opinions of them.

[bassmonkey]

Hi BP,

Hope you enjoyed your vacation.

My problem with shops in the UK is one of variety. I live in a small city. We have a shop here that stocks EBMM products. However, they have a limited range due to demand being low(due to the local population).

I fancy a 5 string next, however, if I'm lucky they may have an SR5 in stock for me to try, but no chance of a Bongo(4 or 5 string!) in any configuration or any of the twin PUP SRs.

You can't really blame people who go on vacation to the US, visit a store there, where they can try every configuration of Bongo/Stingray, buy it and even with taxes paid at the airport, end up paying less than if they bought in the UK.

I realise these issues are not your fault and you cannot really do much about the mark up UK shops put on the product. You have heard about rip-off Britain haven't you.

I just thought you should be aware of the issues pertaining to EBMM fans in the UK, if you are not already aware of this.

[bovinehost]

These issues have come up often enough that I know for a fact that BP is well aware of them.

You can't really blame people who go on vacation to the US, visit a store there, where they can try every configuration of Bongo/Stingray, buy it and even with taxes paid at the airport, end up paying less than if they bought in the UK.

Or anywhere else in the world - no, you can't blame the customer. But EBMM does hold the retailers responsible, and while I can't control where the bass goes after I sell it inside the United States, I have to be aware of what I'm doing.

If we're talking used instruments, then let the games begin.

If we're talking new instruments, then the customer who buys in the States and takes it to Finland or Iceland or Slovakia has no warranty.

And if you think your selection of instruments is spotty now, what happens if the lone distributor in Finland or Iceland or Slovakia goes under because customers are importing used instruments (or somehow skirting the dealer agreements and getting new ones)?

I'm a consumer, too, as you all know. (Especially if by consumer, we really mean 'senseless gear whore'.) I can relate to the limited selection or availability and the price differential, so I'm not preaching here. I get it.

But I think we're talking about used instruments anyway, right?

Jack

[Beth]

And if you think your selection of instruments is spotty now, what happens if the lone distributor in Finland or Iceland or Slovakia goes under because customers are importing used instruments (or somehow skirting the dealer agreements and getting new ones)?

Jack

Thank you, Jack. A very well-thought-out point indeed.

Used instruments - go for it!