Buying guitars from US

[heavymetaljames]

Hi - Has anyone in the UK ever bought a guitar from the US? If so can you tell me how much TAX - AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! - if any (wishful thinking ) gets slapped on when it gets to the UK?
So basically if a guitar cost say $500 and shipping to the UK was $150 - I'd be thinking OK might do that - but then before postie delivers it to me I have to pay £300 pleasure TAX - AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! (These figures are made up btw)
I once ordered some bulk strings from US - not EB's - but sold them and replaced with EB's - when I went to Post to collect them had to PAY £20 pleasure TAX!


So if anyone's had any experience of this I'd be grateful of some knowing!

 

[steveh]

As a rough and ready guide it's about +20% of the USA price. Last time I did it (and I've done it several times, both electric and acoustic, from shops and EvilBay) it was 17.5% VAT + 2.5% 'import tax', whatever that is.

Steve

 

[steveh]

...and by the way, they NEVER forget to ask for VAT/tax in my experience.

A friend of mine got a PRS last year and thought he was clear of the woods...the demand fell though his letter box a month later. I've had guitars quarantined at Stanstead by FedEx until the duties are paid. Still well worth it in £££, depending on the exchange rate and what you're buying though....oh for when it was 1.9 USD to the £!

 

[heavymetaljames]

Cheers Steve - that helps a lot - I never bothered before - but you never know if I see a must have from a Shop or 'EvilBay'! - LOL.
Mind you that's where I got my Axis from and found out about this forum!

 

[DaveB]

I have bought from the US many times and have had "variable" amounts of tax added.

Officially people are right in saying you could get stung for a max of 20%.

However there are a few ruses - especially of you arent buying a new one.

Get the sender to undervalue it when they write out the docket - try as much as you can get away with but be aware that if you have insurance thats all you'll get back.

I have a mate in the US who sent me two guitars and put one down as a gift (he even put a birthday card in the case ) That came through with very little tax.

Be careful with anything going through Heathrow - there is a customs guy there who has forgotten more about guitars then we all know put together!

Alternatively you could do what I did and walk through the green channel with Mr Horsepower in a gig bag on my back and two flight cases on the trolley in front of me

Dave

 

[Bungo]

Friend of mine came back from The States with a new guitar in a case that he'd carefully scuffed to hell to make it look like an old one that had not been bought on that trip.

He might have got away with it if he hadn't put the receipt in his suitcase where it was just itching to be found, instead of posting it home!

Large fine ensued apparently. Still only brought the total cost up to the UK price though!!!!

D'oh!

 

[Jonny Dubai]

I had my Kotzen guitar shipped from Japan to here in the UAE. Took an Indian driver we have at the school 3 trips and a final 2 hours to get it out of customs!

Need to get that sorted!!

Jonny

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I have bought from the US many times and have had "variable" amounts of tax added.

Officially people are right in saying you could get stung for a max of 20%.

However there are a few ruses - especially of you arent buying a new one.

Get the sender to undervalue it when they write out the docket - try as much as you can get away with but be aware that if you have insurance thats all you'll get back.



Dave

This is the way I have done it on 2 occasions now. First time I paid nothing, second time I paid only £15.

 

[heavymetaljames]

Hey - thanks guys - interesting stuff!

 

[Beth]

Hi Heavymetal James,

If you have a Music Man instrument shipped to you from the USA let me warn you:

-there is no warranty on it

-the VAT and import tax actually amounts to 100% of the value of the instrument. Everyone else lied. and...

-small elves dressed as the Grim Reaper will follow you around and flick your ear until you go insane.

JUST KIDDING! (Well, except about the warranty part.) What's wrong with going to your local dealer?

-Beth

 

[Dakine]

OK
NOT stirring the pot again Beth but have a very serious question.
I am a UK citizen.
My father has terminal cancer.
I am therefore moving back to UK in few months.
I have an Axis and am about to have (fingers crossed) a new JP6.
Do I take it that, due to moving back to be with my father at this time, my warranty will be null and void?
Special situation I know, but I would like to know the answer.
Thanks,
Nick

 

[Beth]

Hey Nick,

Naw, just if you have any problems let me know and we'll take care of you.

All the best to you and your father.
-Beth

 

[Dakine]

Thanks Beth
with EB quality I don't envisage any, but better safe than sorry.
I will (again, fingers crossed) be giving Mr.DuBaldo some money soon in return for Ballage

Nick

 

[heavymetaljames]

Hi Beth - I bought my axis a few weeks ago S/H on eBay as in the quest for an my ideal guitar - this has been the best way to chop and change effectively as my local stores don't really have the range of guitars - I bought the axis after reading hundreds of reviews and all the while thinking should I spend this on a guitar! Anyhow I am soooooooooooooo impressed - I am now a convert!
Things seem so much more expensive over here and I don't get away much so I was just seeing what options there are!


I see from other threads though that I am to demand at every local music store that they stock EB for me to try - so you can get more trips to the UK! LOL

Whats wrong with these elves following me around - can't everyone see them!?
My ears, My EARS - AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

James

 

[Knox]

I just got my JP 2005 in Buttercream. Cost $1399 + $95 shipping to the UK. I got the seller to value it at $500 as thats what he traded it for and the tax and duty came to approx £75......better than £192 if it had been declared at its full value!

Still a massive saving on what I would have had to have paid for this guitar in the UK.

 

[Bungo]

What's wrong with going to your local dealer?

-Beth

Hi Beth

I think with the World Wide Interweb and all that making it so easy to compare prices, it is a bit painful for us here in the UK to see guitars priced the same in dollars in the US as they are in pounds in the UK.

As discussed widely elsewhere, with a few exceptions UK dealers do not actually offer us much service (like having guitars we can try), but act merely as a middle-man you go to, to place your order (in £'s!), usually with an assistant that knows less than we do about the guitars. (By the way if any UK dealer reads this and disagrees I'll happily apologise but I won't be holding my breath!)

We might as well order straight from Strings and Things (if we could) at the price they sell them to the dealers. That would make Music Man guitars the best value product in the UK EVER! (Now there's an idea?)

The temptation to order straight from the US is therefore large. I wish I could patronise Pete DuBaldo's shop, a dealer who is clearly really interested and massively knowledgable (and has a stock)! I want to spend my money somewhere that deserves it!

A lot of people make reasonably regular transatlantic trips too now, so really the temptation to get one 'at source' is substantial.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

Hi Beth

I think with the World Wide Interweb and all that making it so easy to compare prices, it is a bit painful for us here in the UK to see guitars priced the same in dollars in the US as they are in pounds in the UK.

As discussed widely elsewhere, with a few exceptions UK dealers do not actually offer us much service (like having guitars we can try), but act merely as a middle-man you go to, to place your order (in £'s!), usually with an assistant that knows less than we do about the guitars. (By the way if any UK dealer reads this and disagrees I'll happily apologise but I won't be holding my breath!)

We might as well order straight from Strings Direct (if we could) at the price they sell them to the dealers. That would make Music Man guitars the best value product in the UK EVER! (Now there's an idea?)

The temptation to order straight from the US is therefore large. I wish I could patronise Pete DuBaldo's shop, a dealer who is clearly really interested and massively knowledgable (and has a stock)! I want to spend my money somewhere that deserves it!

A lot of people make reasonably regular transatlantic trips too now, so really the temptation to get one 'at source' is substantial.

+1

I cannot afford the going rate of £1500 or so for an Axis, where as buying one from the USA, including shipping and all the charges etc never comes in at more than £700. Whilst I would like to support the official supply chain, its not just cost effective to do so.

In the pre web, pre cheap flight days, cheap US goods were something that your rich friends at school used to talk about on their trips to Florida. These days with the web and ebay you are daft not to take advantage of it. I know that local pricing issues has been discussed many times before, and I know why the UK prices are set as so. Sadly, until they are the same price as the US, people will continue to ship guitars in like this.

Plus, as we have discussed before NOBODY ever has EBMM guitars in stock. Basses maybe, but NEVER guitars. If I wanted to try one of the new Morses or a Luke, or an Albert Lee, there is not a single shop anywhere I can think of that would have them. Plus as has been pointed out, sales staff do not know about the line. Some will tell you EB only makes basses, others say 'What the Peavey Wolfgang?', Some only know of the EVH guitar, and one shop told me 'They make strings not guitars'!. Its a crying shame as every guitar player should have an EBMM guitar in his or her collection.

At least the US guitar shops that I have visited in New York, Vegas (Sorry!), Nashville and other cities at least have some EBMM stock of some description.

 

[Dakine]

Certainly NOT trying to muddy things again, but , due to the quite obvious European clientel here I think it may well be worth looking into.
Basically. It seem's (as am in Texas so going from others) that supposed stockists do not stock and are ignorant and prices are non-comparable to US then maybe somthing should be looked at.
I am not advocating a flight to US just to buy a guitar or finding a used one to ship or a (non-complying) store to buy from.
However, for EB to be truly worldwide the infastructure obviously needs a shakeup. I say this from the vast comments from my UK brothers who say the shops there neither stock or know much about the product. In many industries that would have their ability to be a dealer revoked! (and yes, I speak from direct family business experience).
It is quite obvious that cheaper travel, but moreover the internet, has made the world much smaller and people to question costing of goods.
The US market is HUGE compared to the UK so much will be cheaper due to supply and demand (I know, I am a UK citizen living here) but the discrepancy does not have to be as large as it is. This can actually be proven with costing of VAT and Import duty (shipping is taken right off the top of the import duty cost as defined in UK Customs and Excise Document). So, this leaves the seller "markup" for the most part, which it seem's is amazing, as they don't stock any to sell anyway?
Hmm, I am not a shareholder, nor am I a Doctor of Business. I am the son of self made parents who ran a very successful business for over 55years. I personally would investigate a few things, especially stocking proceedures/rules for dealers.
I understand the UK market is half the size of Texas alone (literally) but Europe is big now and UK (like it or not) is part of it.
Just my sympathy/.02cents on the matter.
Also, for this to get soooooooo much attention lately I would think also it must be contentious and deserve some investigation maybe ?)

LOVE ya product, wanna see EVERYONE happy and YOU selling MORE

 

[Bungo]

LOVE ya product, wanna see EVERYONE happy and YOU selling MORE

+1

Price thing is actually less important to me than the fact that I can't just jump in my car to go and see them/play them/say to assistant in shop 'I'd like that one!' anywhere near here.

Anyway, enough already from me!

 

[Smellybum]

My humble opinion.....

I've brought over a tonne of guitars from the US to the UK, there's no doubt in any way that I've saved a shed load of money.

I've brought over, Fender, Gibsons, Ernie ball musicman (just the one - don't do it kids)

you do save money, but you don't

1. - get to touch it in advance - you can end up with some real $hit.
2. - have much comeback if it goes wrong
3. - see what the seller/shop missed in the pictures.
4. - always get it in one peice - always get insurance and a case!

But you do save a packet, and win more than you lose.... It's worth it if you want a cheap 2nd hand instrument and don't want to pay the very high UK prices. the second hand US market seems to be half (sometimes less than half price) of the uK one.

But a final thought to stop the faint hearted doing it..... You've just handed over £1150 on your credit card to a US dealer, they ship the goods and they don't show and you didn't get insurance....... DOH!

I reckon my collection is worth around £25k I reckon it's cost me £15K - but the amount I had to spend in phone calls and the amount of stress might not be worth the difference.

Now about that Mr horsepower..... who's got one ?