OT: Shipping a 'Ray to Norway

[kdsi44]

Hey everyone. I've run in to a bit of a problem. I am in the process of selling a stingray to a guy in Norway. I plan on using USPS to ship it. He says he can insure it through his Musician Union before shipping. Here is my question. He wants me to declare a lesser value on the package because his import tax is like 25%. What risk or harm is there for me in declaring the package less value? He will be paying through paypal. Thanks in advance! Patrick

 

[bovinehost]

You're basically agreeing to circumvent (the other verb is "break") the tax law. Probably not a good idea to state that publically.

Next, if you declare a lesser value, say 100 dollars on a 1000 dollar instrument, and it is damaged beyond repair or stolen while in transit, guess what? Best case scenario is you (or he) will be reimbursed 100 dollars.

Maybe his MU insurance will kick in? Somehow, I rather doubt it on an instrument he does not yet own nor has he taken delivery of. Problematic.

This is all my opinion, so take it for what it's worth. I gladly shipped KennethB a Stingray and we did it openly and legally and his cost on that bass was still considerably lower than it would have been if he'd purchased locally. The advantage to the overseas buyer is even greater now, given what's happened to the US dollar.

So - I think you can see what I think.

YMMV, etc.

Jack

 

[daangroen]

DONT do it, *cough* A friends *cough* Petrucci 7 is still at customs and well same story there,
they let my friend wait for almost 2 weeks at customs (still is at c ustoms) and let him send a reciet of the guitar, whilst my friend bought it from a guy from the forum (so he didn't really had a reciet and had to make a copy of his bank transit thingy's) he can only hope that they are okay with this 'evidence' (which lists a higher price than states on the package

my friend might have to pay extra charges for this aswell,


so i'd advise you not to do this, else you might end up like...my friend

and put a reciet with the package anyway!!

 

[silverburst]

There is ceratinly a nice paper trail right back to you showing what he paid through PayPal, and you have now declared on the easily searchable internet that you might commit fraud on his behalf.

It doesn't seem like such a great idea, besides the fact that it is wrong.

 

[bovinehost]

Don't forget *cough* that this phrase "Pearl Redburst John Petrucci 7 Piezo <-- on its way!" *cough* is in your "FRIEND'S" *cough* signature!

 

[KennethB]

There is ceratinly a nice paper trail right back to you showing what he paid through PayPal, and you have now declared on the easily searchable internet that you might commit fraud on his behalf.

It doesn't seem like such a great idea, besides the fact that it is wrong.

+1.

And kdsi44; why would you want to do that? His taxes are not your problem.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

You're basically agreeing to circumvent (the other verb is "break") the tax law. Probably not a good idea to state that publically.

Next, if you declare a lesser value, say 100 dollars on a 1000 dollar instrument, and it is damaged beyond repair or stolen while in transit, guess what? Best case scenario is you (or he) will be reimbursed 100 dollars.....

Exactly!!! Spot on Jackson

 

[daangroen]

Don't forget *cough* that this phrase "Pearl Redburst John Petrucci 7 Piezo <-- on its way!" *cough* is in your "FRIEND'S" *cough* signature!

that is ofcourse a different guitar

 

[DassiD]

Norway has 185 billion dollars in fortune from their oilbusiness ALONE.
But still we Norwegians have to drive the worst roads in whole of scandinavia and western Europe.
I wouldn't feel sorry for "stealing" $250 from Norway , the real thieves are the Norwegian government IMO.

 

[daangroen]

Yea well but you have to keep in mind that the governments are very bureaucratic, and if they find out something is wrong, they do not really care about that they have enough money, they just see that there is something wrong. when there is something wrong at bureaucratic level ---> long wait time.

 

[MrMusashi]

the customs want a receipt on the purchase, be it bought through a store or from a private person. the total value of the receipt AND the freight cost will have vat added, which in norway currently is 25%. there is no import tax on music instruments so the only extra cost is vat.
imo the custom officers are looking for illegal substances and will not pay too much attention to import of musical instruments.
that being said: they are not stupid, so IF you decide to write down the value, use common sense. you will not be able to buy a stingray for 100$, and they know it too!

hehe.. i once thought i should sell my tobias bass.. at least toss it out there to see what i could get for it. a nice person called and we had a long chat
so i tell him i imported it from the us.. and reveal that i had a musician friend studying over there bring it over with him.. walking on green.. so i might have said something like: the customs officers prolly wouldnt know the value of the bass if he had been stopped.
long pause.. looooong pause.. the man on the other end says: well if i had stopped him i would have known
man did i wish a lightning would strike down on the cellphone basestation and cut the conversation off right there.. ghehehe
he was a nice guy though and i never heard anything from the government afterwards

MrM

 

[strummer]

the customs want a receipt on the purchase, be it bought through a store or from a private person. the total value of the receipt AND the freight cost will have vat added, which in norway currently is 25%. there is no import tax on music instruments so the only extra cost is vat.
imo the custom officers are looking for illegal substances and will not pay too much attention to import of musical instruments.
that being said: they are not stupid, so IF you decide to write down the value, use common sense. you will not be able to buy a stingray for 100$, and they know it too!

hehe.. i once thought i should sell my tobias bass.. at least toss it out there to see what i could get for it. a nice person called and we had a long chat
so i tell him i imported it from the us.. and reveal that i had a musician friend studying over there bring it over with him.. walking on green.. so i might have said something like: the customs officers prolly wouldnt know the value of the bass if he had been stopped.
long pause.. looooong pause.. the man on the other end says: well if i had stopped him i would have known
man did i wish a lightning would strike down on the cellphone basestation and cut the conversation off right there.. ghehehe
he was a nice guy though and i never heard anything from the government afterwards

MrM

Hahaha, great story Murashi!
When I bought the Bongo from Jack, I walked up to the customs officers at Arlanda, said "Hi I bought this bass and I'd like to pay vat." They looked at me for a long time, then said: No, you brought that bass to the US and back, we're sure of it."
But the times I have fallen for the evil of ebay I have had to pay vat every single time. Not that it matters much, I buy cheap stuff on ebay

 

[DassiD]

You do not need to declare a lesser value before you send it though, you can fill out a form afterwards and get refund.
BUT of course it shouldn't be in large sums, I'm talking about small diffrences, like saying a $ 1000 bass is worth $ 600 ETC.
And about Norwegian customs: If it demands more work, they would rather not do is, f.ex. Checking with paypal for the sum you paid. What they want is reciept.

 

[Oldtoe]

Norway?

If he's worried about taxes, he can't a-fjord the bass anyway.

Get it? "a-fjord?"

Har har! Cracked myself up once again!

 

[silverburst]

Geez, Ben. That was awful.

 

[Oldtoe]

Just wait 'til I get going.

 

[strummer]

Norway?

If he's worried about taxes, he can't a-fjord the bass anyway.

Get it? "a-fjord?"

Har har! Cracked myself up once again!

Hahaha, Ben, that is just terrible

 

[daangroen]

lol haha, i actually had to laugh about that joke, poor me

 

[MrMusashi]

that is a joke so bad, its borderline excellent

MrM

 

[Beth]

That was really bad, but I'll admit it, I laughed like I was bjorn yesterday....


DOH! That one was worse!