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Alembic Club » Swap Shop and Wish Lists » For Sale & Trade » Archive through September 07, 2013 » Shipping from U.S. to Europe « Previous Next »

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hammer
Advanced Member
Username: hammer

Post Number: 387
Registered: 9-2009
Posted on Thursday, July 25, 2013 - 3:57 pm:   Edit Post

Has anything here found a way to transact a purchase between U.S. and Europe including shipping that makes any sense for either the seller or buyer. I have a club member interested in the purchase of my Distillate but when I add up the taxes/ duties, and shipping the price needed for me to get what I think would be reasonable goes up $800-$1000.
keith_h
Senior Member
Username: keith_h

Post Number: 1884
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Thursday, July 25, 2013 - 5:44 pm:   Edit Post

What you need to do is set the price for the bass and shipping and have those funds sent to you in US currency. Taxes and duties would be the responsibility of the purchaser and paid by them when they pick up the instrument at customs. I believe companies such as UPS and DHL will also handle the customs work on the purchasers end and receive the required taxes/fees from them.

Keith
slawie
Senior Member
Username: slawie

Post Number: 535
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Friday, July 26, 2013 - 3:32 am:   Edit Post

Drop the sale price receipt to minimise the VAT.
Sell the bass for "$500" and provide a receipt for that amount. If you send an item that has a sales receipt for lower prices the VAT goes down. But then again that may be illegal.

slawie
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 3539
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Friday, July 26, 2013 - 4:26 am:   Edit Post

My advice would be to get the buyer buy a gig bag, get a cheap flight to the usa to collect the bass in person. The the buyer can't avoid paying $800 to &1000 if it's shipped into Europe so won't be losing anything if he spends that money on a flight over. He can carry it back with him on the plane and have the memory of collecting his bass in person and maybe a weekend in USA and hook up with some Alembic forum members.

Just an option.
Jazzyvee
jacko
Senior Member
Username: jacko

Post Number: 3401
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Friday, July 26, 2013 - 4:30 am:   Edit Post

It's not just illegal but could also end in tears if the instrument is lost as the listed value of the piece the maximum the carrier is responsible for if something happens to it.
That said, I was happy that Beaver at GC listed my sig deluxe at the dealer price and not what I paid - we get stung for a ridiculous amount in import duties and VAT over here and I'm not sure I understand what 'value' the british government has added to an instrument built in California.

Graeme
keith_h
Senior Member
Username: keith_h

Post Number: 1885
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Friday, July 26, 2013 - 6:30 am:   Edit Post

Graeme,
The value add must be the pre-delivery inspection customs performed on your behalf. :-)

Keith
hammer
Advanced Member
Username: hammer

Post Number: 388
Registered: 9-2009
Posted on Friday, July 26, 2013 - 2:06 pm:   Edit Post

Well, I've proposed to the potential buyer something akin to what Jazzyvee proposed...only in reverse with me doing the traveling.
If he's interested it would make a lot of sense since:
(1) My spouse works for an airline so I fly for tax only
(2) I've been just about everywhere in Europe other than the Scandinavian countries and he's living in Norway; and
(3) Even with the cost of a decent ATA or Gator flight case it would be lot cheaper than shipping and customs.

Question I have is...do they check to make sure you exit a country with what you had with you when you entered if you take something like that through customs.
lozbass
Junior
Username: lozbass

Post Number: 32
Registered: 5-2008
Posted on Friday, July 26, 2013 - 2:51 pm:   Edit Post

Oops - removed (misunderstood)

(Message edited by Lozbass on July 26, 2013)
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 3541
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Saturday, July 27, 2013 - 2:39 am:   Edit Post

Hammer. In my experience, no they don't check that much detail. Unless of course you look more dodgy at either point.

Jazzyvee
klinkepeter
Intermediate Member
Username: klinkepeter

Post Number: 110
Registered: 2-2008
Posted on Saturday, July 27, 2013 - 5:25 am:   Edit Post

I bought a couple of basses in US and i always took a flight myself or i asked some friends they accidently stayed there to bring them over, no hardcase, just a softcase and they could bring it on bord, no taxes, no extra fee, nothing, for me lways the best way to do it also considering the risk of the postal way

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