A guide to buying in the USA and shipping to the UK

[athlon]

Howdy !!

A good way of getting an instrument for less than used prices in the UK, is to ship it in from the USA. I have seen several on **** that i really quite like, and i have only asked the sellers with loads of feedback about it.

can anyone give any advice for shipping to the UK and buying on line from another country ??

what are the pitfalls ??
how much does it cost to ship ??
how long does it usually take ???
has anyone acctually done this ??

many thanx

[the.godfather]

I too would like to know this - thanks guys.

But i suppose the number 1 tip is to buy from Rich right ?

[littlegreenman]

Well, here is what I know from my experience.

First, make sure the person sending packs the item VERY GOOD. Here is a post bammbamm made on
packing a guitar (just happens it was one I sent him LOL)

what are the pitfalls ??

Cost, In order to safely ship I recomend 1 or 2 day delivery. Surface can take up to 6 weeks, that's a long time to have your guitar on a boat, at docks etc. Not really worth the risk. Import taxes to the UK are usually pretty high as well (varies by region) however it is based on what the declared (insured) value of the guitar is, if you want to risk it, just have it sent with a $100 value.


how much does it cost to ship ??

Fed Ex express is usually between $150 to $250 for their overnight (24 to 48 hour) service to the UK. Surface is around $60 (mail) but again, is it worth a 6 week wait? When I have a customer who doesn't want to pay for FedEx, just surface, I require full insurance and I also make sure to let them know I will pack it properly, but I hold absolutely no responsibility for the item once sent.

how long does it usually take ???

Like I said above, overnight to 6 weeks, how much do you want to spend

has anyone acctually done this ??

Yup, 3 to the UK, 1 to Germany, 1 to Malaysia, one to Italy, one to Australia.

[Rich]

Postal airmail to the UK takes 7-10 days for $115

[athlon]

thanx guys

looks like the only way to go ...

[weserman]

i'll give my perspective as a buyer in the UK as well,

Originally Posted by athlon

what are the pitfalls ??

in my opinion, its not cost, as it is cheaper to buy in the US and then import. I think then main pitfall is the risk that you take, and the length of time to ship. It is a bigger risk shipping from overseas, as anyone who tries to rip you off will be a lot harder to find.

Originally Posted by athlon

how much does it cost to ship ??

as rich said $115 from USA 4-10 day delivery. Expect to pay around £100 for VAT and customs when it arrives here as well.

Originally Posted by athlon

how long does it usually take ???

my DBK took one week, and my UV has taken 10 working days.

Originally Posted by athlon

has anyone acctually done this ??

yes, twice. both times with no problems.

[the.godfather]

And the good thing is that it usually works out cheaper because of the ripoff UK prices!

[weserman]

yup, i reckon i saved at least £300 on the UV by doing it this way, and about the same on my Jem.

[RG-Head]

i bought an Ibanez SR485 bass from the u.s, i saved at least £100 even with custom charges of £60 and the shipping cost of $95 (£75-£80 ish?)

[Artist]

what is the customs charge when bringing something over here? 22% of declared value?

[Anton]

Yeah 22% if i remember rightly , but like jeremy said you can risk it and have it sent with a low value like 100 dollars. Sometimes if your lucky , you wont get stung on customs charges atall , i know people who have been fortunate to get away with it , ive heard there is another way you can do it too :
I was once told by a friend that rich told him you may be able to get away with it by putting things inside the package of the same weight as the guitar , and sending the box to the seller with a returned sticker on , or something like that , Rich ?

[Rich]

That's a ****ameimey sceme thought up by somebody. Pay to ship a dummy filled box so you have a shipping reciept and when the guitar is shipped back claim it's return from service. You have the reciept to prove you shipped it [which you'd have to fax to customs] and you get away without charges. Of course it costs you x$'s shipping the box to begin with, so what do you really save for all the hassle, a couple hundred?

[Jamie]

Plus reclaiming a customs overcharge takes 1-2 months and requires verification and a lot of hassling them to get them to do it. I would imagine that this would work in the same way if it works at all. You might have to prove you were a business to them...

[TenderSurrender7]

What's the deal when it actually comes to paying the customs charges when the guitar gets into the country? I too am interested in importing and I want to have everything covered. If I were to have the guitar Fed Ex-ed to me, would they pay the charges on my behalf? How's it work? lol. I apologise if this seems trivial to you guys!!! Thanks, Gaz

[Rich]

FedEx or UPS will both pay the customs and then charge you at delivery. They will not release it to you until it's paid.