Anyone got experience of bringing basses back from States/Canada?

[Soloshchenko]

I'm thinking of purchasing a beautiful big fat Rick 4003 bass when I'm over in Canada during Christmas time but was wondering about whether I'll get any hefty charges when coming back through customs. Anyone have any experience of doing this kind of thing? Any experience with bringing basses back from over the other side of the pond welcome.

[Prime_BASS]

If you want it to be all above board you'll have the charges to pay, works out around the current VAT rate so you've got until January 1st to not pay 20%.

Obviously if you don't declare then you don't pay the extra charge but you'll risk losing the bass, and a fine. So will you risk it for a chocolate biscuit???

Sometimes the exchange plus the duties charges it works out roughly the sane to buy over here.

[tino]

[quote name='Soloshchenko' post='1033077' date='Nov 22 2010, 07:16 PM']I'm thinking of purchasing a beautiful big fat Rick 4003 bass when I'm over in Canada during Christmas time but was wondering about whether I'll get any hefty charges when coming back through customs. Anyone have any experience of doing this kind of thing? Any experience with bringing basses back from over the other side of the pond welcome.[/quote]
Take out a £50 cheapo off ebay ......and bring the Rik back in.......simples

If doing it correctly the saving will be little....

I would do it........................But then Im that way inclined.....................DONT TAKE NOWT OUT........BUT BRING 1 IN......thats asking for a tug and a subsequent loss


another secret divulged........if they all start doing it there will be nothing left for me to cart home

[Chris2112]

There seem to be a lot of people asking about this now. Customs aren't mugs though, they're trained to spot just about every scam coming in to ensure that no one can buck the trade laws of this country. Every penny counts to Westminister now, and given the risk of trying to smuggle stuff in I'd day you're best off keeping it above board or just buying in this country.

[Soloshchenko]

Cheers for the replies. How would buying second hand change this if anything?

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Soloshchenko' post='1033177' date='Nov 22 2010, 08:57 PM']Cheers for the replies. How would buying second hand change this if anything?[/quote]
Doesn't change anything.

[danny-79]

I brought my sunburst Stingray at the start of the year while out in Denver, i brought it used an all i had to pay at the airport was a $30 excess baggage charge.

[Cat Burrito]

I've imported about 6 or 7 from the USA and you do get stung for customs but it can work out cheaper with the right deal. Whilst Tino's suggestion may seem quite clever & you may well get away with it, it is technically illegal and if you do get caught you'll be paying a lot more and answering a fair few questions too. I'm sure plenty would try it but personally I wouldn't.

[witterth]

I brought a stingray back from san fransisco about five years ago and just walked back in with it, past HMs finest, not realising it was wrong hence no shifty or guilty look about me!!

Edited November 22, 2010 by witterth

[EssentialTension]

I believe that if you do get caught then the goods can be confiscated.

[molan]

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1033173' date='Nov 22 2010, 08:50 PM']There seem to be a lot of people asking about this now. Customs aren't mugs though, they're trained to spot just about every scam coming in to ensure that no one can buck the trade laws of this country. Every penny counts to Westminister now, and given the risk of trying to smuggle stuff in I'd day you're best off keeping it above board or just buying in this country.[/quote]

I spoke to someone today who's been arguing with customs who impounded a bass being shipped from the USA. He'd taken it out as hand luggage and left it there to have some work done on it.

They asked for written proof of his 'export' to the USA and a receipt from his original purchase that showed import duties had been paid on it when it was first imported.

He'd paid cash for it on a private sale a couple of years ago and had no proof he'd actually taken it over with him.

Eventually he gave up arguing and lashed out £225 to get it released from customs (value based on the insured amount plus the shipping charges)!

It was worth more than the insured amount and he had the work completed very cheaply by the original luthier who'd even marked the return as a warranty repair.

Overall he just about broke even on the whole thing but it does make you wonder if they are paying closer attention than usual at the moment. . .

[Prime_BASS]

Again I repeat, you can try and get away with just walking past with it, but it is illegal. Anything brought overseas should be declared.

[12stringbassist]

I bought a new USA Fender Jazz bass in Boston the year before last.

British Airways managed to lose it for a while at Heathrow Terminal 5 (The Dead Zone) and
it came up on the next connecting plane after mine to Manchester. They called me over to the
customs desk to say it was delayed. I said I'd had that bass for 20 years and it was my best friend,
so there would be deaths if they lost it

I had a minibus booked to take us home, so they had to courier it to me (much) later that afternoon.
No duty.

[Barefootbassplayer]

I bought one from teh Carvin factory a couple of years ago in san diego when I was visiting friends and I just walked through with it in hand. American Airlines never even said a word when I walked onto the plane with it in a hard case and found a locker to put it in for me

Its interesting because when I have gigged abroad I have just put it in teh outsized luggage area and picked it up along with my luggage and never had a single question asked at either end.

[danny-79]

[quote name='Barefootbassplayer' post='1036060' date='Nov 25 2010, 12:06 PM']Its interesting because when I have gigged abroad I have just put it in teh outsized luggage area and picked it up along with my luggage and never had a single question asked at either end.[/quote]


My thoughts exactly,
I travel back an forth between the UK an USA quite frequently, sometimes taking a bass with me sometimes not, on the one occasion that i did buy a bass in America in bring it back to the UK it was just checked as part of my luggage an i picked it up the other end (never been lucky enough to be able to carry one on in its hard case as hand luggage an have a flight attendant find it a spot in the cabin but saying that Ive never been unfortunate enough to ever have the airline lose one either).
But can imagine that its different if you buy one on-line/over the phone etc an have it posted to you, its a parcel shaped object that will have to pass customs like anything else therefore drawing attention to its self with the paperwork that will be with it saying exactly what it is, what its worth an ware its going etc etc ...
But if you find yourself in a situation ware you are in another country [i]in person[/i], why not bring yourself a souvenir back !

Edited November 25, 2010 by danny-79

[Chris2112]

[quote name='molan' post='1033293' date='Nov 22 2010, 10:32 PM']Overall he just about broke even on the whole thing but it does make you wonder if they are paying closer attention than usual at the moment. . .[/quote]

Think about it, the government here is eager to raise more cash from the things we buy (hence rising VAT rates etc etc). They are [i]absolutely[/i] looking to make sure no high value items enter the UK without them getting their cut. The government will slack and drag their feet when it comes to paying out to you but they'll chase you tooth and nail to empty your pockets!

[lojo]

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1037230' date='Nov 26 2010, 12:47 AM']Think about it, the government here is eager to raise more cash from the things we buy (hence rising VAT rates etc etc). They are [i]absolutely[/i] looking to make sure no high value items enter the UK without them getting their cut. The government will slack and drag their feet when it comes to paying out to you but they'll chase you tooth and nail to empty your pockets![/quote]



Where is the line between a buying guitar whilst on holiday visiting a musical tourist spot in the states as a souvenir, much like you might buy a bongo drum in africa, and importing

[Twigman]

I carry my bass through customs regularly in its full flight case.

If I was going to the states and knew I wanted to buy a bass, I'd take my full flight case out empty [or even with a cheap throw away bass off ebay in it] and just stroll through with it full of delicious bass on the way home.

Chance of getting caught = 0 IMO

Edited November 26, 2010 by Twigman

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='lojo' post='1037367' date='Nov 26 2010, 08:39 AM']Where is the line between a buying guitar whilst on holiday visiting a musical tourist spot in the states as a souvenir, much like you might buy a bongo drum in africa, and importing[/quote]
As far as Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs are concerned, there is no difference - the tax is to be paid.

[Chopthebass]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1033197' date='Nov 22 2010, 10:16 PM']Doesn't change anything.[/quote]

Surely you wouldn't pay import duty on a secondhand bass?

[Gunsfreddy2003]

My advice to you - just do it!

I bought a lovely Sterling in NYC whilst I was on holiday, sent all the paperwork home in the mail and just walked back through customs looking as innocent as I could!!

I figured if I got stopped I would just say that I have been out playing gigs in the States and hoped that I would get away with that.

It was worth the risk as with the good exchange rate a few years ago and not paying VAT and import duty it was a very cheap way to buy a nice shiny new bass!

[quote name='Soloshchenko' post='1033077' date='Nov 22 2010, 07:16 PM']I'm thinking of purchasing a beautiful big fat Rick 4003 bass when I'm over in Canada during Christmas time but was wondering about whether I'll get any hefty charges when coming back through customs. Anyone have any experience of doing this kind of thing? Any experience with bringing basses back from over the other side of the pond welcome.[/quote]

[markorbit]

There was a lot of paperwork when I sent a bass from the UK to NYC and then back again for repairs. Things went ok in the end but I got the impression that if customs even *think* there is something amiss they won't hesitate to charge you.

What annoys me is when buying from the US you have to pay charges on the shipping costs in addition to the expected tax and customs charges. That doesn't seem fair and it's that kind of behaviour that would make me want to ahem, look at other options. I wouldn't want to risk the bass being confiscated though. I'd probably look to decrease it's value somehow and pay something on it but not get ripped.

I've never imported a bass whilst returning myself so wouldn't know the score there.

A Rickenbacker 4003? I would find a UK model as I don't think the prices are that outrageous here.

[robocorpse]

[quote name='Chopthebass' post='1050943' date='Dec 7 2010, 07:50 PM']Surely you wouldn't pay import duty on a secondhand bass?[/quote]

Yep, you pay import duty on anything bought outside the EU.
As many people have already said, customs men aren't stupid, and a few of them know their guitars too. Be careful, and don't risk it if you aren't prepared to pay up immediately if you are caught out, or you risk losing the instrument.

[Grand Wazoo]

[quote name='robocorpse' post='1051142' date='Dec 7 2010, 11:18 PM']Yep, you pay import duty on anything bought outside the EU.
As many people have already said, customs men aren't stupid, and a few of them know their guitars too. Be careful, and don't risk it if you aren't prepared to pay up immediately if you are caught out, or you risk losing the instrument.[/quote]

There's always a way... if you know a man with a big ship... haha

[Chris2112]

[quote name='lojo' post='1037367' date='Nov 26 2010, 08:39 AM']Where is the line between a buying guitar whilst on holiday visiting a musical tourist spot in the states as a souvenir, much like you might buy a bongo drum in africa, and importing[/quote]

As soon as they smell some money to be made from it they'll sink their teeth in, even if it is just some piece of sh*t SX bass you're smuggling in!