Buying hardware from the States

[Bass Culture]

Has anyone had any experience of buying hardware from the States (tuning keys specifically) and are there any other charges involved - aprt, obviously, from delivery? I appreciate buying guitars involves thing like import duty, VAT and customs clearance charges. Is it the same for smaller items?

Thanks,

Mark

[The Burpster]

If you can keep the value below about £30 GBP customs dont bother with it normally...... You can ask the shop if they dont mind writing the price down on the external packing, but if you do be prepared to pay full import duty and VAT if the customs "get one on them"..... Also a lot of shops in teh US are not prepared to take risks with shipping so they will refuse to do this (as it is thier right!)


Its definately worth doing if you after "hard to" or "nigh on impossible " to get bits, in the UK.... otherwise "you pays your money and takes your choice........."

A lot of teh time by teh time it gets into your hands you will have paid as much as you would here from a discount house! (eg Thomann)

[mhuk]

The threshold is £18 for outside the EU. VAT/ duty is about 22% (depends on the item) plus there probably be an additional £10 fee from the courier for the privilege.

Try to get the sender to mark the value as $30 USD and if it fits in a UPS Priority Mail pouch you'll [i]probably [/i]be OK.

[Delberthot]

Generally smaller stuff goes through unnoticed. You didn't say which brand of bass you have but check out guitarpartsresource.com. I've had a load of stuff from them

[Bass Culture]

Thanks everyone for your advice. Certainly puts potential bargains from Stateside in a slightly different light. As it's Schaller machineheads I'm thinking about somewhere like Thomann might well be the answer...

Cheers,

Mark

[Muppet]

I'd certainly try it. I buy a lot of smaller parts from basspartsresource.com. They ship via USPS (rather than UPS) and I have never been asked to pay any import duty so far.

[99ster]

[quote name='Muppet' post='19911' date='Jun 18 2007, 09:27 PM']I'd certainly try it. I buy a lot of smaller parts from basspartsresource.com. They ship via USPS (rather than UPS) and I have never been asked to pay any import duty so far.[/quote]

+1 on buying stuff from basspartsresource.com - never had to pay duty...