Thomann and deliveries to the UK

[jezzaboy]

I ordered some stuff from Thomann on Sunday the 13th of this month, nothing special just odds and sods that are hard to get in the UK.

Usually I would get an shipping conformation the next day but didn`t hear anything until the 16th saying the goods have shipped with DHL. The goods have now been with DHL since then and don`t appear to have left Germany.

Having heard nowt from Thomann, I sent them a rather blunt e mail and got a reply saying they had problems with the covid crisis, seasonal increase in demand and the problems with transport. But the last bit of the e mail was interesting...

"At present it appears likely that most parcels to the UK / Ireland which are currently in transit will be returned to sender by the couriers. Depending on the situation we can then either re-ship the goods or issue a refund via the original method of payment."

So if you have ordered something recently or are thinking of buying from them, bear the above in mind. I can understand the delays but to not let their customers know gets right in my colliwobbles!

[Basinski]

I believe from what I read earlier, courier lorries aren’t going to risk their driver getting stuck in the UK for Christmas. I can’t really say I blame them tbh. There’s thousands of lorries waiting to cross back to Europe, they’re not re-starting crossings until tomorrow. Who’d want to get stuck here over Christmas? I believe those that aren’t stuck on the motorway, are staying in their lorries on lorry parks with one single non-functioning toilet, and no running water.

Edited December 22, 2020 by Basinski

[TheGreek]

Wouldn't want to get right in your colliwobbles now, would we...

[jezzaboy]

I`ve sent them a mail telling them as they can`t tell me when or if I will get the delivery to give me a refund.

My colliwobbles feel much better now 

[Steve Browning]

The current crises (impending Brexit and covid) means that many containers are in the wrong place. That on top of all the chaos at the ports. 

Logistics are impossible at the moment and so it is no wonder we are experiencing these delays. 

No help here but that's the reality of it at the moment. 

[Rich]

1 hour ago, TheGreek said:

Wouldn't want to get right in your colliwobbles now, would we...

Hell no. It's a surefire way to get sued for liable.

[stewblack]

Got lucky with my odds and sods order. Arrived within a few days of ordering. 

Sorry just realised how smug and unhelpful that could sound. It wasn't meant to be, I promise. I think it illustrates how hit and miss it all is. 

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 11, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[peteb]

I ordered something from Thomann on the 10th Dec and received it five days later, which I was quite impressed with. I've since bought a bass hardcase and a few odds and sods, but to be fair I'm not expecting miracles given what has happened since I ordered it. 

It will get here when it gets here - it's not as if I need it for any gigs in the next few weeks. 

Edited December 22, 2020 by peteb

[leftybassman392]

I ordered some recording gear from Thomann at the end of November. Shipped within a day or two, another day or two to get to the UPS warehouse in Tamworth, and then sat there for a week with 'DELAYED' written in big letters on the tracking site. No idea why, but prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt given the circumstances. Then when it is released with a forecast arrival day we make arrangements to be in. Only it arrived a day early, when we were out most of the day getting our new glasses fitted at our optician (140-mile roundtrip - don't ask!). Kindly taken in by a neighbour a couple of doors down. It would be easy to get mad about it but it wasn't time-critical and everything was in the box and undamaged so mostly just took it on the chin. The one caveat was that when it did arrive, the box contained an old-fashioned ignition coil for a vintage car. New stock, still in its box, but WTF it was doing there at all is outwith my comprehension.

I think you have to expect some unusual behaviour from couriers ATM, especially with all that's happening and about to happen come January. Not an encouraging message unfortunately, but we are where we are.

An exploration of the various reasons why we are where we are is a topic for a different thread (and on a different forum I suspect), but suffice it to say we'd all better get used to it in the coming months for pretty much anything coming from Europe.

[Saul Panzer]

I'd planned to order a new bass from them last week but I guess it was lucky I opted for one with Andertons now, that turned up the next day.

[Bassfinger]

I foresaw potential problems at this time of year due to the other big thing that was due to happen on the 31st, somordered the bass I was aftermin November.

[DaytonaRik]

I've got got a delivery en route from Holland caught up in the delays - it'll get here when it get's here.  It's pretty obvious that things will be delayed, don't feel the need for a personal apology from anyone or daily updates.

[Guest]

It is what it is. If the borders shut both sides then no road transport is getting through, so in that context food and medicines are probably more important than music gear. I gather they’ve opened the borders again but a 2-day delay is probably more like a 10-day delay to get back to normal - and with 31 Dec fast approaching it’ll likely be total chaos until end of January. And I speak as someone who has returned something to Thomann, which is stuck this side of the border and in all likelihood won’t make it through Eurotunnel before 1st Jan. Goodness only knows what’ll happen with customs/duty/tax etc. But that’s life

[CookPassBabtridge]

Yeah, I think this is just a perfect storm of usual Christmas chaos and the obvious COVID issues sadly. I’ve also had a terrible experience with DPD in the last few weeks, with one item going missing and another being badly damaged. Neither of which are acceptable of course, but I suspect a direct result of couriers being overwhelmed at the moment. 

[Cato]

There's been an ongoing backlog at UK ports for a few months

https://theloadstar.com/congestion-crisis-outgrows-ports-as-container-stacks-pop-up-across-the-uk/

Nothing directly to do with Brexit or Covid, although as the last couple of days have shown the whole system is right on the edge right now and it's probably only a nudge away from complete collapse.

[acidbass]

I ordered a new mic and a few bits and pieces last week from Musicstore in Cologne (it was cheaper than Thomann) and they arrived via DHL just today without an issue.  I guess that perhaps Thomann's suggestion is just worse case scenario.

[Beer of the Bass]

Hmm, if it wasn't for everything going on I'd have considered making an order from them some time shortly after Christmas, as I've been getting quite into harmonica lately and fancy a little selection of keyed diatonic harps. Maybe I'll look at the UK shops instead, like Eagle Music...

[Monkey Steve]

I had a general e-mail from a UK shop the other day telling everybody that while they have sent out all of their orders, if you're on the continent then it's probably stuck with the courier and unable to leave the UK. basically keep calm and wait for it all to get sorted out

However, I hear from a relative who orders blu rays from around the world that he is already getting told by some sellers in Australia and elsewhere that they will simply not accept/send any orders to the UK after 1st January because of the anticipated changes to the customs arrangements.  I suspect small sellers where the volume of orders from the UK isn't worth the hassle of whatever new paperwork is required

[BassBunny]

7 hours ago, FDC484950 said:

Goodness only knows what’ll happen with customs/duty/tax etc. But that’s life

My go to wine supplier in Portugal has already sent an email out indicating prices will increase by 7% to allow for VAT differences. VAT in Portugal is 13% so they will be charging UK VAT rates of 20%.

As yet don't know about Import Duty, Release Fee etc.

[TheLowDown]

Lots of Thomann prices have been going up by around £10 in the last few days. The HB MB-5, lots of the HB progressive series have all increased suddenly. Wonder if it's the VAT added in preparation or what seeing that I ate some of grandma's cookies so she knows I live in the UK.

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by TheLowDown

[peteb]

19 hours ago, peteb said:

I ordered something from Thomann on the 10th Dec and received it five days later, which I was quite impressed with. I've since bought a bass hardcase and a few odds and sods, but to be fair I'm not expecting miracles given what has happened since I ordered it. 

It will get here when it gets here - it's not as if I need it for any gigs in the next few weeks. 

Just got an email from Thomann to say that my order has now been dispatched. 

[jimmyb625]

I ordered a 3/4 scale guitar from Thomann on 08/12. It sat with DHL for a week, before it was returned to Thomann, for whatever reason.

They re-sent it via UPS 17/12 and it arrived 19/12, so they are trying to get stuff shipped. I think some of the couriers fly freight in, as opposed to driving it over.

[jezzaboy]

1 hour ago, peteb said:

Just got an email from Thomann to say that my order has now been dispatched. 

I hope you have better luck than me as I got that mail last Wednesday the 16th and according to DHL tracking it is in Osterweddingen in Germany, where it has been "in transit" from the 18th.

I have now e mailed them back and told them to cancel the order and refund my cash which they have agreed to do.

And just to clarify something. I realise that there can be delays, covid issues re staffing and a blockade that was out of their hands but when they sent the package there wasn`t a blockade at any ports, traffic coming into the UK was fine. What has annoyed me is they never bothered to let me or likely lots of other people waiting for orders know that there was a problem or that the couriers would be sending UK orders back to Thomann.

I only posted the topic to make others who were maybe ordering over the Xmas period aware of a potential problem.

Edited December 23, 2020 by jezzaboy

[umcoo]

Ordered a few bits on the 15th, and had my shipping notification on the 18th. 

UPS tracking now saying still in Germany and delivery expected on 30th Dec. 

Thanks for the information. Not in a rush for my order.