Bax-shop.co.uk, anyone ordered from them?

[Brian18242]

Has anyone ordered from this shop recently as I'm trying to find out if I will be charged VAT when bringing the guitar into the UK? I think they are based in the Netherlands, but I have heard mixed reports of no VAT charged? Can't see anything on the website to indicate that? Looking to order a bass at £2000+ so don't want any surprises when it arrives 😂

[HazBeen]

They will not charge NL VAT, you will however receive a customs charge of UK VAT, PLUS HANDLING. I’d recommend going Thomann (and I live in NL). 

[BassBunny]

It states on their website that "all prices include 20% VAT unless otherwise stated", so there shouldn't be any other charges.

Worth checking first though.

[Brian18242]

Thanks for the response. Hopefully no additional charges this end, but have emailed direct to confirm. 

[HazBeen]

39 minutes ago, BassBunny said:

It states on their website that "all prices include 20% VAT unless otherwise stated", so there shouldn't be any other charges.

Worth checking first though.

Cross Border tax legislation would beg to differ…. But regardless, I have seldom bought from a more disorganised, impersonal shop ever. They rarely get any of my money.

Edited October 18, 2021 by HazBeen

[HazBeen]

https://www.kvk.nl/english/brexit/vat-on-goods-after-brexit/

[Jonesy]

I bought a bass off of them a few months ago and didn't have any surprise charges, it arrives pretty quickly too. They've got a pretty generous returns policy too (think it's 90 days?), I ended up sending it back and getting a refund without a hitch.

 

I think I've read a thread here where a few people have had issues with them, but my experience has been fine.

[BassApprentice]

I could be wrong, but I'm sure I read they have a UK and and NL based warehouse. Item shows as in stock but doesn't say where its in stock so could be UK (no charge) or NL (potential charge) 

 

I think Thomann have worked out a system of calculating all the charges and incorporating them into the price you initially pay

[BassBunny]

10 hours ago, HazBeen said:

Cross Border tax legislation would beg to differ…. But regardless, I have seldom bought from a more disorganised, impersonal shop ever. They rarely get any of my money.

Didn't VAT legislation in the EU change on 1st May? That was when Thomann and a couple of companies I buy wine from in the EU started charging "all inclusive" prices.

[Supernaut]

You're buying a £2k bass blind? Wow. 

[acidbass]

They have a UK address in Romford I think - the price you see on the website is the price you pay, with no additional duty etc.

 

However, they are a shambles of a company. I have been trying to return a faulty item to them for months and just keep hitting brick wall after brick wall. I would not do business with them again.

[BigRedX]

17 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

You're buying a £2k bass blind? Wow. 

 

Distance selling regs allow you to return it for a refund within 28 days of purchase.

 

Besides you'll get a much better idea of whether it's going to suit you then 30 minutes playing in a music shop will.

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, acidbass said:

they are a shambles of a company. I have been trying to return a faulty item to them for months and just keep hitting brick wall after brick wall. I would not do business with them again

 

Absolutely this 

[Dosi Y'Anarchy]

I've had positive experiences with them, but I've not had to return anything, so not had to put their customer service skills to the yet. 

[acidbass]

37 minutes ago, Dosi Y'Anarchy said:

I've had positive experiences with them, but I've not had to return anything, so not had to put their customer service skills to the yet. 

 

I hope you never have to!  Makes sense now why they are cheaper than most competitors.

[Guest]

23 minutes ago, acidbass said:

 

I hope you never have to!  Makes sense now why they are cheaper than most competitors.

 

I came to conclusion that their customer service communications were all automated computer-generated BS. I tried shopping with them twice, received nothing twice, and got a PayPal refund twice. Heaven knows what trying to return anything would be like.

[Ed_S]

I’m personally yet to have any problems with them. My last order arrived a couple of weeks ago and the time before was only back in April; both arrived really well packaged with no delays (and plenty of automated email updates) and no hidden charges. I last needed to return anything to them back in mid-2018 but it was a problem-free experience at that point. Shame if they aren’t managing to give everyone the same treatment as some of their deals can be very keen.

[neepheid]

7 hours ago, Supernaut said:

You're buying a £2k bass blind? Wow. 

 

6 hours ago, BigRedX said:

 

Distance selling regs allow you to return it for a refund within 28 days of purchase.

 

Besides you'll get a much better idea of whether it's going to suit you then 30 minutes playing in a music shop will.

 

This.  It's not blind at all.  Also bear in mind that some of us live hundreds of miles away from the nearest decent guitar shop with a bass selection worth a damn.  The cost of returning a bass I buy online but don't like would be less than going somewhere to try it.  Furthermore if you buy a bass in a physical shop then if I recall correctly they're under no legal obligation to take it back and refund you if you decide within a few days that it's not for you after all.  They might do it out of courtesy but they're doing you a favour instead of being legally obligated to take it back.

[Supernaut]

I find that happens to me all the time. I go to a shop, try a bass out, realise I do not like it but buy it anyway. 
 

Oh, wait a minute. 😁

[Mudpup]

10 hours ago, acidbass said:

They have a UK address in Romford I think - the price you see on the website is the price you pay, with no additional duty etc.

 

However, they are a shambles of a company. I have been trying to return a faulty item to them for months and just keep hitting brick wall after brick wall. I would not do business with them again.

I think this may be DV247 rather than Bax Shop. The UK bit of Bax Shop is in Folkestone.

[sammybee]

I've ordered quite a bit of stuff over the past 2-3 years from them, never had any issues, stuff gets ordered on website, arrives a couple of days later well packed.

 

[Woodinblack]

Bax charge vat on their website, and no additional charges are made when they deliver. Well, if they deliver.

[BigRedX]

14 hours ago, Supernaut said:

I find that happens to me all the time. I go to a shop, try a bass out, realise I do not like it but buy it anyway. 
 

Oh, wait a minute. 😁

 

No. It's when you try a bass out in the shop. Think you like it enough to buy it, but once you've spent a couple of days with it really playing it, you realise that there things about it that you simply can't get on with.

 

It's happened to me the last time I bought a bass from a shop (about 16 years ago). Once I got it home I found that it didn't hang on the strap in a way I found comfortable and that when on the strap the G-string machine head was out of easy reach. The output was very low compared to all my other basses and the sound a bit on the thin side. These were all things that it would have been almost impossible to discover in the shop, but were very apparent after a couple of days of really putting the bass through it's passes. Had I got this bass from an on-line retailer I could have sent it straight back once I knew it wasn't for me. Instead I tried living with it's short-comings for a month or two, decided that I couldn't and then spent another 3 months dealing with tyre-kickers on Basschat before I was finally able to sell it on. It's replacement bought on the strength a couple of recommendations and some nice photos was exactly what I needed.

[Woodinblack]

On 19/10/2021 at 10:15, acidbass said:

However, they are a shambles of a company. I have been trying to return a faulty item to them for months and just keep hitting brick wall after brick wall. I would not do business with them again.

 

Oh I had no trouble returning something to them. Well, apart from hermes lost it, and it took them a month before they would acknowledge that hermes lost it, then it took them another month to do something about it. Still, at least it gives you a phone call to look forward to every day!

[PTB]

I have just returned something to them via Hermès. Hoping I have a better experience than some of you have.