Import nightmare

[NikNik]

On the 25th of August I purchased a neck from the US, from a retailer. Mega impressed at its arrival in the UK two days later. Since then, it has sat at UPS' Castle Donnington hub. Three days ago, without any contact from UPS, I emailed the seller to find out if they had heard what the issue is. Apparently, UPS were waiting on information from me, yet despite having my moby number and email address, they never contacted me. So, I ding them on Twitter, and this gets the ball rolling. On Tuesday, I pick up a voicemail from my local (Edinburgh) UPS stating that there is a problem with documentation and that vital customs info is missing or lost.

 

The US retailer has stopped responding to my requests for updates, and is clearly doing the same with UPS UK. After managing to get through to the latter this morning, they again requested my contact details - which they already had, as they supplied tracking info from the day the shipping was booked - and forwarded me an email which appears to be asking me to provide the import data and commodity codes. I have copied the retailer in on this as it appears that only a copy of the invoice was attached in the customs pouch; nothing else was supplied.

 

I have supplied as much info as I can possibly supply, but the onus is surely on the shipper to provide all of this? Additional bad news is that they say I will be liable for 'storage fees', on top of duty, etc.

 

I paid via PayPal and right now I want to cancel the purchase and tell UPS and the Seller to GTF.🤬

Edited September 8, 2022 by NikNik

[Doctor J]

If the seller isn't playing ball I would contact them and let them know that the situation cannot be resolved without their input and, should they not respond, the order would be cancelled and a paypal refund request submitted.

[ped]

Tbh unless it's something you can't get elsewhere or that you REALLY want, I'd definitely claim back via PayPal and explain it as 'item not received' - the tracking will show that it hasn't, so you'll be golden.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

Having had a recent nightmare experience with UPS in the thread below, I’ll guess this is almost certainly to do with commodity codes i.e. lack of information provided by the seller as to what the neck is made of. UPS don’t make it easy letting you know what is required prior to shipping. I hope you get it sorted.

 

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/460929-a-tale-of-international-shipping/

[Steve Browning]

Was the neck an off the shelf item? Can you get the commodity code directly from the manufacturer? I am not sure which code though. The US doesn't use the harmonised codes the rest of the world (pretty much) does. I am guessing it's a harmonised code and they are easy to determine.

Edited September 8, 2022 by Steve Browning

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

5 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

Was the neck an off the shelf item? Can you get the commodity code directly from the manufacturer? I am not sure which code though. The US doesn't use the harmonised codes the rest of the world (pretty much) does. I am guessing it's a harmonised code and they are easy to determine.

Admittedly my experience was UK to USA, but it was anything but easy. If it wasn’t for the manufacturer stepping in (Alembic) we’d never have got it sorted.

[Daz39]

6 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

Was the neck an off the shelf item? Can you get the commodity code directly from the manufacturer? I am not sure which code though. The US doesn't use the harmonised codes the rest of the world (pretty much) does. I am guessing it's a harmonised code and they are easy to determine.

I mean, of course they don't - that would be far too simple, and they couldn't be the best then!

Gah - hope this gets resolved promptly. Very frustrating.

[Steve Browning]

From the Nomenclature (the commodity code bible)

 

Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; clocks and watches; musical instruments; parts and accessories thereof

Chapter 92Musical instruments; parts and accessories of such articles

9207Musical instruments, the sound of which is produced, or must be amplified, electrically (for example, organs, guitars, accordions)

920790 Other

9207901000 Guitars

 

 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

@NikNik - does the neck have inlays?

[NikNik]

1 hour ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Having had a recent nightmare experience with UPS in the thread below, I’ll guess this is almost certainly to do with commodity codes i.e. lack of information provided by the seller as to what the neck is made of. UPS don’t make it easy letting you know what is required prior to shipping. I hope you get it sorted.

 

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/460929-a-tale-of-international-shipping/

 

48 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

Was the neck an off the shelf item? Can you get the commodity code directly from the manufacturer? I am not sure which code though. The US doesn't use the harmonised codes the rest of the world (pretty much) does. I am guessing it's a harmonised code and they are easy to determine.

Off the shelf, nothing special; no exotic woods or shellfish. Customs data is missing: description, CCs, EORI/DAN numbers(??)

[NikNik]

Have given the retailer and UPS to have this sorted by 07:00 GMT tomorrow. If no clearance by then, game's a bogey and 'Item not received' it is.

[BigRedX]

IME even with all the correct codes importing and exporting at the moment is a complete nightmare. Also IME US companies are terrible at exporting goods if they don't do it regularly. 

 

I spent a good half day jumping through all the required hoops to get my EORI and commodity codes for a job I was working on that required me to send printed labels from the UK to the EU and after all of that they were still delayed for a month until Belgian Customs admitted that they had lost them.

 

Currently I won't send anything out of the UK and I'd be very reluctant to buy anything from abroad unless it was through a retailer like Thomann who sort all the paperwork out properly for you.

[NikNik]

36 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

IME even with all the correct codes importing and exporting at the moment is a complete nightmare. Also IME US companies are terrible at exporting goods if they don't do it regularly. 

 

I spent a good half day jumping through all the required hoops to get my EORI and commodity codes for a job I was working on that required me to send printed labels from the UK to the EU and after all of that they were still delayed for a month until Belgian Customs admitted that they had lost them.

 

Currently I won't send anything out of the UK and I'd be very reluctant to buy anything from abroad unless it was through a retailer like Thomann who sort all the paperwork out properly for you.

I think I had complete faith, a la Thomann. And I know it's only been a week and bit but the inaction, the lack of communication is frustrating. 

[NikNik]

About half an hour ago I received a text from UPS, informing me of £50 duty and handling due. I've just paid it. Let's hope it gets released quickly and doesn't sit in Castle Donnington for another week or so.

[msb]

I hope that’s the end of the misery.

Early in the Covid lockdowns I had a bass go missing for about a week , and then it appeared on my doorstep. I never did get any warning that it was out for delivery , or that it had been delivered.

Recent deliveries have been better.

[CookPassBabtridge]

I’ve had similar experiences with couriers and international items and it’s put me off ordering from abroad.

 

Helpfully I can’t remember which courier it was, but essentially my item sat in customs for a couple of weeks until the seller contacted me to say I needed to pay the duty, VAT etc. Fair enough, but the courier never contacted me. Phoned them up (locating a number to speak to a human being was a challenge in itself) and they claimed they’d texted me (they hadn’t). Anyway, I paid the fees and got the item.
 

All was fine until a few months later when I got a letter claiming I hadn’t paid. Once again, I couldn’t find a number to speak to anyone so got threatened with debt enforcement etc. I finally found a form buried deep in their website where I could submit proof that it had been paid and the letters stopped.

 

My little anecdote probably doesn’t help much but I guess what I’m trying to say is that these kind of issues with international deliveries can be fairly common, sadly. Glad to hear yours sounds like it’s nearly sorted though. 

[NikNik]

27 minutes ago, CookPassBabtridge said:

I’ve had similar experiences with couriers and international items and it’s put me off ordering from abroad.

 

Helpfully I can’t remember which courier it was, but essentially my item sat in customs for a couple of weeks until the seller contacted me to say I needed to pay the duty, VAT etc. Fair enough, but the courier never contacted me. Phoned them up (locating a number to speak to a human being was a challenge in itself) and they claimed they’d texted me (they hadn’t). Anyway, I paid the fees and got the item.
 

All was fine until a few months later when I got a letter claiming I hadn’t paid. Once again, I couldn’t find a number to speak to anyone so got threatened with debt enforcement etc. I finally found a form buried deep in their website where I could submit proof that it had been paid and the letters stopped.

 

My little anecdote probably doesn’t help much but I guess what I’m trying to say is that these kind of issues with international deliveries can be fairly common, sadly. Glad to hear yours sounds like it’s nearly sorted though. 

Yeh, I don't get the 'no contact' scenario, despite them having my details. Anyway, I've paid and have a copy of the receipt downloaded. The payment has been acknowledged on the tracking so will see what updates arrive tonight/tomrrow.

 

 

[Guest]

Yep, see the other thread. Same experience. I’m starting to think that in the current state of the world that importing anything is a no go area. My screwed up delivery is just a centre stand for a motorbike - annoying as I bought from the manufacturer and only retailer in the world that does it - but at least it’s not a boutique bass stuck in customs or on its way back to sender!

[NikNik]

And neck now in Edinburgh and out for delivery today.

[EmmettC]

I'm strongly considering ordering a G&L L2500 CLF from a US retailer. I have been in touch with all the big shops here in the UK that deal with G&L but it seems like they have no interest in taking my money.

The only one who could get the model correct wanted nearly £4k for a bass that's about £2K when I've seen it listed here and only $1500 in the US.

I've spoken to a shop in NY who are happy to ship it, but this thread makes me nervous.

I have family in NY who could pick it up and send it to me, but I assume a shop would do a better job of packing it and filling out all the relevant customs stuff?

Who would have thought it was so hard to buy a bass from a large, well known manufacturer. 

[NikNik]

5 minutes ago, EmmettC said:

I'm strongly considering ordering a G&L L2500 CLF from a US retailer. I have been in touch with all the big shops here in the UK that deal with G&L but it seems like they have no interest in taking my money.

The only one who could get the model correct wanted nearly £4k for a bass that's about £2K when I've seen it listed here and only $1500 in the US.

I've spoken to a shop in NY who are happy to ship it, but this thread makes me nervous.

I have family in NY who could pick it up and send it to me, but I assume a shop would do a better job of packing it and filling out all the relevant customs stuff?

Who would have thought it was so hard to buy a bass from a large, well known manufacturer. 

The Customs Declaration and commodity numbers are crucial. Any error or omission will hold the item up, as happened with the neck I ordered. Add in the chaos of worldwide couriering post-covid and you have a worrysome scenario.

 

Fly over and get it?

[EmmettC]

8 minutes ago, NikNik said:

The Customs Declaration and commodity numbers are crucial. Any error or omission will hold the item up, as happened with the neck I ordered. Add in the chaos of worldwide couriering post-covid and you have a worrysome scenario.

 

Fly over and get it?

If I haven't sorted it out by next year I'll go and pick one up, but it seems excessive for a bass that should be readily available and not all that expensive.

The shop I've spoken to does have some good reviews from international buyers, but I think I'm too nervous to go that way now.

[Ralf1e]

On 08/09/2022 at 13:26, BigRedX said:

IME even with all the correct codes importing and exporting at the moment is a complete nightmare. Also IME US companies are terrible at exporting goods if they don't do it regularly. 

 

I spent a good half day jumping through all the required hoops to get my EORI and commodity codes for a job I was working on that required me to send printed labels from the UK to the EU and after all of that they were still delayed for a month until Belgian Customs admitted that they had lost them.

 

Currently I won't send anything out of the UK and I'd be very reluctant to buy anything from abroad unless it was through a retailer like Thomann who sort all the paperwork out properly for you.

Last time I bought a guitar from Thomann they used UPS I think and I was charges about twice the import duty I should have been. The excuse from Thomann was it is the couriers brokers who set the value and duty there is nothing we can do goodbye.

Now you may call that sorted out properly I don't!

[chyc]

21 minutes ago, Ralf1e said:

Last time I bought a guitar from Thomann they used UPS I think and I was charges about twice the import duty I should have been. The excuse from Thomann was it is the couriers brokers who set the value and duty there is nothing we can do goodbye.

Now you may call that sorted out properly I don't!

I had exactly the same thing! Based on my own experiences I would place UPS lower than Evri for reliability and service.

[msb]

Recently imported a preamp from the US , and the exchange was brutal , and I was dinged for taxes by UPS. It arrived faster than some things that have come from Ontario.

Wound up being considerably more than the initial purchase price indicated. 
There’s a lot to be said for buying locally.