Come on Customs! Get a wiggle-on.
- Thread starter MrLarkham
- Start date
Chris Tarman
Well-known member
In the words of Tom Petty, "The waiting is the hardest part". Man, I hate that song! But it's true! Waiting for a new ukulele to arrive is maddening, but it's oh-so-worth-it when that box finally shows up.
joeybug
Well-known member
I remember when Hoa was held up by customs...man that was a nightmare, but so worth it..of course I didn't know it was Hoa since it was a surprise, but still wondering what this big "parcel" was going to be...
hoosierhiver
Well-known member
UK is the worst for customs.
You've got to contact them and go get your package, otherwise they might send it back after a couple of weeks without even notifying you.
You've got to contact them and go get your package, otherwise they might send it back after a couple of weeks without even notifying you.
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Bah...customs...that and fees and charges......better give them a call like Mike Said...I've heard of the packages being sent back too...Oh yeah, bring money to for it....it they do charge you...sheesh..
I've been waiting for a Uke from Australia for two weeks. It's killing me. Now it's in my state and just passed through customs. It is very cold hear so I hope it shows up ok. Anybody have any idea how the cold weather can effect it? Should I be worried? It's in a case and then in a sturdy box so I hope it will be ok, but it has me very nervous.
Plainsong
Well-known member
It needs time to acclimate before being opened. The box can't be opened until it feels room temp, and then the case can't be opened until it feels room temp, unless you want to risk a crazed finish. That happened to a guy on another uke forum with his Kanile'a (pre-UV finish I think), and it wouldn't be Kanilea's fault.
But if it's stuck in customs, it might be indoors already, which is good because if they call you out to ask you to open it, that would be a bad thing if it was outside.
And now I have that song stuck in my head... joy.
But if it's stuck in customs, it might be indoors already, which is good because if they call you out to ask you to open it, that would be a bad thing if it was outside.
And now I have that song stuck in my head... joy.
I mail-ordered an instrument from Guitar Center some weeks ago, and even though they're not exactly famed for being the best place to buy from, they now have a setup in place which makes customs a breeze. Basically they handle everything. You pay your local VAT (and duty, if any) up front, to GC, and also any additional charges. They handle customs (or rather, they have a deal with FedEx would be my guess). Instrument arrived on my doorstep a few days earlier than their estimate, and I got a text message to my phone when the package was loaded into the truck that was about to deliver it to me. No getting stuck in customs, no additional fee from FedEx in the mail.
From my calculations the exchange rate was just fine (I paid in my local currency), the extra charge for customs handling was a bit lower than what FedEx would have charged locally, and, best of all, I paid the exact VAT that I should - when the local FedEx and UPS guys handle this they artificially inflate the value by 10-20% before they calculate VAT.
And BTW, the exchange rate used is the exact rate of that day, when I pay VAT the "old" way customs will use a rate from a table, it's often a month old. The way the currencies fluctuate you may end up paying VAT on a dollar value completely different (usually higher) than what you thought you would. All that is gone with the method GC is using - you see exactly what you pay, and they guarantee that there won't be any additional charges.
I think there are a few other companies starting to do the same as well.
When that's said, the way MGM is shipping also works very well for me - it goes via USPS and the local mail carrier here handles VAT which I pay when I pick up the package. The extra charge is there but not too high, and it doesn't get stuck in customs either. They do use the 'exchange rate from an old table' method though. This is not so important for the price range of any ukuleles I might buy anyway.
From my calculations the exchange rate was just fine (I paid in my local currency), the extra charge for customs handling was a bit lower than what FedEx would have charged locally, and, best of all, I paid the exact VAT that I should - when the local FedEx and UPS guys handle this they artificially inflate the value by 10-20% before they calculate VAT.
And BTW, the exchange rate used is the exact rate of that day, when I pay VAT the "old" way customs will use a rate from a table, it's often a month old. The way the currencies fluctuate you may end up paying VAT on a dollar value completely different (usually higher) than what you thought you would. All that is gone with the method GC is using - you see exactly what you pay, and they guarantee that there won't be any additional charges.
I think there are a few other companies starting to do the same as well.
When that's said, the way MGM is shipping also works very well for me - it goes via USPS and the local mail carrier here handles VAT which I pay when I pick up the package. The extra charge is there but not too high, and it doesn't get stuck in customs either. They do use the 'exchange rate from an old table' method though. This is not so important for the price range of any ukuleles I might buy anyway.
7string
Active member
If items come into the UK from USPS they're handled by Royal Mail who are the slowest and worst lot to deal with. Also they sometimes put on a wacking £20+ fee on top of taxes just for handling it.
If you're in the UK, get things sent by UPS, DHL or Fedex so it doesn't touch the Royal Mail.
I order stuff from Stewart Macdonald in the States every now and again and I get orders in 2-3 days with DHL. I just go to my local office, pay the taxes and collect the parcel.
If you're in the UK, get things sent by UPS, DHL or Fedex so it doesn't touch the Royal Mail.
I order stuff from Stewart Macdonald in the States every now and again and I get orders in 2-3 days with DHL. I just go to my local office, pay the taxes and collect the parcel.
Kem
Well-known member
UPS? The last time I had something sent by UPS, I ended up paying $100 in fees at the door. This was on a used instrument. UPS is the devil. It also charges ridiculous gobs of money to move a package from the US to Canada, even before it hits you with the fees.
I'll be picking up a uke sent by USPS (and then Canada Post) in a couple of hours. Its value is roughly the same as that of the last one. If the extra fees hit or exceed $100, I'll take it all back, but for now, I truly believe that UPS is evil and needs to be punched in the face.
EDIT: I just checked the postal slip for the fee; it will apparently be $56.35, which was about what I was expecting (mostly tax, I think). USPS wins. Also, UPS wanted to charge $100 up front to send this package, opposed to about $30 for USPS. USPS wins again! Hurrah!
I'll be picking up a uke sent by USPS (and then Canada Post) in a couple of hours. Its value is roughly the same as that of the last one. If the extra fees hit or exceed $100, I'll take it all back, but for now, I truly believe that UPS is evil and needs to be punched in the face.
EDIT: I just checked the postal slip for the fee; it will apparently be $56.35, which was about what I was expecting (mostly tax, I think). USPS wins. Also, UPS wanted to charge $100 up front to send this package, opposed to about $30 for USPS. USPS wins again! Hurrah!
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