[docformat]

Fram stateside to Europe I mean.

I've been perusing the marketplace looking for a back-up for my Conn, and hoping to take advantage of the exchange rate and the fact I don't have to pay VAT at the minute. But I don't really have any idea how much shipping adds to an item that size - I'm talking about the bog-standard, cheapest version. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

 

[Ferret]

USPS says:

Priority Mail® Flat Rate Box 6 - 10 Days $37.00

Insurance and such I'm sure is extra.

Try this link:

http://ircalc.usps.gov/IntlMailServices.aspx?Country=10150&M=2&P=7&O=8&sd=1

If that doesn't work, try this one:

http://ircalc.usps.gov/

 

[docformat]

Much obliged for those links Ferret.

Those pages mention nothing about weight or size. Seeing as a tenor sax is a pretty hefty item I'd thought it would be more?

 

[docformat]

It's OK

I found this page which answers my questions

http://ircalc.usps.gov/default.aspx?Mode=Intl_Single&CID=10150

 

[NU2SAX]

I've shipped two altos -- to Ireland. They didn't have a flat rate box big enough. I sent cheapest way (priority mail) and with insurance up to 650.00 the shipping cost me 94.00 USD on one and 87 USD on the other. I'm guessing it should be under 100 USD for a tenor. I think the max insurance is 650.00 US

 

[Dave dix]

Around $100'ish but customs will get you.Its a lucrative business for HMCustoms.
You will pay £12 handling charge and the customs fee will be insured value+shipping fee then 17.5% of the overall value
EG ins value $100 and shipping $100, you will pay $35 +£12
Dave

 

[Grumpie]

Around $100'ish but customs will get you.Its a lucrative business for HMCustoms.
You will pay £12 handling charge and the customs fee will be insured value+shipping fee then 17.5% of the overall value
EG ins value $100 and shipping $100, you will pay $35 +£12
Dave

And if they do the math the correct way it is insured value + shipping and then first 3.2% import duty.
Then they will ad the 3.2% to the initial value + shipping and charge you the 17.5% VAT.
Shipping should be aprox. 100 USD.

 

[Gange]

You might get a two-way plane ticket for what the custom fees and the VAT will cost you...

 

[Agent27]

It may be different coming the other way, but when I bought my Keilwerth from Holland (back then the exchange rate was in our favor ), it cost about $300 for shipping, insurance, and customs.

 

[Ferret]

Much obliged for those links Ferret.

Those pages mention nothing about weight or size. Seeing as a tenor sax is a pretty hefty item I'd thought it would be more?

I had punched in 7.5lbs for the weight with UK as the destination... didn't think about size though. :shock:

 

[Canadiain]

Fram stateside to Europe I mean.

I've been perusing the marketplace looking for a back-up for my Conn, and hoping to take advantage of the exchange rate and the fact I don't have to pay VAT at the minute.

How so? When importing into the UK from outside the EU there is a good chance you will get hit for Sales Tax PLUS Duty, PLUS a handling fee, and insurance might be a worthwhile additional expense too.

Even importing to Canada from the US, within NAFTA, we still get hit for local sales taxes and handling fees. Im not sure how effective the revenue guys are at taxing stuff on entry, I have about a 50% chance of getting hit for taxes on small items entering canada by mail...sometimes Im lucky, sometimes Im not. I imagine its much the same entering the UK...actually, given the UK penchant for collecting tax, they are probably a bit more effective then the Canadians.

 

[retread]

Even importing to Canada from the US, within NAFTA, we still get hit for local sales taxes and handling fees.

That's because you are all tax-crazed socialists. I learned that from some SOTW posts.

 

[Canadiain]

That's because you are all tax-crazed socialists. I learned that from some SOTW posts.

Oh trust me, Canada has nothing compared to the UK when it comes to collecting taxes.

The UK invented the whole concept (or at least refined it to an art form), and is still a world leader in that one small area of human endeavour

 

[Agent27]

The UK invented the whole concept (or at least refined it to an art form), and is still a world leader in that one small area of human endeavour

We Americans enjoyed the British taxes so much that we threw them a tea party.

 

[csax]

Canadiain - a few years ago, the UK Customs decided to ignore the obvious signs that an expensive package had come from Canada - and based tax/duty on American Dollar value... Which then cost me quite a bit more, took ages to sort out afterwards, they really didn't want to give me any money back !

I'll be charitable, and put it down to them being 'overworked'...

By the way, after that I found a way around paying much in the way of tax/duty, unfortunately it involves a slight mis-description (which quite a few US sellers are happy to do for their poor European cousins), but leaves the package effectively uninsured - of course I'd never be involved with anything that dodgy myself

 

[Canadiain]

Canadiain - a few years ago, the UK Customs decided to ignore the obvious signs that an expensive package had come from Canada - and based tax/duty on American Dollar value... Which then cost me quite a bit more, took ages to sort out afterwards, they really didn't want to give me any money back !

I'll be charitable, and put it down to them being 'overworked'...

By the way, after that I found a way around paying much in the way of tax/duty, unfortunately it involves a slight mis-description (which quite a few US sellers are happy to do for their poor European cousins), but leaves the package effectively uninsured - of course I'd never be involved with anything that dodgy myself

"overworked" Im sure that must have been it! Not a problem at the moment...in fact if the US economy keeps going down the crapper, they will be saving you a few buck if it happens again!

Does it have to do with the technicality that a working sax is in fact made up of a bunch of musical instrument components?

The insurance thing is a worry though.

 

[csax]

We Americans enjoyed the British taxes so much that we threw them a tea party.

Yes, perverse isn't it, how a lot of people from Boston now try and become as British as possible. I've been there a couple of times, and feel quite "at home"

 

[csax]

Canadiain - I'm sure you'll all send the US some food parcels - taxation isn't bad going that way...

And, about the 'other thing' - the seller gets so confused that he thinks it's your birthday, and he's sending you a 'gift' - and also absent-mindedly puts the 'dot' in the value a place (or two) to the left...

Need I say more ?

 

[Fred]

The biggest drawback to shipping by USPS that I've found is their strange insurance policy. Unless you go for their 1-3 Day service at twice the shipping charge, you are limited to a maximum of $650 insurance. I've recently shipped an oboe to England and an R13 to France - each was about $55-60 shipped 3-5 days insured for $650. To insure the R13 for $1000, I would have had to go with the 1-3 day shipping and the cost would have been about $125. Figure MUCH more for a saxophone.

BTW, UPS and FedEx were no better. The bargain is the 3-5 day delivery via USPS if you can live with the $650 insurance.

 

[Canadiain]

In canada at least UPS and FedEx are to be avoided if at all possible due to the hefty "handling and brokerage" charge that the post office seems to manage to do for a flat $5 fee. There was a UPS option that avoided that surprise, but I dont recall what it was off hand

FWIW I've had stuff sent here as a "gift", and had to pay the tax on it anyway as it was (obviously) sent from a business, so that doesnt always work. And as you point out, undervaluing it on the customs form limits your options if you do have to make an insurance claim.