International shipping... help!

[Twisteramps]

Looks like I sold a guitar to a fellow in Norway... did the Fedex shipping calculations, and it's going to be around $220. Not a big deal, but I was wondering if he's going to get nailed for excise taxes or anything beyond that when he gets it, or if that's included in FedEx's shipping rates?

Anyone know? halp!

Pete

[Drsracing]

Re: International shipping... help!

I'm almost 100% positive he has to pay duties

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: International shipping... help!

Yep, whenever you ship overseas the recipient almost always has to pay duty on the declared value. You might also check USPS Global Express - I shipped a guitar to Sweden with them for ~$120.

[Infernal Death]

Re: International shipping... help!

About a year ago i asked the german duty service what's the deal with receiving a package from outside of europe. They told me that you always have to pay duty which here in germany is 16%. The old trick with sending as a present seems not to work since they told me that a package only is a present when it's worth is under $40.
And i don't think it's that different in norway.

But then again i think that's the official side. I just received a small package from canada valued at $75 and didn't have to pay anything in additional.
The other thing could be that the package was really small and maybe the duty people didn't bother looking. If a guitar package comes in which is obviously much bigger maybe they take a better look.

I think it doesn't hurt to declare it as a present. Maybe it goes through. I think it's just important that you declare the value of the package correctly. Not so sure but if you say the package' worth is only $100 and something happens to the guitar while shipping i think it's a hard task to make the insurance company understand that the real value of the guitar is much higher [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Flo

[Genebaby]

Re: International shipping... help!

He will have to pay any duties his country charges on larger imported items on top of the shipping. I've gotten pickups and a video card without any duty, but camers and guitars, stuff like that which costs a bit more get hit. He surely would know about this, but he'll find out about it anyway as they won't release the guitar to him until it's paid.

[jackson1]

Re: International shipping... help!

I agree with Genebaby and the others. I'm in Denmark and small sized, low dollar items (>$100) often slip through customs without duties, while larger more expensive packages gets added duty.

Remember that the european receiver also has to pay duty of the shipping costs. So, for Norway which is 25% duty the math says $220 x 1.25 = $275

On top of that he will most likely have to pay a 3% import fee on the value of the item (category: electrical instruments, guitars). So, another $30 on a $1000 item.

More surprised could await him, like paying duty of the insurance amount! Depends of Norway's customs rules.

[jackson1]

Re: International shipping... help!

YetAnotherOne, was that $120 package inclusive insurance? For how much?

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: International shipping... help!

Henrik - Yes, that was exclusive of insurance. The buyer asked me to declare the value as $100 and to ship it uninsured.

[kruneh]

Re: International shipping... help!

He has to pay 24% VAT of the total value ( item and shipping) and a small fee like US15$ for the handling in the customs. Value has to be under approx US30$ to avoid VAT. Pretty sure you have to pay VAT on insurance here to. I have recieved pick ups and small things without being charged for VAT, but that`s more likely to be a little lucky I think.
Anyway, setting the value down would save him a lot of money, but on the other hand it`s a risk concerning the insurance if somethings happen. And we all know about the treatment in the shipping process, don`t we...?

[Newc]

Re: International shipping... help!

If it's a bolt on with a hard case, I'd ship it in 3 boxes a week apart. Declare a low value on the case (largest item) and he might escape the tax, or at least it'll be lower.

Newc

[jackson1]

Re: International shipping... help!

If it's a bolt-on i would ditch the case and get one locally and have the dismantled guitar sent in a box. Big measures equals big shipping costs.

[fett]

Re: International shipping... help!

Stick the buyer for your shipping cost. That is the Fed-Ex cost. He will have to deal with the rest. I hope he really likes it. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[fett]

Re: International shipping... help!

It appears that Norway ,or the highway, is really hot for these guitars.

[Jerry From Ghana]

Re: International shipping... help!

I'm in Canada and I always ask my sellers to declare the guitars as being worth 100 bucks and to not insure them.
I also ask them to use USPS to avoid UPS & Fedex's brokerage fees (which are on top of local taxes)

Up here we have to pay 15% in local taxes on items from abroad. I think I've received about 20 guitars from the USA. I've had only one shitty packing job so far, but the damage was limited to a chipped headstock edge.

I'm willing to take this chance, because the savings of paying 15% on 100 versus say 700 are enormous.

[lerxstcat]

Re: International shipping... help!

I see your point, but you have to be philosophical about the fact that once the law of averages catches up to you that you'll use the money you saved underdeclaring value to replace the San Dimas Soloist that just broke and has a $100 value on the box.