Just got hit with customs in the US using EMS from Japan...

[dewey decibel]

Yeah, title says it all. The problem is I wasn't there when the pakage was recieved, so someone else paid it and didn't get a receipt for the customs fees. It was about $40 on a $700 or so guitar.

I'm sort of upset about it- I haven't heard of anyone else getting hit with fees as long as they used EMS. In fact, there's a thought in the back of my head it was a scam by the USPS delivery man... :roll:

Anyway, anybody else have an experience like this or anything to add? I figured at the least this could be a head's up- I heard something about rules and fees change in American Customs, but it wasn't supposed to happen till April.

 

[Big Willie Style]

Man, $40 is nothing. I got hit for $180 on a $800 guitar (from Japan to Korea). Well worth it for the guitar I got though.

 

[dewey decibel]

Don't get me wrong- I feel for you guys in other countries that have to pay insane fees. It's just that I haven't heard it happen to too many people here in the States -I did a pretty extensive search online before I purchased this axe.

 

[Paladin2019]

In the UK, you would have paid the equivalent of $160.

 

[marcusnieman]

Today I had a couple guitars come in (my Edwards ES335 and LP Junior) via EMS from Japan to Dallas and there were no additional charges.

 

[bruno]

you're sort of upset...

here in portugal we pay 30% of anything bought outside the european union as soon as it arrives at customs... now that is a reason to be upset, you should be jumpin' around with happyness

 

[mischi_miyagi]

sorry for hijacking...

@marcusniemann: Edwards ES335...hope to see some pics and maybe a short review on japanaxe or here

Would be very nice since I'm starting to gassing for one too...

Regards,
Mike 8)

 

[mischi_miyagi]

Oh, and by the way, in Germany we have 22.5% on anything incoming...so you should go partying...

Regards,
Mike

 

[humongous]

I got away the first time with the "happy birthday" card and declared as gift.

But the second one I've got my guitar sent from Japan to UK, insured & declared the value as ?200 (it's a gibson lp), and custom charged me ?70.

Does anyone think that's too much for a guitar at that value or do they actually have a fix flat rate for items like "guitars"? I'm planning to buy more but these scary charges are just so f ckin retarded!

 

[TUNAFREAK]

Never had a charge after many japanese guitars delivered by EMS. All through San Fransisco to Monterey.

Mark

 

[dewey decibel]

Sorry guys- didn't want to make you upset... :wink:

Like I said I did a lot of searches and nobody got hit with customs here in the states if they used EMS. And yeah, $40 isn't a whole lot, but it is $40 I don't have right now. I mean, I'm just a poor musician, which is why I'm buying a Japanese replica of an American guitar in the first place.

Anyway, I hope this post can be a heads up to anyone else in the US that's thinking of ordering. I'm going to retrace my steps and try and figure out why I got hit, but it could just be the luck of the draw.

 

[indravayu]

I just bought an Edwards from Ishibashi - it arrived here in NYC this morning and there were no customs fees to be paid (hopefully I am not going to get a bill in the mail, or anything).

- Chris

 

[tudor]

What's going on there in the US ... ???

... or is it just a decision of the sovereign US states ???

Until now I've thought that the US Americans were living in a tax free zone ... !!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

... paradise for imports from Japan ... :wink:

Roger

 

[Schocker]

In the UK, you would have paid the equivalent of $160.

At least! I regularly pay around ?115 (roughly $205) in fees. What really annoys me (apart from the ParcelFarce 'handling' charge of ?12 for passing it over the counter to you) is that we have to pay duty on the shipping cost as well as the item's price. That means that the faster (hopefully safer) option you choose - ie, less time in transit - the more you pay not just for the service but in taxes.

$40 (about ?25) fees sounds pretty good to me. Tell you what, you pay mine and I'll pay yours!

 

[ochay]

I can't believe my eyes >>> VAT 22%, 30 % -I have had hundreds of guitars shipped from Japan-no taxes paid-Something don't sound right with you paying the taxes here in Good ol USA ...

 

[bluebird007]

Does anyone know there's any custom duties in canada if shiping a guitar from Japan? I think there is a 14% tax for the price declared, but not sure abt cuustom duties. Anyone?
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HONDA CL77

 

[sneakyjapan]

I`ve sent a lot of guitars to Montreal from here and write them up as gifts because thats what they are, and the only time my family paid anything extra was this past Christmas when I sent my nephews guitar surface mail...every other time was air-mail. They paid $30.oo.

 

[Ducati]

In the US, never had to pay a dollar to the tax man on EMS shipments.

 

[Rustyslide]

Does anyone know there's any custom duties in canada if shiping a guitar from Japan? I think there is a 14% tax for the price declared, but not sure abt cuustom duties. Anyone?

It's 6% duty, under the classification/tariff #: 9207.90.90.10 (in case you get dinged more and want a reassessment). You also have to pay the GST (so 6% outside of NS, NB, NL, 14% in those three due to the !@#$ HST)

On top of this, Canada Post takes $5.

There's a chance it will skip customs, but don't bank on it.

FYI: "Gifts" valued over $60 are still assessed duty in Canada.

 

[bluebird007]

I thought you have to pay PST too and the custom duties is 8%.
R u sure i dont have to pay PST in ontario, just the 6% GST and custom duty.
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Cheetah