project_c

Just bought Kelso's Fender Bassman TV 15 combo, great guy to deal with, swift and easy transaction, the amp was packed really well, it got here on the agreed date and without any problems or hiccups - highly recommended! Cheers.

thanks for all the replies. Customs can easily prove that I bought the bass in the USA by looking at my luggage records for the journey out there - I didn't have a Fender case with me as part of my luggage on the way out - I'm fairly sure airlines or the check in staff keep a record of this and customs will have access to it. [quote name='misrule' post='954530' date='Sep 13 2010, 10:31 AM']As to getting a valuation from a US music shop, customs have in the past been very suspicious because stores used to write them up for people who planned to avoid paying tax and duty. I'd gather as much evidence as you can from the sale -- like a printout of the Craigslist advert, traveller's cheque stubs or receipts to show you converted £500 to dollars for the purchase, plus the seller's address and phone number, if he's happy with that.[/quote] This is what I was thinking too - the only thing I still have is the record of the email conversation I had with the guy prior to buying his bass, and an ATM cash withdrawal which shows up on my bank statement for more or less the correct amount on the day I bought the bass. The price is not mentioned anywhere unfortunately. The Craigslist ad went down ages ago, I've been out here for a little while and got the bass over 3 weeks ago. Whilst I would be really tempted to walk through customs without declaring the bass, I'm not sure if it's worth the anxiety - declaring it would be a straightforward thing, as long as they don't get weird about the proof of purchase thing.

[quote name='PURPOLARIS' post='954293' date='Sep 13 2010, 06:28 AM']I would just walk through with it, my son's brought his guitar over with him to visit me a few times and they never stopped him. Musicians carry their guitars with them all the time at airports. I understand you wanting to be honest but your guitar has probably had enough tax paid on it through the years.[/quote] Let's say I do this - if they do happen to pick me out, wouldn't that mean I'd be in the sh!t? I can pretend to be stupid / forgetful / ignorant about laws ("I thought I wouldn't need to declare it as it's old and knackered" etc) but I doubt that would wash with customs tbh. Best case scenario, I walk and nobody notices, worst case, confiscated bass and a criminal record, no?

[quote name='RhysP' post='954290' date='Sep 13 2010, 06:05 AM']Just tell them the truth - that it was a private sale so you have no receipt. Tell them honestly how much you paid for it but don't try & con them - The customs people at Heathrow & Gatwick aren't stupid when it comes to the value of instruments, especially popular ones like Fender & Gibson.[/quote] So customs will have a database they can refer to to find the value of the bass if no proof of purchase is provided? I guess that would make sense. I am intending to be 100% honest about what I paid for it, I think it's about the right amount given the condition of the bass, I just don't want customs to have a problem with me having no proof of purchase.

Thanks for the reply - I've read that if you fail to declare stuff, and get stopped, customs can decide to "seize and impound" your stuff - something I'd rather avoid. I didn't pay a fortune for the bass (around £500) and would rather pay the tax than take the risk. The bass is going to be in it's original case in my hand as I walk through customs, so it's not something I can hide easily. The problem is providing proof of value without proof of purchase - I paid the guy in cash, so I have no proof whatsoever. I had one thought, which is to go to a couple of stores out here and get them to give me a written quote for the value of the bass - do you reckon this would be acceptable as proof of value at customs? I'm concerned about just telling them how much I paid, because without proof, they will blatantly just assume I'm lying.

I've bought a somewhat battered but excellent sounding '83 MIA Fender Precision in NYC - found it on Craigslist, so no receipt - and I need to bring it home to London next weekend. What do I tell customs? I'll pay tax on it (if I must..) but I have no proof of purchase, so how is the value worked out? Anyone have any ideas how it works with second hand privately bought stuff?