Advice on bringing a bass back from the US

[kiat]

Hi, apologies if this buying bass question is considered off-topic (if there's a better place, please say). I'm looking to buy a Fender Precision and there is one in the US a workmate has which I really liked playing. It's an MIA 1973 natural maple finish original in pristine condition that needs a little technical work (one fret buzzes and rewiring the pots), and if everything works out it'll be mine. Any advice to share on bringing a bass back?

[Noisyjon]

There's this thread for starters: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=139&st=160"]CLICK HERE[/url]

And this one: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=112040&hl=import+duty"]CLICK HERE[/url]

Well worth a trawl through and food for thought.

Good luck!
Jon

[Ou7shined]

If it's getting posted (you haven't said) you will be charged import taxes based on a percentage of the declared value of the bass. The lower the declared value the lower the charges. Bare in mind that insurance will only cover you for it's declared value too.

[kiat]

[quote name='jonthebass' post='1144598' date='Feb 28 2011, 04:11 PM']There's this thread for starters: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=139&st=160"]CLICK HERE[/url]

And this one: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=112040&hl=import+duty"]CLICK HERE[/url]

Well worth a trawl through and food for thought.

Good luck!
Jon[/quote]

Thanks Jon! I'd read some of the one bought remote from Japan and it's grown a bit since thena nd the other one is new to me, so both helpful.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1144600' date='Feb 28 2011, 04:13 PM']If it's getting posted (you haven't said) you will be charged import taxes based on a percentage of the declared value of the bass. The lower the declared value the lower the charges. Bare in mind that insurance will only cover you for it's declared value too. [/quote]

I'd be bringing it back myself probably, so preparing to do the needful at the customs. (btw funky sig you have there Ou7shined, not seen pictures of basses like that!)

Curiosity resolved - thanks both.

Cheers,
-Kiat

[BassBunny]

[quote name='kiat' post='1144641' date='Feb 28 2011, 04:54 PM']I'd be bringing it back myself probably, so preparing to do the needful at the customs. (btw funky sig you have there Ou7shined, not seen pictures of basses like that!)
Cheers,
-Kiat[/quote]

If you are bringing it back yourself, take a cheap-sh*t Bass out with you and then the one you bring back is "the one I took out"
As you will no doubt have to make special arrangement for it to go in hold/on board, being able to prove you went out with a bass could help the cause.

Edited February 28, 2011 by BassBunny

[fonkyme]

depend of the price of your bass.
if the tax are more than the price of a cheap ticket for USA(350 pounds)
go there spend a week end in an cheap hostel and bring it back in a hand luggage with you in the plane for a safe travel.
ask the seller a bill of cheap bass(exemple, a mexico fender for an USA custom). you can use ebay if it s not a shop.
pay the taxes, save money and spent a weekend in the USA.
cool no.

ps: last time i fly from london to france(no taxes to pay), the guy saw the fly case musicman and say:
oh a stingray?
a very friendly custom officer who play guitar in gattwick airport ) he had a silouhette he says
so don t abuse with the price of the bass bill but your fender will look old.

[chris_b]

I'd declare it because you'll be very lucky if you fool the customs guys. It's their job and they're not stupid!

[Macko1968]

What Chris_b said. The notion that the UK Border Force can be easily fooled is absurd, this is their job, they know all the cons. Items leaving the country are routinely photographed & documented to ensure the same item comes back with you, at Coventry an entire team open parcels every day, checking the contents match the declared value.

You'll either get lucky or a criminal record.

[Happy Jack]

Think outside the box.

The perfect solution would be for your workmate to fly over here with the bass, and then fly home with the money ...

[tomb]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1144828' date='Feb 28 2011, 07:23 PM']Think outside the box.

The perfect solution would be for your workmate to fly over here with the bass, and then fly home with the money ...[/quote]

+1

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Macko1968' post='1144817' date='Feb 28 2011, 07:12 PM']What Chris_b said. The notion that the UK Border Force can be easily fooled is absurd, this is their job, they know all the cons. Items leaving the country are routinely photographed & documented to ensure the same item comes back with you, at Coventry an entire team open parcels every day, checking the contents match the declared value.

You'll either get lucky or a criminal record.[/quote]
One of the guys on here was recently bragging that he'd only been asked for 38 quid charges on an expensive bass import from the US. He went a bit quiet when probed, right enough.

[Blademan_98]

I took my travel guitar to Hong Kong earlier this year.

I took photo's on the way out and then showed them on the way back in.

Air NewZealand were cool, the customs guys were on the case!

Still, I knew there may be a need for proof (advise from this site) and took precautions.

Believe me they are on the ball.

[Musky]

[quote name='Macko1968' post='1144817' date='Feb 28 2011, 07:12 PM']What Chris_b said. The notion that the UK Border Force can be easily fooled is absurd, this is their job, they know all the cons. Items leaving the country are routinely photographed & documented to ensure the same item comes back with you, at Coventry an entire team open parcels every day, checking the contents match the declared value.

You'll either get lucky or a criminal record.[/quote]
+1

I have an old copy of International Musician (from 1977 I think) that had quite a long interview with a guy from HMRC. He described all the cunning ideas that have been mentioned here, and I'm pretty sure in the intervening 34 years they've come across a few more ploys for avoiding tax and duty.

At the end of the day HMRC can impound your bass and leave you to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the bass went out with you, that it's exactly the same one, has already had UK duties paid on it or that you've paid exactly what you've declared.

[misrule]

[quote name='Musky' post='1145100' date='Feb 28 2011, 09:54 PM']At the end of the day HMRC can impound your bass and leave you to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the bass went out with you, that it's exactly the same one, has already had UK duties paid on it or that you've paid exactly what you've declared.[/quote]
+1. I have that criminal record

Cheers

Mark

[leschirons]

[quote name='chris_b' post='1144793' date='Feb 28 2011, 07:52 PM']I'd declare it because you'll be very lucky if you fool the customs guys. It's their job and they're not stupid![/quote]

+1.

I recently drove back to France with an empty bass case I'd bought and a Fender Tele in another case. Conversation went..

"What's in the cases?"
"The big one is empty and the other is a Fender guitar"
"Looks like a Tele in a case that size"
"Yes it is, it's a Lite ash Telecaster"
"Oh, not a real one then" (with a cheeky smile)

There would be no duty to pay in the EU but it goes to show that you could just get the wrong guy at customs. Not worth the risk.

[WalMan]

[quote name='BassBunny' post='1144714' date='Feb 28 2011, 05:55 PM']If you are bringing it back yourself, take a cheap-sh*t Bass out with you and then the one you bring back is "the one I took out"
As you will no doubt have to make special arrangement for it to go in hold/on board, being able to prove you went out with a bass could help the cause.[/quote]
A potentially dangerous suggestion to get around the tax/duty bringing it back in. They are not fools and do have people who know about these things giving you the potential risk of the bass being confiscated.

EDIT: Already beaten to the "BE VERY CAREFUL AND DON@T TRY TO GET TO CLEVER FOR YOUR OWN GOOD" reply. It's just not worth it

Edited March 1, 2011 by WalMan