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amonb · 10-21-2007, 07:05 AM

A thread from fellow Aussie member Pirelli triggered me to start this. I know it may have limited appeal but I know there is a dedicated group of Aussies who love this site and unfortunately our location means we can't as readily join in on the sales to-and-fro as our European and American cousins. And the pricing of almost EVERY guitar component (seven string or otherwise) in this country is decidedly criminal. This is not an accusation, this is fact.

This thread is for 7 string players in Australia who would like to dip their toes in the import waters but don't know enough about it to try. I hope this helps.

Mods, if this is in the wrong place please move it to a place more appropriate.

1. $1000.00 is your limit.
In Australia, if you import goods worth over $1000.00, and Customs finds out, prepare for a whole slew of charges. This will include GST (payable to Customs on behalf of the Australian Taxation Office), release charges and additional carriage charges. Needless to say this can mount up.

Just be careful of any carriage charges you incur in the country of origin...this is added as the value of the good. More info here:

http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/re...s/commer02.pdf

The document is from Y2K, but is still current.

The cool thing is, if everything is under $1000.00, you are free and clear of ANY customs costs. Don't believe those sellers based in Australia (usually based on Ebay) trying to sell cheaper o/s goods marked up and who go on about "having paid the customs duties" and "extra freight" cause it's crap.

2. Keep your invoices/invoice emails.
This sounds obvious but I am not saying it because of the possibility of you getting ripped off. I say it as if customs suspect that an item is over $1000.00, they CAN legally demand of you proof of purchase price, insurance AND postage cost. They will not release your lovely new 7 string until they have it. You have to supply this within a specified time period (I believe it is 14 days, can't remember) or then you start to owe Customs for them holding your item. The cool thing is you can just fax the stuff to them. THIS IS NOT ALWAYS ASKED FOR, so you may well not have to provide customs with any proof at all.

3. Customs documentation is crap.
If Customs want proof of the item (as above) they will post you a whole forest's worth of documentation. Some of this is pretty scary, as it asks you to register as a business, an importer, and all kinds of things that won't relate to you if you are just after that COW 7 you've always wanted. It can be pretty daunting if you haven't seen this kind of thing before.

If in doubt, CALL CUSTOMS. There will be a stack of phone numbers listed on the documents to call, and the one that has gotten me sorted is the number of the customs office at the airport where the 7 stringer is held. They are very helpful, and most of the forms mentioned go in the bin (remember kids, like Devin Townsend says, recycle!).

4. Think smart about postage.
I haven't ordered from the UK, only the US, so I can only speak from my American postage experience.

USPS is definitely the cheapest option on postage, and make sure you always get a tracking number cause then you can track the stuff live on the net, which is pretty cool and helps build the excitement when you know where the thing is.

The problem with postage from the US generally isn't weight, its length. Guitars are generally pretty light, but if the instrument is over a certain length, the postage price can get real dumb if you are buying from a private seller. If you are ordering a bolt-on guitar without a case, the simple solution is to get the neck taken off by the seller. It is really easy to put the neck back on (trust me I am all thumbs and can barely manage changing a string, and even I was able to put the guitar back together and set it up...many guides on these subjects on this site) and doing this will knock the postage RIGHT back.

Commercial sellers (like many with Evilbay shopfronts and DCGL) can ship cheaper, and this isn't as big a problem.

5. If available ALWAYS get insurance.
This is a no-brainer. Your trusty guitar/pick-up/pick signed by Paul Gilbert is about to go through a hell of a lot of hands before it gets to you, and it only takes one of those hands to screw up. I haven't had a problem in my multiple transactions of everything from strings to full-length guitars, but insurance is there for one precise reason: SHIT HAPPENS.

That's all I got. I will edit if there is more I think of, and I hope this is of some help to Aussies. I have found almost EVERYTHING to do with guitars is pretty much cheaper from the US, especially with our dollar doing so well lately!

Cheers.

10-21-2007, 07:05 AM	#1
amonb Just One More... Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 2,244 Real Name: Amon Main Seven: Ibanez s7420 BP Thanked: 14	Importing 7s and parts into Australia A thread from fellow Aussie member Pirelli triggered me to start this. I know it may have limited appeal but I know there is a dedicated group of Aussies who love this site and unfortunately our location means we can't as readily join in on the sales to-and-fro as our European and American cousins. And the pricing of almost EVERY guitar component (seven string or otherwise) in this country is decidedly criminal. This is not an accusation, this is fact. This thread is for 7 string players in Australia who would like to dip their toes in the import waters but don't know enough about it to try. I hope this helps. Mods, if this is in the wrong place please move it to a place more appropriate. 1. $1000.00 is your limit. In Australia, if you import goods worth over $1000.00, and Customs finds out, prepare for a whole slew of charges. This will include GST (payable to Customs on behalf of the Australian Taxation Office), release charges and additional carriage charges. Needless to say this can mount up. Just be careful of any carriage charges you incur in the country of origin...this is added as the value of the good. More info here: http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/re...s/commer02.pdf The document is from Y2K, but is still current. The cool thing is, if everything is under $1000.00, you are free and clear of ANY customs costs. Don't believe those sellers based in Australia (usually based on Ebay) trying to sell cheaper o/s goods marked up and who go on about "having paid the customs duties" and "extra freight" cause it's crap. 2. Keep your invoices/invoice emails. This sounds obvious but I am not saying it because of the possibility of you getting ripped off. I say it as if customs suspect that an item is over $1000.00, they CAN legally demand of you proof of purchase price, insurance AND postage cost. They will not release your lovely new 7 string until they have it. You have to supply this within a specified time period (I believe it is 14 days, can't remember) or then you start to owe Customs for them holding your item. The cool thing is you can just fax the stuff to them. THIS IS NOT ALWAYS ASKED FOR, so you may well not have to provide customs with any proof at all. 3. Customs documentation is crap. If Customs want proof of the item (as above) they will post you a whole forest's worth of documentation. Some of this is pretty scary, as it asks you to register as a business, an importer, and all kinds of things that won't relate to you if you are just after that COW 7 you've always wanted. It can be pretty daunting if you haven't seen this kind of thing before. If in doubt, CALL CUSTOMS. There will be a stack of phone numbers listed on the documents to call, and the one that has gotten me sorted is the number of the customs office at the airport where the 7 stringer is held. They are very helpful, and most of the forms mentioned go in the bin (remember kids, like Devin Townsend says, recycle!). 4. Think smart about postage. I haven't ordered from the UK, only the US, so I can only speak from my American postage experience. USPS is definitely the cheapest option on postage, and make sure you always get a tracking number cause then you can track the stuff live on the net, which is pretty cool and helps build the excitement when you know where the thing is. The problem with postage from the US generally isn't weight, its length. Guitars are generally pretty light, but if the instrument is over a certain length, the postage price can get real dumb if you are buying from a private seller. If you are ordering a bolt-on guitar without a case, the simple solution is to get the neck taken off by the seller. It is really easy to put the neck back on (trust me I am all thumbs and can barely manage changing a string, and even I was able to put the guitar back together and set it up...many guides on these subjects on this site) and doing this will knock the postage RIGHT back. Commercial sellers (like many with Evilbay shopfronts and DCGL) can ship cheaper, and this isn't as big a problem. 5. If available ALWAYS get insurance. This is a no-brainer. Your trusty guitar/pick-up/pick signed by Paul Gilbert is about to go through a hell of a lot of hands before it gets to you, and it only takes one of those hands to screw up. I haven't had a problem in my multiple transactions of everything from strings to full-length guitars, but insurance is there for one precise reason: SHIT HAPPENS. That's all I got. I will edit if there is more I think of, and I hope this is of some help to Aussies. I have found almost EVERYTHING to do with guitars is pretty much cheaper from the US, especially with our dollar doing so well lately! Cheers.