Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Aitch,

It's only money! You can't take it with you. I get dinged every time I buy a guitar from the USA or overseas. I have resigned myself to thinking that it's just part of the deal.

Enjoy your guitar.

Of course you're right, Brian. It's just that the government gets enough of my hard-earned through taxes and excise without slapping it on a 'pre-loved' guitar!

I feel for you - must be an absolute bummer!!

It's like bashing your finger with a hammer. It only hurts for a minute. If you keep on working you always forget about it. LOL

I know here in Canada there's a way to contest those charges.

I'm not sure if the same applies in Australia, but the information was in back of the invoice they gave me.

Patrick,

I'm in Canada too. They always ding me with brokerage charges, 7% GST and 7% PST on the landed cost. Landed cost means including freight.

I don't know of any way to avoid those costs short of getting the seller to falsify a commercial invoice. That is a practise that I don't recommend as it can land both parties in trouble if discovered by Rev Can.

Absolutely right Brian. Unless you go pick it up in the USA and like to try to sneak stuff across (not recommended), you get dinged for brokerage and GST/PST (HST for Patrick). At least there are no duties on top of that. Rev. Can. will challenge any unrealistic looking invoice (in the inspector's opinion mind you), and you wind up paying a book value (their choice of book) which usually costs even more. Some provinces will re-imburse the PST, but you still have to pay the Federal graft... er... GST.

...Dean

Dean all I can say is that when I desperately want an instrument (or parts for that matter)I factor all that stuff up front so I am not depressed when I have to pay the additional charges.

Then I bite the bullet and hit the BIN button or give the seller my particulars if the guitar is being purchased from a shop.

So when it arrives all I have to do is play, polish and admire it. Sound familiar. It's contagious.

Yeah I'm not sure exactly how you could make it so you get your money back.

I'm in the middle of contesting a charge, basically I was being returned the item and they charged me $25 based on the fact that it was worth $100. It's not a lot but I rather have that in my pockets!

Basically all I have to do is prove to them that it was mailed out of the country in the first place. Thankfully I kept the receipt for that. I'll see how that goes... It's been a bit over week now and I haven't heard from them yet.

I heard that, Brian. It still works out cheaper than most dealers up here. I saw some replacement toasters in a shop at $189 each. Thanks but, mail order wins again...

Patrick... good thing you kept the mail out receipt. Makes you think there's not much real work for these guys to do, eh? Must be no smokes smuggling happening if their after you for $25. Bummer.

...Dean

The 1997 has just arrived at the office, Mitch. I won't get much of a chance to check it out until tonight, so I'll email you my impressions.

Cheers,

Aitch