Importing guitars (USA -> AUS)

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DeathKnell

New member
I've asked this on forums but not really gotten any solid figures..

I'm looking for an Ibanez RG7321, which aren't exactly in abundance on Australian shores. The lowest price i've found is AUS$786 + maybe shipping, which got me looking to overseas where they retail on average for us$380 + us$80 shipping. that in itself is around aus$200 saving..

but how are the GST and import tax applied to this? i heard they were 10% and 5% respectively.. but in what order are they applied?
 
that's according to music123.com

i probably should verify that now that you mention...

although it cost me $9.50 to have a book sent here... and when i think about the book, a guitar really would be close to 8-9 of them in space/volume..

i think the whole point of this exercise would be to workout the cheapest price from the USA, then talk to the australian retailer and see if they're interested in matching prices... :o

/sociopath
 
I don't know this for sure, but I think GST is the last applied....

Think in the same terms as petrol - you have the cost of petrol, then the excise (equivalent to import tax mebbe...) and then the GST - which is what everyone bitches about - having a tax on a tax..

GST is 10%, don't know about import tax.

Good luck..

I can't remember the last time I paid $700 for a guitar! Have a mint condition RGsomething or other that I don't really play...
 
GST is a absolute rip off. I have imported many things over the years and it works like this.
1.The Cost
2. Any insurance
3. Freight
4. Customs Duty
5. Any other associated costs
--------------------
Total then the bastards assess GST,
They tax on a tax. There have been numerous submissions (which I have taken part in one) to both Govt. and ATO and also to the New Zealand tax office which had GST about 15 years prior and which was copied when imported into Aust.
Govt. has chosen to ignore this (as does almost every other govt that operates GST or VAT.
End result they screw you, then fucking Costello claims he is doing a great job "look we have a surplus" ,of course he fucking does, it's totally riding on the back of the current resources boom, if that stopped tomorrow the country would be in the deepest hole possible, and the tax office would continue to screw you.
However, when you import something you have a limit.
Lets say your guitar cost $400 and your limit is $300 then your dutiable amount would be the difference at whatever percentage they levy.
Only GST levies on the whole fucking lot.
Hope that clears it for you. If you went and got it yourself they usually just let you through.
 
Just had a thought. Try New Zealand, from memory there is no duty between countries - an agreement dating back to the 70's which I think is still in place. For a start the $NZ is 20% less than ours, although that fluctuates daily by a few points. They don't have much in the way of Ebay but try http://www.trademe.co.nz/category_index.htm
I recently brought in a guitar amp from NZ, it was mine and got stolen about 15 years ago and then it was recovered so I arranged to have it picked up and sent over, can't remember how much but there was no duty in that instance.
 
Clive Hugh said:
it was mine and got stolen about 15 years ago and then it was recovered so I arranged to have it picked up and sent over
Click to expand...

There has got to be an interesting story behind that :eek: :)
 
You need to;

1) Confirm that Music123 are free to export Ibanez products o/seas, specifically to Aust., as many US dealers are restricted by manufacturers as to where they can sell.

2) If they are clear to sell to Aust., then find out what shipping "company" and/or method they use. It is possible, that a guitar exceeds the size/weight restrictions for parcels which would normally be sent through the USPS Air Parcel Service. (NOTE: I said USPS NOT UPS) meaning it could be sent "economy" or surface mail which takes weeekkss. The alternatives to the postal services are Fedex, (God forbid....UPS) and DHL.

My advice to anyone wanting to import instruments into Aust., is to use DHL, you do pay a premium BUT normally, the goods are on the ground in Sydney within 24 hours of being despatched in the US, ie: the less time in transit = less chance of either damage or disappearance. For smaller items, (studio gear, etc.) I only ever use the USPS Global Express Mail service which takes between 5 - 10 working days.

The basic costing is calculated like this example.......:

Items cost ($380US) approx: $505AU
Duty 5% ...........................$ 25
Shipping....($80US) approx: $105AU

Sub Total....( VOTI )............$635AU
GST 10%...........................$ 63.50
TOTAL ..............................$698.50

Now as I said, my shipping preference for guitars is DHL, however with them, you can usually expect to pay well in excess of $200AU for shipping and in the past I have allowed approx., $500AU on top of the actual instrument cost to safely cover shipping, import costs, etc. Also, consider that as a timber product, a guitar is usually inspected (albiet briefly) by Quarantine which can carry an additional smallish fee.

From experience, I have found that some brands of guitar aren't worth the effort to import, eg: Fender, as under normal circumstances, the Aust., pricing both new and s/hand doesn't allow for sufficient saving to warrant the exercise.......could explain why I stuck to importing Gibsons, although even they have become a less attractive option.

:cool:

I probably should add that it's not wise to take too much notice of cranky old farts from West Aust.,...........they have been displaying that temperament ever since they realised they were on the wrong side of the country :D :D .

Armi,

Good to see you back in the country mate.....you back into songwriting yet? ;)
 
I probably should add that it's not wise to take too much notice of cranky old farts from West Aust.,...........they have been displaying that temperament ever since they realised they were on the wrong side of the country :D :D .

Armi,
QUOTE]

Not at all, we are on the right side of the country and should withdraw from the federation. If you want proof that WA carries the rest of the country go to the statistics dept. Last Feb we had a series of cyclones and as is normal during that time ceased all mining and gas exports. The following month the deficit ballooned out to its monthly worst ever. Fuck Canberra and the bloodsucking bastards that live there.(Unless they are musicians or play rugby)
And incidentally I am right about the way GST is calculated.
 
Joepie said:
There has got to be an interesting story behind that :eek: :)
Click to expand...
I had an amp that my daughter borrowed tp play her Rhodes piano through.
She was going overseas to the USA and UK and a week before she went someone borrowed it. She made the mistake of telling him she wanted it back by the weekend as she was going away for a couple of years.
The guy promptly did a runner with her piano and my amp. I was not living in NZ or I would have gone after it. She went and later on her ex-boyfriend came back to NZ. He hears through the grapevine that the guy who had the gear was in the south island and sometime later happened to go there for business. Through contacts he had found out where the guy lived and decided to give him a visit but before he got there he came accross him in the street.
He offered him the cops or the gear immediately. And that is basically it. He should have kicked him in the balls but as his is a non violent type didn't.
When I got the amp back it was in a really abused state so I took the old covering off, sanded it, radiussed the edges a bit bigger and recovered it. History repeats, my daughter has borrowed it back but only to play synth at home or sometimes when we gig.
 
my dear lord jebus what an amount of bollocksing about they do..

i will definitely look into NZ though.

to save a potential $90 i really don't know if its worth it..

im unsure whether either of the retailers sells the guitar with or without a solid case.. that could sway my choice.

lol@the stolen amp story..

it's a hollywood tearjerker just waiting to be told :D
 
DeathKnell said:
my dear lord jebus what an amount of bollocksing about they do..

i will definitely look into NZ though.

to save a potential $90 i really don't know if its worth it..

im unsure whether either of the retailers sells the guitar with or without a solid case.. that could sway my choice.

lol@the stolen amp story..

it's a hollywood tearjerker just waiting to be told :D
Click to expand...
It's a good little amp,( 70 watts) if she's not playing synth, which she is doing less of I get to use it with my other two amps, just cause I can, but it's infectious as our bass player now runs 2 rigs.
 
I bought a 2nd hand guitar from the US a couple of years ago for AUS$270. I had to pay US$100 + for shipping as the anti terrorist laws have put up the fees & checking on objects big enough to be an m16 in a box. I then had to pay AUS$80+ in customs & duties after it arrived. so the shipping & fees cost almost as much as the guitar. The dealer stopped exporting to Aus after that due to the hassle & costs.
I had to look at alsorts of horrid options due to the shipping - like detaching the neck so the item would be shorter & therefor cheaper.
Actually contact the US dealer about costs & Aus customs re customs & excise. You need to know up front - NO surprises that way.
 
You know, I'll swear some people (dealers) just like to make things bloody difficult. After 12 or 13 guitars, studio rack gear, mics, some drum gear, etc., I haven't had any issues, admittedly I stipulate what shipping method, etc., I want used, maintain constant communication (email and/or phone) and at times have led a seller through the process but it has all been worth it.

The other odd thing is that normally anything with a declared value under approx., $400AU doesn't attract import duties, etc., it just gets the usual Customs clearance and nothing else.

:cool:
 
If $400 is the magic number I got bummed badly. Customs "misplaced" mine for about 4 weeks too. Must've been my jumping up & down to get it found that incurred their wrath & attracted the fees.
 
ausrock said:
You know, I'll swear some people (dealers) just like to make things bloody difficult. After 12 or 13 guitars, studio rack gear, mics, some drum gear, etc., I haven't had any issues, admittedly I stipulate what shipping method, etc., I want used, maintain constant communication (email and/or phone) and at times have led a seller through the process but it has all been worth it.

The other odd thing is that normally anything with a declared value under approx., $400AU doesn't attract import duties, etc., it just gets the usual Customs clearance and nothing else.

:cool:
Click to expand...

ooh that's interesting.. does the 400 include the postage though?
 
DeathKnell said:
to save a potential $90 i really don't know if its worth it..
Click to expand...

I wouldn't bother, personally, if you can source it in Australia somewhere..

Establishing a purchasing relationship with someone, somewhere in the country is worth $ to you over time when you buy more gear, need repairs etc.



Hi Aus - yeah, back from living the high life in London & Paris! Not back into songwriting yet, but am at least playing the guitar again, which I just wasn't really for a while... soon! Planning on helping a work colleague record some of his songs over the next month or so - he doesn't have a lot in the way of gear or knowhow at this stage - figure I can help out with both - be good to just push the buttons for a while!

Sorry to hijack your post DK
 
Clive Hugh said:
I probably should add that it's not wise to take too much notice of cranky old farts from West Aust.,...........they have been displaying that temperament ever since they realised they were on the wrong side of the country :D :D .

Armi,
QUOTE]

Not at all, we are on the right side of the country and should withdraw from the federation.
Click to expand...

You can't be on the right side of the country. You're on the left side of the country. :D
 
dgatwood said:
You can't be on the right side of the country. You're on the left side of the country. :D
Click to expand...

If you're looking from the northern hemisphere, he's on the right side of the country... :D

But mainly here in the east we refer to WA as being on the dark side of the country... :)
 
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