Anyone ever imported a guitar from the US.............

dindude

My bollocks it's extruciating.......

Looking at the tracking it took only 3 days to make it to the UK, in which time they spent a few days getting it to the Customs place. Then 4 more days clearing it. For the last 3 days I've been awaiting a letter telling me how much I owe them. I assum I pay and then they dick around for another 3 to 4 days and maybe send it to me.

thomasross20

What did you get?

BloodEagle

Ive imported using UPS and they were pretty quick with very little dicking around, if youre going through regular postal services they do tend to take their time.

dindude

Nothing yet, hence the frsutration.

I'll leave the guessing until a NGD when I hopefully get it in one piece. (although it's definately not a PRS).

Neil

BloodEagle said:

Ive imported using UPS and they were pretty quick with very little dicking around, if youre going through regular postal services they do tend to take their time.

Ditto Fed Ex as they handle everything themselves.

If it goes through USPS it will be handled over here by Parcel Force which can be a bit drawn out but they have a lot more stuff to handle.

Once you get the card you can go and collect it from the depot if you are in a hurry.

dindude

Neil said:

BloodEagle said:

Ive imported using UPS and they were pretty quick with very little dicking around, if youre going through regular postal services they do tend to take their time.

Ditto Fed Ex as they handle everything themselves.

If it goes through USPS it will be handled over here by Parcel Force which can be a bit drawn out but they have a lot more stuff to handle.

Once you get the card you can go and collect it from the depot if you are in a hurry.

Cool, yes it was with USPS - so collection sounds like a good option.

samzadgan

Yeah i did USPS and i collected it at the local depot. I called them nearly every day once tracking showed it was in the country. Then on like the 4th day they said it was ready for collection and they gave me the payment amount etc over the phone and i went and picked it up.

I could have waited for the stuff to come through the post (which it did a week later) but didnt want to chance my guitar getting fucked.

dindude

samzadgan;771461" said:

Yeah i did USPS and i collected it at the local depot. I called them nearly every day once tracking showed it was in the country. Then on like the 4th day they said it was ready for collection and they gave me the payment amount etc over the phone and i went and picked it up.

I could have waited for the stuff to come through the post (which it did a week later) but didnt want to chance my guitar getting fucked.

When you called parcelforce did you use the same tracking number as USPS? Or did you just use your postcode?

impmann

USPS isn't the issue.

Its those wankers in red vans that bollocks up the process.

I imported a guitar last year, it took three days to travel from the store I bought it from to the Royal Fail International Hub. Then it took eight days before it was moved to another location five miles from there (I guess they used a Mule train to move it). Then another three days to ascertain the import duty. Then sent a letter SECOND FUCKING CLASS asking for the import (fair enough) plus their extortion fee for handling it. THEN took three days to deliver it after I paid.

I refuse to use the Royal Fail for anything unless I have no other alternative these days. They are an anachronism left over from a different age and the alternatives offer better services at lower costs, with better comeback if anything goes wrong. Hell, even Hermes are a better bet these days...

</end rant>

meltedbuzzbox

I used UPS. 

The cost was a touch savage but it was at my door within 3 or 4 days and I paid the duty on my door step. 

It was hassle free.

Jalapeno

BloodEagle said:

Ive imported using UPS and they were pretty quick with very little dicking around, if youre going through regular postal services they do tend to take their time.

This. 

USPS is slow, but the tracking works, sometimes you get a Royal Mail tracking ID at the handover - you can then go straight in and pay duties etc without waiting 2 weeks for the post card.

Gagaryn

I believe there are issues with Royal Mail at Heathrow at the moment. I bought a watch strap from Italy which has been stuck at Heathrow since the middle of last month. Just think your self lucky your guitar didn't get caught in that!

BloodEagle

I bought a pedal from the US - took 3 days to get from sender to RM hub at Heathrow, 2 days later was sent to a hub in Latvia (not kidding), , 5 days later was sent back to the UK, then spent 3 weeks sitting at RM heathrow hub apparently before being delivered to me. Was not all that pleased

Whitecat

One good thing about FedEx is that they usually deliver you the parcel and then bill you for the customs fees afterwards. Stuff has reached me in 3 days before door-to-door - then 3 or 4 days later the bill slides through the mailslot like a diseased afterbirth. Like all couriers they charge a completely unjustified brokerage fee but with them the speed of delivery is *almost* worth it.

RaymondLin

3 times, and when it shows up at your local parcel force depot, they will send you a letter with amount to pay. I normally keep an eye no the tracking and soon as it says it's at local depot, I drive down and pay in cash and pick it up, not waiting 2 more days for the invoice to come.

RaymondLin

Whitecat said:

One good thing about FedEx is that they usually deliver you the parcel and then bill you for the customs fees afterwards. Stuff has reached me in 3 days before door-to-door - then 3 or 4 days later the bill slides through the mailslot like a diseased afterbirth. Like all couriers they charge a completely unjustified brokerage fee but with them the speed of delivery is *almost* worth it.

Another good thing with FedEx is that if you email them and dispute the Brokerage fee they will waive it. Say you are happy to pay the tax and duty as that's what you owe legally, and find the brokerage fee unreasonable...works everytime. With Parcel Force, it's more difficult as they pretty much have you by the balls since you got to pay before they hand it over.

dindude

Well, good advice all. A bit of a detour, but collected after work and now in my possession.....