International buyers - who do you use for audiophile CDs and LPs

When I lived in Japan there was a massive threshold, probably over 30,000 yen. I can't remember but I ordered Grado headphones and allsorts from the US without ever being troubled by anyone.
Arrived back in the UK first week I get stung ordering Steve's Creedence SACD's. Learned my lesson quick there!
£18 is truly draconian, it is a complete racket, £50.00 is a much fairer amount.

 

Most sellers can *cough* write any value *cough* on your order

 

The HM Revenue & Customs web site only quotes the amount in pounds sterling, as far as I can see. If the £18 was originally based on a Euro figure then they keep pretty quiet about it (possibly so as not to upset the Daily Mail). However, as the amount seems to have stayed the same for as long as I can recall, it is possible that it was actually set before the Euro came into being. Perhaps it originates in a conversion from an ECU amount?

 

I feel your pain Geoff, that's a ridiculously low threshold and seriously reduces your options. I've only ever been stung by customs once, and that was 3 years ago when our limit was much lower. What is particularly grating is the fact that you pay duty not only on the goods but also on the shipping charges.

 

Also true, and for more informal sales, one *can* risk it. Unfortunately, Customs and Excise over here have a nasty habit of opening packages to verify the customs declaration and coming after you (and shopping the sender to their home authorities) if they don't think it was done in good faith. Maybe I'm unlucky, but I'd say I have about 1 in 10 packages sent from the US opened, the last one just a couple of weeks ago. Fortunately, they've all been simple used CDs, so there wasn't a problem. Partly because of this issue and understandibly not wanting the hassle, virtually all online stores I deal with say explicitly that under absolutely no circumstances will they put anything other than the amount you paid on the customs slip.

Geoff

 

Very true. Last month my bargain $12.99 copy of 'Back To Mono' from Amazon was opened by HM Revenue & Customs, who doubtless found it hard to believe that such a large item was not liable for duty. Luckily there was an invoice in there for the same amazingly low amount as shown on the customs declaration.

 

Yeah, that's possible. I can't find anything myself now either, so maybe I'm imagining things. (Now that would be depressing, if I were having dreams/hallucinations about Customs and Excise charges.) I could swear though there was some issue about it being slightly variable somehow, although £18 was always the rough figure one could use. Everything I could find now, as you say, explicitly specifies £18. Ah, well. One of those great mysteries of life I guess.

Geoff

 

Any Canadians know what our import $value limit is, before Customs, Duty etc, kicks in?

My impression is that it's very low, but that the likelihood of it being imposed are random?

 

likelihood of it being imposed are random? This is the answer. I have purchased CDs worth $30US and paid duty. Just yesterday I had 2 orders worth over $150US and no duty. Go Figure.

 

My worst case was a single $17 US cd, that after it was highjacked by some Border Racket firm, then was slammed with Canada's Customs people, and ended up costing me $60 Cdn

But many things don't seem to get that treatment, or I wouldn't be able to buy from outside the country.

 

It kicks in whenever they feel like it. I've had $500 shipments go through with no problem, but have them charge for a single CD from Amazon UK. I really don't mind the PST and GST, but hate that $5 processing fee. They make a big deal about free trade and elimination of the duty, but just come up with a bogus fee to replace it. We should pay a fee for the opportunity to pay tax???

 

The Americans had a revolution over tax on a spot of tea. There must be a lesson in there

 

I pay $1300 a month for health care. Wanna trade places?

 

That's not bad:

http://ircalc.usps.gov/intl_speed.asp?CID=10411&MailType=package&Pounds=1&Ounces=4

 

I've been happy with Acoustic Sounds generally. Sometimes the postage is a bit high but I've found them to be reasonably quick and very reliable.

I've sometimes ben frustrated that I can't find out how many LPs or CDs they will pack in a box before they go to a second box and effectively double the postage. I asked and they replied but didn't really clarify.

For second-hand CDs, I often use Amazon market place an have got some great bargains here. Plus ebay.

 

That sounds like good advice as I was charged $50 P&P on four Direct to Disc recordings (costing $100) from Acoustic Sounds which I thought was pretty steep. I don't know how but I got no customs charge (I don't think on their website it mentions LPs - just DVDs and CDs) but they still cost me around £10 ($19) to pick up at the Post Office.

I've been involved in correspondence with them since the beginning of December regarding the P&P on Mr Hoffman's 180g "Stadium Arcadium" (along with trying to discover whether the Martin Scorsese Blues DVD is multiregion) but, apart from a copy of my email from Ginger Garcia, their
International Customer Representative, I'm no nearer an answer.

I won't use Amazon on a point of principle but I've had good service from Rhino Records, CD Universe and Audio Fidelity (who Forum Icon Jerry put me on to) who don't have a website but are most helpful.

 

Surely you are approaching this problem in the wrong way. Why not just make your DVD player multiregion? The vast majority of players require nothing more than a code to be entered to achieve this. I'm sure that Google could point you in the right direction.

 

I've got a Philips 963 and there's a bit of conflicting opinion about making it MultiRegion so I'm a little loathe to risk it. Have you anything approaching expertise on this as I'd really like some sensible advice (and that's not a "sarky" question, Mick)?



Barry

 

Well I don't have any experience with this model. I did hack my DVD player to be multiregion as soon as I received it many years ago, having already checked that this could be done before I bought it.

A quick Google yielded codes for making the Philips multiregion and for setting it back to the factory default condition. Perhaps if I had investigated further I might have come across whatever conflict that you have seen.

 

Audiophile LP's store based in Europe, shipping worldwide:

www.VinylGourmet.com

 

I think Elusive Disc and Sound Stage Direct are terrific stores and I've ordered some stuff from them, but their shipping costs are really high and that's why they are my very last option (only if I definitely can't find what I want anywhere else). The cheapest shipping options for brand-new vinyl to me are Amazon.com, Amazon UK and Juno Records UK. Amazon Canada is also cheap, but they sent me a package through DHL Express once. While DHL Express has a great service, I hate them because they force you to pay a "handling fee" aside from what you already paid to the seller.

 

I use Amazon.com or Discogs. Lots of European sellers on Discogs but if I order from Amazon, I get the parcel sent to my buddy in LA. When he's got a few for me he sends the lot in one shipment. Can't understand why Amazon don't have a reduction in shipping costs when ordering more then one. Almost everyone else on the planet does.

 

Because Amazon makes more money that way. And it is a chance for sellers not to lose money on shipping.

Joachim

 

Any other good US sites for new, in print and recent reissues? Talking about CDs, mostly.

Discogs has good prices (used only?) but I saw the shipping costs that some users charge and one european seller established a price of more than 200 euros (!).

 

Amazon Canada looks great. What shipping option do you use? Standard International? 10 to 12 weeks is just too much wait

Also, have you been subjected to custom and import fees at your country?