Has anyone in the UK any experience of purchasing a used tuba in the USA and bringing it back with them to England?
Do customs charge import duty in that case, or can one get away without if it is part of hold luggage on flight?
Thanks.
Bringing back a tuba to the UK
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Wyvern
- Wessex Tubas
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tubiker
- bugler
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Yo
I bought a used Meinl 2145 from Baltimore Brass - Dave Fedderly (owner of Baltimore) was running the Meinl Stand at the Mid West Convention in Chicago - on Marty Erickson's (Wilson rep in the States) advice, I asked what he had is stock and took it from there.
I bought blind but have got on just fine (beware - I'm pretty sure that the same trading standard laws that we have in the U.K. they don't have stateside). As I was returning the the U.K. the week before christmas when the fights were full, there was no way I could have got the hooter on the plane with me wether in the hold or not - oversize baggage is discretionary - the airline can just turn you away on the spot if they are busy. I had the beastie shipped by UPS - it turned up in days and was pristine. Shipping cost me $750 then its duty and VAT on the shipping and the instrument and the case. Bank on your purchase price plus shipping plus 20% for duty and VAT.
Could you try and walk an instrument through customs and avoid duty? Well you could if you got it on the plane, but if you got hit at Heathrow customs on the way back it would probably be a trip to Southall Magistrates...........
Would I do it again - sure would - even doing it the honest way and getting wacked for duty, I had the sort of choice that I couldn't have got here. I don't know what you are interested in but the choice in the States is on another planet compared to the U.K. If you went to a Convention like the Mid West you would also be able to go round all the major dealers and have a real good tootle on all the current models that at home we just ain't got. I sat and played some Hirsbrunners on a plastic Kelly mouthpiece and thought I was in seventh heaven
pm me if you want more detailed info
Andrew M
I bought a used Meinl 2145 from Baltimore Brass - Dave Fedderly (owner of Baltimore) was running the Meinl Stand at the Mid West Convention in Chicago - on Marty Erickson's (Wilson rep in the States) advice, I asked what he had is stock and took it from there.
I bought blind but have got on just fine (beware - I'm pretty sure that the same trading standard laws that we have in the U.K. they don't have stateside). As I was returning the the U.K. the week before christmas when the fights were full, there was no way I could have got the hooter on the plane with me wether in the hold or not - oversize baggage is discretionary - the airline can just turn you away on the spot if they are busy. I had the beastie shipped by UPS - it turned up in days and was pristine. Shipping cost me $750 then its duty and VAT on the shipping and the instrument and the case. Bank on your purchase price plus shipping plus 20% for duty and VAT.
Could you try and walk an instrument through customs and avoid duty? Well you could if you got it on the plane, but if you got hit at Heathrow customs on the way back it would probably be a trip to Southall Magistrates...........
Would I do it again - sure would - even doing it the honest way and getting wacked for duty, I had the sort of choice that I couldn't have got here. I don't know what you are interested in but the choice in the States is on another planet compared to the U.K. If you went to a Convention like the Mid West you would also be able to go round all the major dealers and have a real good tootle on all the current models that at home we just ain't got. I sat and played some Hirsbrunners on a plastic Kelly mouthpiece and thought I was in seventh heaven
pm me if you want more detailed info
Andrew M