US shops that ship to Europe.

Shipping + Customs means the price is not nearly as nice eventually

You'll still end up with money off but worth the wait? I'm not sure.

I'd rather go all out and make a trip to the states and bring stuff back

 

I just bought a bass on ebay.com and got it sent to a friend in Oregon since the seller didn't want to ship to Europe. My friend found out that shipping the bass in one piece would cost me between $350 and $600 ...

In a week or so I'll get a parcel with neck and body parted instead, and shipping will be a little less than $100 ...

Even if $600 shipping still gives you a better price than in Europe, you are most likely to end up paying import taxes as well...

But it feels tempting sometimes, I do agree.



D.Don

 

Companies profiteer - they see $1=£1=€1 pretty much. They claim its to do with taxes/shipping etc but really that has a very small effect on the overall price of a single unit.

Just another way to make money. :/

 

Well, right now the USD is on an all time low rate, so it's not really that surprising, apart from that, if the product is made/sold by a US manufacturer it has to ship over the pond. And then the prices you see online in US are most often excl. taxes while prices you see in EU is always including taxes..

D.Don

 

Taxes, Import, yadda, yadda, yadda, anyway, it works the other way too, Warwicks and such cost more in the US than here.

Also, no US shop will ship a Stingray, or any Ernie Ball bass to Europe, its against the contract they have with Mr. Ball, just ask 'em, they will ship just not some brands.

 

It also depends on product, Fender, Ernie Ball etc. are US brands, thus cheaper there, Warwicks, Sandbergs(?) etc. are European, and cheaper here.

 

It could be worth it to just take a trip to the US to buy the equipment.

 

Wrong! When I recived my Geddy (about a month or 2 ago) I got it shipped regularly, doubbleboxed in a hardshell case for abut 140 dollar through USPS.. so this case was quite bigger than what just a bass without hardshell case would be.

I will reccomend Ebay or the used forum here on Talkbass, most people selling bass equiptment are trustable IMO, ans i have bought quite a few basses from USA

 

I dont think this is right either, a few of the Warwicks i have seen new in USA are actually cheaper when you see the exchange rates! For instance i saw a Buzzard LTD, and it ended up at about half the price of one in an European store before freight.. and for such an expensive instrument, that is quite much!

 

Yes, Darkstrike is right.
Ernie Ball has dealer agreements in place, that US stores are not allowed to sell brand new Musicman instruments overseas.
The only loophole I heard of, is if a limited edition model that is still hanging on the wall that has been out of production for, I think two years, then it can be sold. But verify with a dealer about.

You can buy used ones all you want, just not new. In fact I just sold a StingRay to a eurpoean buyer. But I can see where it might be tough trying to find a seller who will deal with overseas shipping.

 

I got my Fretless Traben delivered for 99 dollars! From a music shop on Ebay, The Music Farm, IIRC, but that was without a case. IIRC, The Perfect Bass also do a great deal on deliverys to Europe.

I haven't seen any, thats crazy, its like the way its cheaper for me to import a Trace Elliot rig from the US, than to actually visit their hq, in the UK.

 

I will ship overseas... Have done so dozens of times.

 

look at the classified section, I just sold a beatiful Stingray in " as new condition" I sold it to a TB member from Netherland , he save at least 400 usd buying "used" , so..

Bass $ 1000 shipment rate was 80 usd + taxes 40% so at the end the cost will be around 1450 usd = 920 eur.

I also sold a Fender aerodyne same condition and send it to Turkey:

500 bass + 60 usd freight+ taxes = 700 usd = 440 eur

So could you say that a stingray like this for 920 eur is a good deal?

 

What shipping alternative did you use?

No matter how we did here we exceeded some max size due to the length of the package..



D.Don

 

Well, that is a while ago, I Just checked the FNA Jazzman, and that one was cheaper from a UK store than an american one... Maby the Buzzard I saw was used, but I realy remember that one But with in Europe its pretty weird to, I can save about 4 - 500 euro on buying a bass from thomann rather than buying it here in norway.. That ofcourse deppends on what the bass is, but most thing here is about doubbled in price to the rest of europe.

Other:
I Dont see what the problem some americans have with dhipping to europe is? They have to spend 2 - 3 minutes extra filling out the form? They should'nt have problems with it, becouse the fact is, we have more money, to us it will probaly be cheap anyway, so you might get 50 - 100 dollars more than if you won't ship to Europe.

 

I have noe idea, i think that Shipping realy was around 100 dollar, and the rest of it was for "oversize". It was shipped regularly with USPS.

 

Interesting, maybe the shipping agent in Oregon was drunk or something...



D.Don