avoiding customs charges on music gear?? (1 Viewer)

[sealed human]

I've just nabbed a great bargain on eBay for a synth (rack only) from the US, and the seller has said to me to let him know what to write on the postage docket to avoid/lessen the possibility of customs burning me for charges. Any tips on that? Can I get him to mark it as 'gift', or 'return of own goods', or even 'repaired goods'? Its not new btw so there are some cosmetic scratches on the unit so it wont look brand new if its opened (if they'd go to that trouble).

A little murky, but I'm so close to synthy goodness I've blown my budget, eep

 

[Cormcolash]

Get him to stick the value of it as 50 quid or something, for one thing.
I got a violin in case and all sent from China last year, worth 400 quid, and they marked it as worth 30 or something. It got through customs no bother, and when the postman was delivering it to me he was laughing at how I managed to not pay customs on it, it was great! I was expecting to potentially have to dish out another 130 quid or something stupid like!

 

[sealed human]

Yes, I have visions of customs not knowing what it is, but holding it hostage until I stump up the cash or storm their office, Assault On Precinct 13 style... So admit its a purchase, just a laughably cheap one then?!

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

They probably won't know if it's laughably cheap or not.

 

[Space]

Best way I've heard recently is to get it marked "returned for repair".

 

[sealed human]

Best way I've heard recently is to get it marked "returned for repair".

I've read that actually, and as it wont be in any type of original box and has some scratches on the paintwork, that may just work if they open it up... Nice

 

[ann post]

it'd be deadly (but a bit shit) if a customs guy called you up saying 'this thing works fine, i've got it running off my controlled here and its a ll ship shape' then played some amazing synth lines over the phone and said you have to pay full whack, then played some more synth.

 

[Space]

Of course it works. You bought it in Ireland but no one here knows how to fix 'em so you had to send it to the states. Now it's on its way back.

 

[sealed human]

First prize, gonna mail the seller now and see if he'll partake in a little tax evasion...