international buying

[StratFreak]

Im sure it has been asked before, but i have a very important question about taxes when buying internationally. I am interested in buying a Kramer Pacer Vintage in the future from The Music Zoo, they seem to be fairly close to me, New York to Toronto.

If i buy a guitar from the USA, and i need it shipped to Canada, i am aware there is most likely a customs fee, and there is a shipping fee. Here in Ontario, Canada, we have a 5% goods and services tax, and an 8% provincial sales tax. Will i have to pay any of those taxes along with the guitar ???

What are all the fees ??

[Funkfingers]

Yes, you will have to pay various duties, taxes, shipping and administration charges.

Surely, there must be an authorised dealer closer to home?

[StratFreak]

Almost always there is cheaper prices found online, so that would be better, but the local store isnt the end of the world, thats how all other of my equipment was bought.

Anyone know of any online dealers in ontario canada ??

[TheProphet]

Im sure it has been asked before, but i have a very important question about taxes when buying internationally. I am interested in buying a Kramer Pacer Vintage in the future from The Music Zoo, they seem to be fairly close to me, New York to Toronto.

If i buy a guitar from the USA, and i need it shipped to Canada, i am aware there is most likely a customs fee, and there is a shipping fee. Here in Ontario, Canada, we have a 5% goods and services tax, and an 8% provincial sales tax. Will i have to pay any of those taxes along with the guitar ???

What are all the fees ??

Depends.

But IMHO you should be responsible for the following:

Customs Fee (which should be your GST and PST ... god I love it up here sometimes ... no PST/HST for me).
Any shipping fees.

And if you're using anything other than USPS ... expect the following.

Yep basically any of the big shippers will tack on Customs navigations fees, expedited customs handling fees, paperwork fees, cross border stress fees, had to take a poop and had to ask in french fees.

The sad thing is the first three have shown up on the manifests.

This is why I ask for USPS, it takes longer but there's no hidden fees.

[Surgeon]

I buy a lot from the US and I'm in Quebec. Worst-case, you can count on having approximately 20% in fees (customs and taxes) on top of the purchase price and shipping. Sometimes it's still quite worth it.

A very good online dealer in Canada: Long and Mcquade, they have Kramer if I remember correctly.
Italmelodie and Steve's are quite good also.

[StratFreak]

yeah i was expecting something like 20%.

im just gonna stick to grabbing the guitar from the L&M 20 mins away from me. I was onbly hoping for a possible cheaper new find.

[Stratman]

Go over the border to US and enjoy the currency differences and no VAT tax.

Drink some good American beer, none of that blue moose piss-sweat.

There is a few shops just over the border
1) Guitar Center located at 1092 Niagara Falls Blvd, Tonawanda
2) Allentown Music at 1113 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo
3) String Shoppe at 524 Ontario St, Buffalo

Just stay away from the American Women, one of your fellow Canucks wrote a song about that back about 30 years ago and it still applies!

[uOpt]

Most of the time people confuse customs and sales tax.

If I send things into Germany and all payments are made then the 19% sales tax is the big chunk. On most consumer goods and gadgets the customs are only an additional 3%.

Of course they have to (try to) enforce the sales tax when importing things.

[StratFreak]

hahahah thank you very much for the stores that are near me !! "blue moose piss sweat" LOL

yeah true :P

[CTN]

yeah by the time you've paid all the various fees to people who don't deserve your money, it ends up being just as much as buying locally.

there really is no incentive to buying stuff online from the US anymore. unless you get one helluva deal on the price before any shipping charges.

[StratFreak]

its true, the only good idea now is driving down to the US and buying it there, or simply getting it locally.