Buying Gear from the UK 2021

So the CN23 paperwork is basically a customs invoice that you stick to the parcel before you send it, it has all the customs and tax codes on it and tells customs that it’s a return, not something being traded. When I had to send stuff back to Elektron, I forgot to put it on and it was a bit of a nightmare, but it got there eventually. I shouldn’t worry, it’ll figure itself out.

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I ordered a super udo from Thomann yesterday and it said on the site to expect it by tomorrow, Friday. I’m in Los Angeles. That’s impossible right? I’ve only ordered one other time from them but it was so long ago I don’t remember.

Thomann is based in Germany

Ah gotcha, yes I think thats the invoice that I had to provide 3 copies of, it definitely had some description codes on it. A couple of weeks back, I had a UPS rep trying to say that it was incorrectly labelled as a guitar, but when I checked it, it showed as a synth.

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Yes, over the years all my Elektron parcels have used UPS, both orders and repairs… It was never an issue until this stupid thing called Brexit.

They’ve been very good about repairs actually, even with out of warranty repairs, they have paid for postage one way and I paid the other.

That’s the one.

If that’s on it, you’ve got no worries. It won’t be UPS, it’ll be customs wankers holding it up most likely. They hate not being able to charge customs for something.

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Totally i hear you bud. UPS have fucked me over with Elektron gear since Brexit. They have zero tracking like DPD(who are great). Id even put UPS beneath Hermes right now.

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This is probably legit.
My business ships to the US from the UK most days, and for 80% of the US it’s a next day service (this is with FedEx).
The reason is that Fedex have scheduled flights leaving the UK for the US every night that they have to fill… so shipments collected from us before 2pm make that flight and are usually delivered next day. It’s pretty wild.

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So to take the piss even further, the Elektron site is suddenly showing prices inclusive of UK VAT.

Also, I’ve paid for a brand new unit, its not my fault that an encoder crapped out within a week. I shouldn’t be limited to just getting the unit refurbed, especially given the amount of hassle I’ve been put through. My UPS tracking notice currently has over 30 entries on it and it hasn’t even got to Elektron yet.

You’ve obviously been unlucky but if elektron start showing inc vat then surely that’s a good thing ( they’re hardly going to pause things because of your sale ? ) … I guess it just makes you feel more unlucky.

If I were in your position I’d probably be needing more Prozac.

Im not buying anything unless it’s in the uk at the moment , the entire B thing is an enormous own goal. In general I buy lots of 2nd hand … it’s already in uk, cheaper and typically still within any warranty. The only weird thing is that people advertise their equipment for prices higher than retail ( once you take into account shipping within uk) … though I don’t buy from those people.

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Yeah I suppose I’m just sounding off due to frustration. it quite often feels like I get singled out and this is one of those times.

If Elektron have streamlined the amount of import paperwork/hassle then great. Doesn’t fix the fact I’m having to resort to sending shitty emails just to keep things moving though. From what I can gather, my parcel will be returned to me undelivered after 3 weeks and it’s already been 2.

Did you hear the one about the idiot that gave his Model:Samples to his son immediately after getting Digitakt? Yep that was also me! :neutral_face:

He’ll be back in school soon.

That’s what polyend instructed me to use when I sent a tracker back and I stated value of zero on paperwork to reflect it was a return. Worked fine. Had to be attached to exterior off package (i Put a safety copy inside also)

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That is wild! Unfortunately it’s with ups and not fedex, not sure if that makes a difference.

No, I’m an old fart, he’s moving into his first house this weekend! :smile:

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Slightly off topic. I left Britain ten years ago, I was slightly vexxed by the whole Brexit thing. But it happened. So , how is it going? Has any thing good come of it? (Cant tell from the media since that is all manipulated bullshit)

Absolutely nothing. Literally no good came of it. A complete load of bollocks, the whole thing. I loved living in Europe and having that choice taken away from me pissed me off no end. Ordering anything from abroad (back on topic see!) is a ball ache.

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Very much this. It’s been a depressing mess since the point the vote was even announced and there’s no upside in sight (there never was)

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Sorry if the answer is in this thread, couldn’t find it. Has anyone ordered from Bax recently? Wondering if they have sorted the customs charge situation, I know Thomman have

Too early to say.

I’d say the problem is less Brexit than the bunch of crooked, lying corrupt, self-aggrandizing lizards disguised as humans we seem to keep voting into power.

Obviously there’s been some issues getting trade sorted out. It didn’t have to go the way it did, but both sides (as in the UK and EU) care more about not looking weak than actually solving problems, hence the frankly dangerous situation developing around Northern Ireland.

One positive (though it is still a slightly bastardy positive) has been our ability to sort out and order Covid vaccines outside of the EU’s frankly insane procurement system that led to huge delays and sadly a lot of uneeccessary deaths. But again, our government managed that whilst handing out enormous (and, due to emergency powers, unaccountable) PPE contracts to their offshore mates that were never fulfilled. It’s really quite difficult to separate the corruption from Brexit, as leaving the EU has certainly made a lot of that corruption easier, from a regulatory perspective, perhaps.
But I have to admit to being no fan of the EU. The EU is an organisation that has signed deals with Lybian gangsters to take back refugees into what can only be described as hell to avoid having to deal with them. The EU is also all over the place when it comes to the environment, calling the burning of wood pellets carbon neutral being just one example.

The problem is though that, as bad as I think the EU is, our government is worse and aren’t going anywhere in a hurry, so most of the potential benefits of leaving the EU won’t be realised (if they ever are to be realised) for a pretty long time.

To get back on topic, the VAT and tariffs thing is settling down now, it’s not such a big deal, except for trying to sell stuff second hand into or out of the EU, that remains a massive ballache. Also, Northern Ireland is a real issue, and could get ugly yet.

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