Author Topic: Belgian alembican wants to know !!! (Read 264 times)

dubalbal · « **on:** October 31, 2004, 08:18:05 AM »

Hi guys , i ' m about to place an order and i wanted to know 2 things :

1) Will i have to pay taxes in my country when i 'll receive it? or does the price i pay in u.s.a for my instrument include ( eventual) taxes?

2) What is the cheapest way to order my instrument : asking the price in a huge store in usa( what i did) or directly to the factory?

Many thanks for your answers and waiting for comments.

Bye

ALAIN

the_mule · « **Reply #1 on:** October 31, 2004, 09:08:38 AM »

(double Dutch... ehm, post!)

(Message edited by the_mule on October 31, 2004)

the_mule · « **Reply #2 on:** October 31, 2004, 09:10:20 AM »

Hello Alain, welcome to the club! De Belgen beginnen ons 'Ollanders nu echt te overvleugelen merk ik! What will your custom order consist of? Model, specs, everything we curious Alembicans want to know...

I'm afraid you'll have to pay importtaxes + VAT/BTW (about 20 - 25% total for Belgium I guess) if you order your Alembic via a USA based store or directly from Santa Rosa. You might want to take this into account and contact Edwin van Huik's BassConnection in Hilversum (NL) as he's the BeNeLux dealer, or Station Music in Germany. Good luck & don't be a stranger!

Wilfred

dubalbal · « **Reply #3 on:** October 31, 2004, 09:50:00 AM »

Thank's for your answer wilfred. As i have relative in usa , i was wondering if they send themselves the bass to me as a present , there would be no taxes , i'm not really sure but i think it could work ! ...by the way , cheaper buying at the factory or in a usa based store?

ALAIN

the_mule · « **Reply #4 on:** October 31, 2004, 11:51:45 PM »

Buying at a USA based store should be 'cheaper' than directly from the factory. Several Club members have had positive experiences with BassCentral, but there must be more good dealers out there and I'll just let others contribute to that aspect. The suggestion of letting a relative send you the bass as a present might give you a slightly bigger chance of avoiding the taxman, but don't count on it. There are tax rules that simply state a maximum tax free value for gifts, and apart from that European customs must have seen and heard about every trick in the book since the US$ has become cheap for us 'euro-peans'. Don't be tempted to mention a lower value on the package, because insurance is based on THAT value, and you wouldn't want to be left in the cold if (God forbit) something happens with your new Alembic during shipment from Santa Rosa to (a relative of yours to) Belgium...

Wilfred

dubalbal · « **Reply #5 on:** November 01, 2004, 12:45:19 AM »

Ok wilfred , may be the best solution should be to go there personnaly , pick it up and come back...or as one relative of mine comes back to belgium he takes it with him as his own instrument. There should be a solution , now with the strong euro we have it's more interressant than ever to buy !!! we save 22% with the change , so i wouldn't let them go for the customs , it's driving me nuts!!! but what can i do ...i think the day i 'll order , i'll take delivery in usa myself...who knows! It could work this way !

dubalbal · « **Reply #6 on:** November 01, 2004, 12:56:00 AM »

By the way , you're correct , i have a price from basscentral for my future custom alembic and they seem to be the cheaper i found , i'm waiting for the answer of bassnorthwest ; do you know this store?any comments about this one?

the_mule · « **Reply #7 on:** November 01, 2004, 01:28:35 AM »

I know Bass Northwest from positive remarks made in this Club, but I've never dealt with them personally. I look around on their website every now and then (alot of eye candy!). I hate to be a pessimist, but personally picking up a new instrument in the USA isn't going to matter a great deal. You'll still have to pass customs in Belgium, most likely have to show the invoice or receipt and I also seriously doubt if they'll let you keep the bass with you as hand luggage on your flight home in the first place. Chances are that you'll have to leave it in the rough paws of the luggage apes at the airport. If it is send to you, it's Alembic's and/or UPS/FedEx's responsibility if something happens to your bass. A relative visting Belgium and taking the instrument with him/her might be the best idea. But I don't know if they'd have to 'check in' the instrument when arriving in Belgium and 'check out' when leaving for the USA again. As said earlier, the people working at customs should be acquainted with every trick in the book by now...

Good luck!
Wilfred

dubalbal · « **Reply #8 on:** November 01, 2004, 02:22:14 AM »

thank's for the advice , i'll contact edwin van huik soon to have the best price without worries...i already have a spoiler model but the next one should be a new balance 32 scale mk series with anniversary electronics , superb walnut with purple laminates , heart omega or stinger omega , amber side and front led's . Depending of the price , i should choose the series 2 with the same wood etc... Have you ever played this new balance k model ? And the series 2 : huge difference with anniversary electronics?

palembic · « **Reply #9 on:** November 01, 2004, 02:42:12 AM »

Bonjour Alain,

you got mail on the other adress HA!

Cheating on customs is not what I like to do. It is really making the things very complex in an absurd way. And even more the last few years. Mee too heard about the gift stories and American realtive brings over but ...that worked WAY in the past.

Your model you are descibing sounds great.

The anniversary electronics are coming close to the Series I electronics. The Series II is also close but more controllable and so complex.
A Belgian FULL Series II owner is Jan Rivi?re. He owns Marylin see
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/6742.html?1070816970
great bass.
Difference is in the sound of the PU's. Although the Alembic Humcancelling PU's (which are NOT Humbuckers ...it's a different technology) are a worldclass of its own, the single coil giant Series magnets are ....well ....different.
What I heard is that if you choose the Fat Boy PU's you got also something a step closer to the single coils.
Whenever ...give me a call.

Paul the bad one

BTW: we played Acosse some months ago and we went to an Italian Restaurant in Huy. We play Acosse again on the blues festival March next year.

dubalbal · « **Reply #10 on:** November 01, 2004, 03:05:22 AM »

Hi Paul , great : i'll call you this evening after rehearsal ! we play thursday...

By the way , i already played in Acosse at blues festival , but some years ago now...

Come whenever in Huy , call me first and we'll have lunch !!!

Bye

jacko · « **Reply #11 on:** November 01, 2004, 05:21:43 AM »

Interesting thread! I've just had a qoute for a 5 string fretless rogue from Bassworld in london that comes out at ?3695. Using the custom quote generator I get $5600 which works out at ?3058 rom the factory at todays exchange rate. Assuming the dealer is getting some discount, the import duties must be phenomenal. Incidentally he said the price would rise by 15% to ?4249 in january so I'm going to have to be quick if I ever want to see that new bass.