U.S Residents Who've Purchased from Thomann

[Hoss632]

Just curious for anyone in here in the U.S. When you've purchased from Thomann I see that the default courier they use is UPS. Have any of you had to pay any Customs import fees after you've purchased a guitar from them and are you comfortable sharing what UPS charged for those fees? If it helps with shipping the cost of the item I'm considering is around 350 bucks USD.

 

[Surveyor 777]

Haven't purchased anything from them recently but I bought a Fusion II from Thomann back in 2019 (I think that's when it was). They had a straight shipping cost (I think it was somewhere around $30-$40 back then - not 100% sure). But that was it for fees.

Cost of guitar, the shipping cost (above) and that was it.

Not sure who shipped it. But it was just like I had ordered it from GC or Sweetwater or wherever - the shipping just took a little longer (something like 1-1/2 to 2 weeks).

Maybe things have changed since then. I'll pay attention to this thread because I've been eyeing up a Fusion III.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Probably nothing.

 

[CanserDYI]

Swore this said "US presidents" and I am disappointed now.

 

[MFB]

Swore this said "US presidents" and I am disappointed now.

I saw the same thing, then I questioned whether Thomann was around in the mid-90s for them to even make a purchase from

 

[Crungy]

Probably got it through Thomann?

 

[Emperoff]

Thomann doesn't chage VAT to US residents, so whatever import taxes you have to pay you'll probably get the gear cheaper than Europeans

 

[Hoss632]

Thomann doesn't chage VAT to US residents, so whatever import taxes you have to pay you'll probably get the gear cheaper than Europeans

And that's the confusing part. Some have said it was just the price of the guitar and shipping. No import fees with customs. Seen others say they had to pay some.

 

[aceshigh92]

The USA has an $800 de minimis on import duties, so if your order is below that value there will be no import duties or taxes to pay. Anything above $800 and you may have to pay, although it depends on exactly what you're buying.

 

[CanserDYI]

US customs have also been a "fuck this random purchase right here..." type of situation from what I've read in the past.

 

[Andromalia]

Out of curiosity, why would you want to buy from Thomann ? Stuff like rare european amplifiers would cost an arm and a leg in shipping no ?

 

[Adieu]

Out of curiosity, why would you want to buy from Thomann ? Stuff like rare european amplifiers would cost an arm and a leg in shipping no ?

Thomann ships ridiculously cheaply

 

[fantom]

Just curious for anyone in here in the U.S. When you've purchased from Thomann I see that the default courier they use is UPS. Have any of you had to pay any Customs import fees after you've purchased a guitar from them and are you comfortable sharing what UPS charged for those fees? If it helps with shipping the cost of the item I'm considering is around 350 bucks USD.

It's not UPS charging you fees, it's customs. The rates are clearly published.

Harmonized Tariff Schedule

hts.usitc.gov

You can also search,

Harmonized Tariff Schedule

hts.usitc.gov

example, a $350 guitar, click Chapter 92. The rate is 8.7% depending on the **county of manufacturing**. It doesn't matter that you are buying from UK, it matters where the item is manufactured. As an example, an item manufactured in Japan would be free.

 

[CanserDYI]

Out of curiosity, why would you want to buy from Thomann ? Stuff like rare european amplifiers would cost an arm and a leg in shipping no ?

I'm willing to bet he's buying a harley benton cab or guitar, which are only available through Thomann.

 

[Rayaus]

It's not UPS charging you fees, it's customs. The rates are clearly published.

Harmonized Tariff Schedule

hts.usitc.gov

You can also search,

Harmonized Tariff Schedule

hts.usitc.gov

example, a $350 guitar, click Chapter 92. The rate is 8.7% depending on the **county of manufacturing**. It doesn't matter that you are buying from UK, it matters where the item is manufactured. As an example, an item manufactured in Japan would be free.

Not sure if the same happens in the US market, but when importing stuff in Canada, UPS actually turns a profit on duties by clearing it for you. The cut they take is especially egregious if the items is worth a smaller amount, and can go up to double what duties would've been with public postal services.

 

[TornAnus]

Out of curiosity, why would you want to buy from Thomann ? Stuff like rare european amplifiers would cost an arm and a leg in shipping no ?

I bought a Harley Benton 2x12 from them, it was super cheap shipping and it came really fast to me in the US.

 

[ArtDecade]

I use them sometimes. No VAT or extra taxes. In fact, the shipping costs are often less than you would pay if you had to pay a domestic tax and you get it in a few days.

 

[getowned7474]

It depends on what you buy and how much it costs. It's entirely dependent on US tax/tariff code as far as I'm aware.

It's not too bad though. I bought a guitar that hit the European market months before the US and got it shipped, import tariffs, and everything for less than I would have paid with tax in the US after a several month wait.

Guitar was ~$1900 and off the top of my head I think import taxes where ~$120 and brokerage fees were ~60. Might be off on the numbers a bit but it was a bit under 200 to import it total.

Like someone above mentioned, I think there is a threshold where they start imposing tarrifs on imports.

 

[ShredmasterD]

some states, in addition to federal, have customs fees. 1st hand experienced this in texas.

 

[Winspear]

Import threshold is $800