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Buying from outside the United States?

Hi. I couldn't find a similar post, so I started one. I've recently seen ads by foreign hi-fi dealers that offer great prices on foreign gear. Has anyone ever ordered an item from overseas? Do you have to deal w/customs or duties associated with the transaction. What pitfalls must you be wary of? I don't want to start the debate over loyalty to local shops, so lets assume the item in question can not be found locally. Thanks.
alannalle
texan
48 posts
 
Have bought some amps from the UAE and had no problems with duty only because they were mfd. in Canada (NAFTA). Only had to pay $20 to the freight forwarder, otherwise it would not have been a good deal. Also, check with the mfg. as far as voltage change. Best, Charlie
dacostab
84 posts
 
Another topic ..... why is it that so many sellers in the US will ship to the US only ??? (I'm in Canada).
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
I don't mind Canada. I will only use the US Mail. I did ship some interconnects to Korea twice (same person). Do not think I would ship anything large outside of US/Canada.
alexc's avatar
alexc
265 posts
 
I bought an expensive pair of speaker cables from Lituania, routing paymnet via Audio Note in the UK. No problems whatsoever, no customs issues at all.
gvwaudio
19 posts
 
Considering buying a pair of Sonus Fabers
directly from dealer in Italy. With weak
Euro $ buying German, Italian, etc. gear
can save big money. However, if the unit
breaks while in warranty, will the US importer
fix the item. Second issue is import duty which
is 5% of selling price from Italy (other countries
may vary). You can save money but there are
certain risk factors that should be considered.
Good luck on selecting the option you can live
with.
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