hopefullguy Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 the best time to import is.. when you want it and when you have the money.. love financial people/groups predicting things... they guess and hope. gfc proved that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyW Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Yes, there's only a few things worth importing. Generally low value items although I did do very well with a S.A.M Aldebaran turntable not too long ago though too. There are some bargains to be had though once you get to a certain level it's not really an option.Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 (edited) Sorry to Tassie OP "OT Best advice to punters after 25 years of managing imports for a little shop is go to the bank, pay to do a telegraphic transfer TT for your Proforma Invoice PI. Stuff from $3K to $15K per drop The Bank then wears to a degree any stuff ups during Transfer of Funds, which has happened once, 2 years ago. Make sure the Seller sends a complete PI with all the details required to do the TT or it's no deal Packaging, OMG some numpties do a poor job had entire crops of gear speared by a fork lift, box full of twisted scrap. Generally the Shipping Company can be responsible, but, don't sign the delivery document until you have inspected the contents of your shipping. "audio gear, be really careful. Local Aussie Couriers have crappy little disclaimers and won;t cover even if insured for damages , in particular Audio Amplifiers/Mixers Speakers of all types Musical Instruments Be really really careful with communicating the fact you want the stuff correctly packed Send expensive speakers w/o drivers, pack those separately, carefully so as they can literally fall flat out off of the back of a truck, or 747 Customs will call you incessantly as you would for free money, be ready to rattle off your credid card to be raped about 17% of the total AUD value and Email. If you have provided these details correctly to the Bank and the Seller in particular the seller has these details on his shipping documents, and the PI Good Luck otherwise, when it all works it's magic Edited September 13, 2017 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 i have imported stuff directly myself before from both asia, us, uk as needed and where made sense. last time i imported something from the us. even though 2nd hand the blighters made me pay all sorts of things. and this even though filled out the declarations, customs docs etc. I only imported because it was no longer available in this country and even local agent was happy to change voltage over which was a win. but i ended up paying about retail price when sold here. shudder to thing what would have ended up paying in charges if it was new and being brought in ! the real worry about importing is if gets damaged in transit. no matter how you pack something. it can get damaged. and then what. insurance is ridiculous. and comes with all its loop holes that makes it worthless i feel often. many local agents wont touch grey imported things either. eg where serial number doesnt match what they brought it. so have to keep that in mind. the cost to ship something to get fixed over seas from australia is roberry ! and then there is the risk again of getting damaged there and back ! i will still do it though if we are being robbed locally anyways ... which happens at times. and where something is just not available here. but its been a long time since needing to do it and where done few and far between. really just not worth it these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 @:) al After reading yours and my posts I wouldn't import anything unobtanium rare or grey unless you get a real good bargain, and you are prepared to write it off. good luck with the rest of it as it''s quite variable at random the quality of service namely ship and pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guru Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 On a $20 k transfer, a bank is charging $1 k for the privilege of using their service. There are much less punishing ways of transferring funds overseas. If you do it regularly, it is worth investigating alternative means. No specific recommendation as each persons requirements are different and sometimes expectations aren't met so won't be supplying names but banks are far from being kind when it comes to transfer rates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Worst things I've seen is (for fun and a giggle) A pair of lovely floor standers packed nicely, worth a few bob, brand new hand made sort of thing, spotted tiger gloss timber fell out of a truck so perfectly on their backs that hard it punched the drivers straight into their boxes smashed the baffles of the speaker boxes and buggerd the driver units. (Ensuing conversation with Courier) Thanks mate, paid for insurance (next the bombshell) disclaimer episode, phone run around for weeks pricks, write off 500 brand new B22 LED Globes for 12 or 24vdc entire lot glass smashed, Spent a week repairing them after waiting parts, not fun either, nightmare actually as there was a lot of scraping off glue and broken glass 2 x vintage Alpine 300w stereo car amps, rare vintage packed together in a large plastic bag, thrown from Sydney to Tassie smashing together all the way, didn't do the finish of a 20 yo matched pair of power amps any good. That one really $hitted me as those amps are rare as and real beaudys. Gosh could go on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 12 hours ago, guru said: On a $20 k transfer, a bank is charging $1 k for the privilege of using their service. There are much less punishing ways of transferring funds overseas. If you do it regularly, it is worth investigating alternative means. No specific recommendation as each persons requirements are different and sometimes expectations aren't met so won't be supplying names but banks are far from being kind when it comes to transfer rates. That Telegraphic Transfer should only cost you $18 at a Bank, that is super fishy that deal Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metal beat Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 1 minute ago, 125dBmonster said: That Telegraphic Transfer should only cost you $18 at a Bank, that is super fishy that deal Man Comm bank charge around $32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 12 hours ago, metal beat said: Comm bank charge around $32 My State Bank, $18. They do get me other ways Mate don't worry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guru Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 The difference is in the exchange rates, not some poxy visible transfer fee. Yeh st George charges $20, no wonder they make billions in profit every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundreference Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 also be aware if you google "X "Aust amount to X Not Aust amount" gives a $$$. But you will never get that. The actual exchange rate is not for the average person. Expect to lose 5 or 10 percent over that rate because: you are just a person. Add on to that all the extra: the local aust retailer isnt "ripping you off" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankn Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 3 hours ago, givita_burl said: i don't think the freight cost forms part of the GST base cost, but it is used for calculation of duty. Price of goods +Freight+ insurance are the base GST cost. It is spelled out very clearly on the forms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankn Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 3 hours ago, 125dBmonster said: Frankn Does this mean that if you can find the particular electronic device in chapter 85 Tarrif Concessions, is it not subject to the GST or some other concession? Want to be able to follow/understand what you have put up as I import loads of this stuff and don't like getting ripped, particularly to Customs. Would be good for me to check (maybe my margins as well) matt Hi Matt, if the goods+freight+insurance are over AUD 1K you pay GST, duty(or Tarif) and a processing fee - I think you know that. The duty can be zero or it can be extra several %. Using the tables you can check what the duty will be. In my case I found it should be zero. hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acg Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 9 hours ago, Full Range said: HSBC has predicted that the AU $ will reach $0.90 by 2nd Qtr of 2018 https://www.businessinsider.com.au/hsbc-the-australian-dollar-is-heading-for-90-cents-2017-9 Fark I hope not...60 cents is where it needs to be if we are ever to balance the national accounts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sero Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 stuff the banks https://transferwise.com/au your welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VA50 Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 (edited) I don't know if its true or not but i have also heard of customs charging when the total value of several items you have imported tally over 1k. E.g you buy an amp for $800 and a turntable for $600, they both arrive at customs the same day and customs counts that as $1400 of imports and slaps you with a bill rather then two separate items under 1k. I imported a marantz 2270 a month ago and i was getting worried because i won auctions on several other bits of equipment/parts that put my combined total over 1k. They all arrive about 2 weeks apart though and luckily i was never charged anything. Things sure cop a beating in transit though, the marantz was packaged very well, double boxed and full of padding. The outside box was more the shape of a maccas burger then a rectangle by the time i got it, nothing was damaged though. Edited September 14, 2017 by VA50 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metalheadz Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 I always ask the sellers to write a the items value just under $1000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankn Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Yes @VA50 it is also my understanding that if customs find several packages arriving and addressed to a single address they can lump them together as a bigger purchase. However I think you would have an opportunity to discuss with customs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankn Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 @metalheadz that's fine if the seller will do this. Many larger companies will not do so. Also some purchases are just too expensive to do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 54 minutes ago, metalheadz said: I always ask the sellers to write a the items value just under $1000 Be wary, customs are not dumb. They can use google 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petetherock Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 I can't find my old shipping thread - there's a lot of info there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smp Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 1 hour ago, metalheadz said: I always ask the sellers to write a the items value just under $1000 Notwithstanding the fraud you are committing, if under those circumstances you are unlucky and the item is lost/stolen/damaged your loss will always be limited to the declared value of the item by the seller (viz.invoice value) and is the only figure Insurers will consider. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Devil Posted September 14, 2017 Author Share Posted September 14, 2017 Interesting comment but who is committing the fraud? Surely it isd the sender who agreed to declare it at under $1000. The crime to the receiver would be if he/she declared its value as less than that paid. And of course, if customs are suspicious, they could ask for proof of payment. However, with the huge infow of goods Customs are unlikely to bother unless the same person is frequently noted to receiving goods under $1000 than might be worth more. All up though there is risk involved so they need careful consideration, with thje biggest oner the lack of guarantee or comeback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyW Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 I imagine since requesting it it would be seen as collusion. After all if you're present during a murder and don't report it, that is illegal also.Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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