Hey Kids, Have You Heard The News? MOSAIC's IN TROUBLE!!!

[Big Beat Steve]

1 hour ago, mikeweil said:

...  but I was asked to pick up the parcel at the customs office and bring along a document declaring the actual value of the package (invoice or payment). Once I even had to open the parcel so they could make sure it contained what my billing documents said.

That's what happened to me yesterday. Normal procedure and to be expected ... and if the invoice attached inside the red plastic sheet on the outside of the parcel had indicated the full amount I would stil have been asked to pay VAT at the customs office because the threshold was exceeded by far. And so nothing gained and the same one way or another ... It will make a difference if you know the total is below the threshold where VAT/Import duty becomes due but not if the total is higher.

That one incident where they collected the import duties due at my door was one case quite a few years back (no idea if the laws have changed since) and there definitely  was a hefty extra handling fee collected at the same time. For an unsolicited service ..

[JohnS]

In the UK I'm pretty sure that Royal Mail in the UK charge a handling fee if shipped via USPS.  I've known the odd parcel to slip through uncharged.  Couriers always charge the customs/VAT but I don't recall paying a handling fee.  They seem to have a pretty smooth system for charging and collecting.  That said I've not bought anything latelly from the US which would warrant a charge but I agree it's a real imposition and the £18 (?) has not changed in years as far as I know

[David Ayers]

31 minutes ago, JohnS said:

In the UK I'm pretty sure that Royal Mail in the UK charge a handling fee if shipped via USPS.  I've known the odd parcel to slip through uncharged.  Couriers always charge the customs/VAT but I don't recall paying a handling fee.  They seem to have a pretty smooth system for charging and collecting.  That said I've not bought anything latelly from the US which would warrant a charge but I agree it's a real imposition and the £18 (?) has not changed in years as far as I know

It has been reduced to £15. Over that they hold it until you pay. You have three weeks to pay, after which they send it back. 

 

Too much like hard work.

[mikeweil]

There are several regional customs offices spread over the country handling/evaluating the shipments in their area - it seems their procedures vary considerably. Of course they know that values are often understated, they're not dumb. And the customs war Trump started will probably make it worse, I'm afraid.

[mikeweil]

The postman delivered the Mosaic Turrentine a moment ago - took four weeks at the lowest shipping rate. Customs were collected at the door, invoice was attached, they had opened tha package to check its contents, which is routine - nothing damaged. All is well ...

[sidewinder]

9 minutes ago, mikeweil said:

The postman delivered the Mosaic Turrentine a moment ago - took four weeks at the lowest shipping rate. Customs were collected at the door, invoice was attached, they had opened tha package to check its contents, which is routine - nothing damaged. All is well ...

I don’t think you will regret picking up a copy of this set !

[Clunky]

I've worked my way through the Savory collection and then onto the Teddy Wilson Brunswick/Columbia set. I've not bothered to do an AB comparison with my Hep discs but the sound of the Mosaic is really excellent. 

Some of the tracks are from 'vinyl test pressings'. When would these have been made. At the time of recording or decades later in the vinyl era i.e. 50s etc?