importing speakers via vpost

filmguy

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hey guys
the shipping co. mentioned by a forum member, vpost, is running a 50% discount scheme if u place an order with icici credit card till dec 31st.
i was in the market for bipole surrounds and amazon has a good deal on some klipsch ones.
do u think its safe, in terms of speakers reaching here in good condition ? is it true that speakers are less liable to damage in transportation as compared to electronics etc?
also vpost's site dont have any guidlines to measure customs. according to 20 north site you are allowed upto 10k. the speakers i'm looking at are 150$ and 200$. so they both fall in that budget. but does anyone have any experience of how the customs evaluates the value. ages back when u wld get anything in passenger bag it didnt matter what u paid. even if u had the receipt they wld charge as per their master list (which had a higher value/MRP)
20north is charging too much. firstly the exchange rate they are charging at 54 to 57 rs/usd when the rate nowadays is 46-48. shipping is comparable to vpost but now with the 50% discount vpost is quite reasonable.
do u think its worth the effort and risk or better to stick to something locally?
ordinarily i would have but the offer makes it quite tempting, wat say? anyone here with any experience of vpost and customs while importing via 20 north/vpost etc?
 
Customs is usually ~25% on hifi stuff (charged on item cost + shipping charges), I had imported a speaker a couple of months ago from Axiom.

If the speakers you are looking for are available on Global-ebay, that might be a better option, check them out. They provide an all inclusive price including door-delivery shipping, customs etc.
 
Customs is usually ~25% on hifi stuff (charged on item cost + shipping charges), I had imported a speaker a couple of months ago from Axiom.

If the speakers you are looking for are available on Global-ebay, that might be a better option, check them out. They provide an all inclusive price including door-delivery shipping, customs etc.

I thought it was 34% duty? What about ST, excise and VAT do they apply?

Regards
 
Not sure about the 34%, ST, VAT etc., but I paid ~25% and Fedex was the courier, so it should be an accurate assesment.

I should have the Fedex invoices somewhere (for the customs portion) and will give the break-up once I find them, but the 25% has 3 or 4 components added up...
 
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do u think its safe, in terms of speakers reaching here in good condition ? is it true that speakers are less liable to damage in transportation as compared to electronics etc?

The condition in which the speakers reach you will depend greatly upon the packing that the manufacturer. In the US, packing is generally good, but they also depend upon Fedex or some such courier. With these couriers, the company has some arrangement by which the packages are transported carefully, and many time even insured for transit damage.

When you ship something by post you are basically depending upon two government departments. One is the US Post and the other is the Indian Post. Neither of them would pay too much attention during transit.

ages back when u wld get anything in passenger bag it didnt matter what u paid. even if u had the receipt they wld charge as per their master list (which had a higher value/MRP)

The Customs people, even today, depend upon their own price list and charge according to that. Even if you show an invoice, they will always match that with the price they have and take the higher value.

anyone here with any experience of vpost and customs while importing via 20 north/vpost etc?

If the package comes by post, you have to go to Customs and clear it before it is delivered to you. Courier companies and 20North will do the clearing themselves and deliver the package to you.

Cheers
 
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