Stereo Amplifier for B&W Matrix 805

Sorry again for the OT. I heard the M1.2 ref recently driving focals stella utopia & yg anat. Mindblowing! Unfortunately they are not sold in India, so no dealer support and at this pricing I consider that essential. OTOH SL has full dealer support in India. And the overall synergy of Lamm & SL seems to be in the right direction as well.
Cheers,
Sid

Hey sidvee, No need to apologize. I am learning a lot from your conversation...
 
Folks, I need your advice. Has anybody used anyone other than Borderlinx to ship items from the UK to India?

The reason I ask is because I will have to pay 20% VAT if I ask the seller to ship to an UK address such as the Borderlinx UK address. To eliminate VAT, I will have to get it shipped directly to me.

I am in touch with Fastway India which is a Bangalore based company, but I can find no information about them except their website. They have said that they can pick up the consignment in the UK and deliver it to me. Only hiccup is that unlike Borderlinx who pays customs & duty in advance, the same will be assessed only AFTER the shipment lands in Mumbai. I am worried that I will be up the creek without a paddle if the shipment is stuck in Mumbai and I am getting jitters just thinking about having to travel all the way in case there is a problem.

Look forward to your suggestions on how best to tackle this.
 
Unfortunately that is how things are. Paying the 20% VAT & moving thru borderlinx works well bcoz they seem to have some arrangement with the customs ppl in India whereby they can get their cargo out swiftly (being actually DHL Couriers whilst Borderlinx is just the agency name for their functioning). Most of Borderlinx's snr staff are ex. DHL fellows.

On one side you've the extra 20% VAT
On the other side, the peace of mind that it'll reach you sound & safe (while you keep tracking it on the web right to your door).

I would choose the Borderlinx route.
 
Thanks, the consensus seems to be Borderlinx.

But kindly go through the math below and please give me your reassurance one last time

  • Borderlinx = 29K (cost) + 6K (VAT) + 8K (Courier) + Duty = 43K + Duty
  • Fastway = 29K (cost) + 8K (Courier) + Duty = 37K + Duty

The duty is unknown with Fastway and not sure how much I can tweak it with Borderlinx.

Am planning to visit Fastway's corporate office tomorrow to see what their setup is like.
 
Thanks, the consensus seems to be Borderlinx.

But kindly go through the math below and please give me your reassurance one last time

  • Borderlinx = 29K (cost) + 6K (VAT) + 8K (Courier) + Duty = 43K + Duty
  • Fastway = 29K (cost) + 8K (Courier) + Duty = 37K + Duty

The duty is unknown with Fastway and not sure how much I can tweak it with Borderlinx.

Am planning to visit Fastway's corporate office tomorrow to see what their setup is like.

with borderlinx, you pay in advance... you NeVER have to pay ANYTHING more than what you have already paid... you can slap the person who is delivering if he asks you for anything extra... trust me. I have tried it at least 4 times in 1 year already!!!
 
But kindly go through the math below and please give me your reassurance one last time

  • Borderlinx = 29K (cost) + 6K (VAT) + 8K (Courier) + Duty = 43K + Duty
  • Fastway = 29K (cost) + 8K (Courier) + Duty = 37K + Duty

The duty is unknown with Fastway and not sure how much I can tweak it with Borderlinx.

Am planning to visit Fastway's corporate office tomorrow to see what their setup is like.


Fastway's website looks impressive as they DO SAY that they try & beat DHL grade courier/s as their competitors. Question is "do they actually deliver what they promise ?"

A visit to the office for acquaintance with the Manager looking after "Foreign Inward Cargo" & explaining to him your case & thereafter getting a reassurance should settle for you to go with them.

If not satisfied - Borderlinx is always there to fall back upon & would cost you addt. Rs 6k more which is the UK VAT.
 
The sentenced turned out as Malvai has slapped 4 times in 1 year already!! :eek:hyeah: :eek:hyeah: :lol: :D

that's sense of tumor (sorry, humor) for some! :)

but yeah, borderlinx delivers... a bit more expensive, but true to the final price they have billed you for!

no extra's... its tried and tested - 4 times in my case!
 
that's sense of tumor (sorry, humor) for some! :)

but yeah, borderlinx delivers... a bit more expensive, but true to the final price they have billed you for!

no extra's... its tried and tested - 4 times in my case!

Yeah thats absolutely correct, I got my thing delivered properly and safely at my doorsteps ...
 
Why dont you buy Rega Brio-R at 47K and have peace of mind and quality music ? It can do justice to your speakers than any other amp costing twice the money. I have tried them with different source and I really like it.
 
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Ok guys, I am in a bit of trouble.

I had already bought the item using my Bangalore address and now I hear that eBay/Paypal does not like the shipping address to be changed after an item is purchased. Spoke with Paypal and apparently the seller will not get the "Paypal Seller Protection" if they change the shipping address.

Redoing the transaction is not an option because I will end up spending double and lose a lot on transaction fees.
 
Thanks a lot, 2chfreak, pratimbayal, malvai and koushik!

I am grateful that I have you guys to get advice from.

Yesterday I had made up my mind to go ahead with Fastway India before I popped the question at HFV. My reasoning was:
  • I do not mind paying customs duty with what I save in UK VAT + some more.
  • Since Fastway is based out of Bangalore and close to my residence, I can always physically go there.
However behind all this was the nagging suspicion that I could be terribly wrong. I tossed and turned all night and I came to the conclusion that so many of you had already made. That I would be a fool to trust myself to the vagaries of our customs especially if it is an used electronics item given the e-waste anti dumping law that requires all sorts of additional paperwork and the real possibility that the item would be denied entry.

Today I called up Fastway and I still couldn't get any assurance from them on how they would handle customs. They seemed to think that it was my problem.

I then decided to go with Borderlinx and never mind the UK VAT.

But that was easier said than done. Since I had already purchased the item using my Bangalore address, I came across eBay's "cast in stone" policy that the shipping address cannot be changed after the order is placed. The only resolution to this is to cancel and place the order once more which would have resulted in all sorts of additional foreign exchange fees for my bank due to the triple transaction.

Fortunately I am blessed with a very accommodating seller who right away agreed to ship to Borderlinx. So here is where I am right now.

Thanks once again!
 
An update: I received new replacement tweeters for the B&W Matrix 805. I had to pay for the replacement but the price was very reasonable. They are being run in right now.

I have to say that I am very impressed by Bowers & Wilkins. They were sympathetic to my situation and helpful all along. It just demonstrates to me the difference between a good company and a great company.

Surprisingly the tweeters have manufacturing dates from a few months back (August & September 2012 IIRC) for a product that was discontinued 14 years ago.

The Quad 306 amplifiers that I purchased are also fantastic. I now get the bass even at low volumes whereas my previous amp struggled with it. Of course, the 306s being quite old, I have to replace a few key components such as the electrolytic capacitors.

I am planning to buy the Dada Electronics 306 upgrade kit which has a good reputation to upgrade all the key components at one go. If any one is interested, let me know as I may be able to accommodate in my consignment.
 
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