with the dollar being so low and all, I wonder if at this point it is more cheap for us europeans to fly over and buy a strat in america, than get it over here.

does anyone know what Id have to pay in the US for a new custom shop white relic 69 strat with a maple fretboard?

thanx a lot!

Since Fender's price increase I think they are around 3,000 USD. With the way the economy is you might be able to work out a deal, which is always good

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American Vintage '57 Strat
Super Champ XD

$3000 = £1865 = 2101 Euro.

You can buy a 69 relic for around £2K in England
http://www.rattleanddrum.com/product/5234/fender-custom-shop-stratocaster-69-relic-olympic-white

On the surface that seems like a saving. Add to that the cost of shipping, roughly £150 and then customs, value added and import taxes will give a price hike of roughly 40% on the price of the guitar and the shipping cost. that brings your import price to £2821 = $4536 = 3178Euro. Not really a saving is it. I can tell you from past experience that British customs and Excsize are more than aware of people flying out to buy abroad and will seize the instrument on return into the UK until relevant taxes have been paid. They will also levy a holding charge. I took an encore out came back with a american standard, it didnt fool them. They knew exactly what was what.

Your far better off to just buy one here.

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No no and no

seems switzerland is way overprized. this guitars sells for 5500 swiss franks, which is roughly 5000 dollars with the current exchange rate!!!

i found a shop whos willing to ship to europe and labeling the package als a warranty repair. this way there will be zero taxes!

wisely I didnt name names, so no ham done. but after all I think its fenders own fault: doubling prices for the european market really asks for behaviour like this.

are there any europeans in this forum? what are your experiences?

there are a bunch of europeans on this forum, like 1/5 of this place is european.

great. and what do they think about the massively overprized fender products in europe?

sorry for fender europa, but from now on i will merely get my fender stuff directly from the states. I am no longer willing to pay thiese hugely overprized european prizes.
especially not, since the dollar dropped so low. theres absolutely no reason, why europeans should almost pay twice of what americans pay, is there?
no other ideas on this?

You carry on mate. When your countries revenue system seizes the goods until you've paid a hefty bill. You may learn that its your nations taxation laws at fault.

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No no and no

Hi arftone: which country are you in?

I'm in the UK. At the moment our currency rate against the dollar is not favorable as regards buying American made stuff. An American Standard Strat is around £775 / $1250. Here for example:

http://www.dv247.com/guitars/fender-ame ... ple--48090

A quick glance at Google shows that a MIA Std can be had for around £620 / $1000 in America at present.

So that is a price differential, to be sure. Depends on currency fluctuations: a year ago the prices were almost exactly the same both sides of the Atlantic.

Still, the prices here in the UK certainly are not double the US ones. Try ordering from that place you found in America. I suspect you are in for a surprise when the goods arrive - but I'll leave you to find that out for yourself...

Good luck - C

First, I would like to state that I would never, ever do this, but am curious about these laws. How is the law written to tax newly purchased goods from abroad, as opposed to a visitor bringing a guitar "with him" and then ending up selling it in Europe? This may seem like a rediculous situation, but just a little curious about how it all works.

ah, now i got the ball rolling.
i live in switzerland. at the moment 1 dollar equals one swiss frank. not ten years ago, you easily paid 1,7 or higher for the dollar. seems that some music products (fender being one of them) kept the prizes at the old rate. therefore we now pay at least 1,7 times more. taken into account that prizes over here were always quite a bit higher, you can safe up to 60% if you buy in america.

as for taxes: there are plenty of american online dealers (yes, also respectable ones) who are perfectly willing to ship to europa and declare their products as "warranty repair". this works. and i dont think that in any case the buyer would be reliable.