GTA

All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Air Gun Gate => Topic started by: joek on July 09, 2011, 01:06:01 AM

Title: any one here ordered from this company in bulgaria?
Post by: joek on July 09, 2011, 01:06:01 AM
http://arms.bg/index.php (http://arms.bg/index.php)
link was posted on another forum. Been wanting a Hatsan mod 99 in .25 and $200 USD shipped is tempting. If they ship airguns to the States.
Title: Re: any one here ordered from this company in bulgaria?
Post by: AirScopes on July 09, 2011, 10:30:47 AM
I have not specifically ordered from there, but I can tell you... It may end up costing a lot more than $200.

First, the prices I saw there were in Bulgarian Lev... which are running about .7 dollars to 1. That is a good thing as the $180 price tag is more like $130.

While I cannot imagine a company would offer free shipping to the US at those prices (I can guarantee it is a losing proposition, as even slow mail will cost $80-$100 to send, and then there is no tracking...) let's say they will.

Now the roulette part comes: customs. Depending on how your shipper identifies the content in the airbill/packing slip, you are more or less likely to have the package flagged. However, if it is found to be incorrectly identified, it may be returned or seized. If it is correctly identified, it will likely be held by customs. Again, depending on how it was shipped, you may have other options, but you will likely need to get a customs broker. The fees for brokering are probably $150 and up. AND THEN there are fees for storage (and you can bet on those... the clock starts when the package arrives and they may inform you promptly, and maybe not...). Depending, again, on where the package is, there can be additional shipping fees if you can't go to pick the item up. The actual duty fee is based on value.

If you are counting there... $130 + $150 + $60 + $15  is about $350 -- rounding down. However, my guess is there are two fees missing here, the shipping cost ($100) and the clearance fee ($75). All told you are going to pay around $500 for that inexpensive rifle. Yup, more than the cost of the rifle in fees, etc.

Now, someone will chime in and say that isn't the case at all... packages fly under the radar of customs all the time. And that CAN happen. There is a company I buy from regularly where I don't pay brokering and other fees... on the other hand I pay a huge premium for shipping. I don't know how they do it exactly, but it seems items are pre-cleared and shipped door-to-door rather than door to port.

SO... if you are a gambling man, it may be an interesting risk, but beside the two horrible scenarios (confiscation and full customs fees), you are still looking at $200 as an absolute minimum and best-case scenario.

The only solution I think is viable is to order a bunch and than sell off to break even.