# Shipping Guitar from Poland to Dubai



## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

Hi everyone,

This is my first post on the forum. So I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section or anything. 

My friend needs to ship my electric guitar from Poland to Dubai. It's not brand new or anything. It's well over 5 years old and used. He will be shipping it from there using EMS express international (insured). 

What kind of trouble or expenses should I be prepared for, if any, while receiving this guitar? Will I have to go to the customs or the post office to clear this shipment or for verification? 

The value of the guitar is roughly around 5-6 thousand AED.

Any tips or help will be appreciated.

Cheers!

Sameer


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

Bump!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

A sturdy, secure flight case and some experts suggest removing the strings if it's flying at altitude 

I've no idea of cost I'm afraid 

Jo xxx

Sent from my D5803 using Expat Forum


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

Thanks, Jojo. 

I am fully aware of the effect it has on the guitar. I'm just clueless about what effect it'll happen on my pocket  with customs or any other hidden costs besides shipping costs. Just worried about it getting stuck with customs or the post office after the shipment reaches Dubai. 

Does any of you have any experience with shipping something like this via post, or ordering something big online?



jojo said:


> A sturdy, secure flight case and some experts suggest removing the strings if it's flying at altitude
> 
> I've no idea of cost I'm afraid
> 
> ...


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Whenever something is shipped or couriered internationally, a customs charge is not known until it arrives and then the authorities will let you know how much you need to pay. It will be stuck at customs till you clear it and pay the charges. The shipping company should be able to give you a rough idea of how much it would cost actually.


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

Oh, okay. Does this happen even if the item is not purchased online and is just being shipped from one country to the country (Dubai) you're moving to?

Also, how complicated or simple is it to clear such packages? Is it as simple as paying the required amount and leaving happily?



pamela0810 said:


> Whenever something is shipped or couriered internationally, a customs charge is not known until it arrives and then the authorities will let you know how much you need to pay. It will be stuck at customs till you clear it and pay the charges. The shipping company should be able to give you a rough idea of how much it would cost actually.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

It's an old and used guitar that belongs to you, not something that you recently purchased online so really shouldn't be much of a hassle. Are you currently resident in Dubai or just visiting?


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

Hi Pam!

I've recently moved to Dubai. The guitar is well over 5 years old and just needs to be shipped to Dubai as a used and pre-owned instrument. It will not include any bill or receipt. 

In such a scenario, will there still be a customs fee involved? Will I still have to go clear it with the customs, or it will it reach me at the address that it's being shipped to in Dubai?



pamela0810 said:


> It's an old and used guitar that belongs to you, not something that you recently purchased online so really shouldn't be much of a hassle. Are you currently resident in Dubai or just visiting?


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

To be honest, you will need to just maintain constant communication with your shipping company to know the status. No one can predict what is going to happen once it reaches customs. I've experienced scenarios where an item was cleared immediately and then at at another time the same item was held back in customs for our suppliers. There could still be a customs fee involved considering the value of the guitar is quite high. I'd be more worried about the damage while shipping rather than the customs fee


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

The guitar will be packed in the best way possible so I'm not worried about that. Was just clueless about the customs scenario in Dubai. 

Thanks for the help, Pam!

If anyone else has an experience with a similar situation, feel free to share.

Cheers!



pamela0810 said:


> To be honest, you will need to just maintain constant communication with your shipping company to know the status. No one can predict what is going to happen once it reaches customs. I've experienced scenarios where an item was cleared immediately and then at at another time the same item was held back in customs for our suppliers. There could still be a customs fee involved considering the value of the guitar is quite high. I'd be more worried about the damage while shipping rather than the customs fee


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Ask a shipping agent???? Or a guitar specialist in the area?? 



Jo xxx


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

Hey Jo,

I'm new in Dubai so don't know a lot of people to ask, any guitar specialists. Posted here hoping someone has had experience with shipping a guitar from their country to Dubai. Wil get in touch with shipping agents eventually.

Regards,

Sameer


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

To be honest, you should've just flown in with it. Your shipping agent should provide you with details though.


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

If I could have, I would have. 



pamela0810 said:


> To be honest, you should've just flown in with it. Your shipping agent should provide you with details though.


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## Pete C (Oct 11, 2011)

The customs scenario is simple assuming you air freight it there is the basic charges plus 5% duty and an admin fee if Customs want to inspect then there will be an additional charge. The. Factor a delivery charge 

Pm me if you need more info


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## Malbec (Jan 2, 2014)

I would not use postal courier service (EMS) for this type of delicate shipment, but it is probably the most cost effective option. I usually use kurejrzy.pl on POL-DXB route as they send all packages through UPS. They have also one of the best prices on the market for UPS shipments on this route and UPS is usually much more reliable and faster than postal courier.

You always have to provide an estimate value of the shipment for the customs, should they decide charge import duty. If it is too low, they may figure it out or not... Anyway, shipments up to the value of AED 1000 are non dutiable.

If the shipping is too expensive, a flight ticket WAW-DXB-WAW cost just around AED 2000, so maybe it would be better for your friend to invite someone.


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

So he's shipping the guitar via EMS as a gift. He says that way it would reach me directly without the need for any clearing. Do you think that could work? He has shipped many guitars in the past this way around the world, without any issues. No experience with Dubai however. 

The value of the guitar is a little under 6000 AED. Which is the best and cheapest way to ship it to Dubai, considering flying to Poland isn't an option. The guitar is in a strong flight case which will be further bubble wrapped. and padded.






Malbec said:


> I would not use postal courier service (EMS) for this type of delicate shipment, but it is probably the most cost effective option. I usually use kurejrzy.pl on POL-DXB route as they send all packages through UPS. They have also one of the best prices on the market for UPS shipments on this route and UPS is usually much more reliable and faster than postal courier.
> 
> You always have to provide an estimate value of the shipment for the customs, should they decide charge import duty. If it is too low, they may figure it out or not... Anyway, shipments up to the value of AED 1000 are non dutiable.
> 
> If the shipping is too expensive, a flight ticket WAW-DXB-WAW cost just around AED 2000, so maybe it would be better for your friend to invite someone.


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## Malbec (Jan 2, 2014)

It's a lottery and expensive "gift". He cannot guarantee you won't be charged customs and I am sure he tells the same story to everyone. If he would say you will pay the customs or may pay, it could put you off from purchasing the guitar. If the customs decide it is not a gift, they will want to see the invoice. Anyway, 5% of customs duty is not the end of the world right?


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

He's not a seller. He's just a guy I know from a guitar forum. His suggestion was to go through the standard way with me paying the customs and he was okay with showing a lesser amount and what not. But I asked him for a work around and he recommended gifting method. 

Anywho, I have no issue paying an amount of this sort against the guitar as long I know it reaches me at the end and doesn't get stuck with the customs. That's not going to happen, right? I'm a total noob with this, so I'm sorry if my questions are a bit stupid.




Malbec said:


> It's a lottery and expensive "gift". He cannot guarantee you won't be charged customs and I am sure he tells the same story to everyone. If he would say you will pay the customs or may pay, it could put you off from purchasing the guitar. If the customs decide it is not a gift, they will want to see the invoice. Anyway, 5% of customs duty is not the end of the world right?


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## Malbec (Jan 2, 2014)

He is not a seller but _"he has shipped many guitars in the past this way around the world"_. Anyway, he has to declare the value for insurance purposes I believe. Otherwise what happens if the item gets damaged?


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

Haha! Okay. You should visit a guitars forum sometime. And understand the mind of a guitarist with GAS (Gear acquiring syndrome). Some people on that forum buy and sell guitars every week. People buy their dream guitar and realise in less than a month that they want something else. This often means trading guitars with other guitarists from around the world. I've been friends with him on the forum for a while, and he buys and I've seen him buy and sell his guitars quite frequently, hence his experience with shipping international, not as a seller, but as the a guitarist with a severe case of GAS.

Now judging-the-intentions-of-the-seller aside , under no circumstances will my guitar not reach me or be confiscated by the customs, right? And even if I have to pay at the customs,from what I understand, it's 5% of the value of the shipment?









Malbec said:


> He is not a seller but _"he has shipped many guitars in the past this way around the world"_. Anyway, he has to declare the value for insurance purposes I believe. Otherwise what happens if the item gets damaged?


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

You should tell your friend with the gas problem to spend a little more money and ship it with insurance. Seems like you need reassurance that your guitar will reach you with no hassles whatsoever. That's something we cannot guarantee as I don't think any of us work in Customs. Good luck anyway and for that amount, do you mind telling us what's the make and why it's so special?


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

Its a Mayones Setius 7-string electric guitar. 




















These are handcrafted to perfection in Poland and are very hard to come across. This is my chance to get one so I was just getting prepared for any issues that I might face in shipping. Since I am the one paying for shipping and keen on buying this guitar off my friend's collection, I just wanted to kind of get an opinion from everyone on how international shipping and customs work here, since I'm new to Dubai and international shipping. 

Thanks for all the help, guys. I think I'm going to go for it and just pray that it reaches me. 






pamela0810 said:


> You should tell your friend with the gas problem to spend a little more money and ship it with insurance. Seems like you need reassurance that your guitar will reach you with no hassles whatsoever. That's something we cannot guarantee as I don't think any of us work in Customs. Good luck anyway and for that amount, do you mind telling us what's the make and why it's so special?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Acording to my husband, a guitar expert, a guitar forum is probably the best place to ask

Jo xxx

Sent from my D5803 using Expat Forum


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

That's what I did first. But couldn't find anyone from Dubai.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Go ahead and pay extra for shipping. Use a reputable courier company where you can actually track the shipment too and someone who will help you clear customs as well. Good luck and keep us posted! That's a beautiful guitar btw!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

then ask the shipping agents, or even contact a guitar manufactuer or a luthier. Sadly, it doesnt appear that anyone knows here either

Jo xxx


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

Thanks again. Will keep you guys posted


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

Hey guys! So now I want to receive the parcel at the office directly via the courier service. 
Do I give my office PO Box number or some Postal code. The person couriering it to me is asking for the postal code. HELP!


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
There are no post codes in Dubai - only PO box numbers.
Cheers
Steve


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

sameersuri187 said:


> Hey guys! So now I want to receive the parcel at the office directly via the courier service.
> Do I give my office PO Box number or some Postal code. The person couriering it to me is asking for the postal code. HELP!


If you want the parcel delivered to your office then surely they need the address and post code?

J xxx


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## sameersuri187 (May 24, 2015)

He just asked for the postal code, but I wanted to be sure. So I've shared the PO BOX number. Let's hope it works.



jojo said:


> If you want the parcel delivered to your office then surely they need the address and post code?
> 
> J xxx


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

sameersuri187 said:


> He just asked for the postal code, but I wanted to be sure. So I've shared the PO BOX number. Let's hope it works.


Hi,
To get something delivered in Dubai, by courier - you only really need to give them your name and mobile number.
The couriers will always ring to confirm delivery address (even if you put explicit directions within the address!).
Again - postcodes do not exist here (which often confuses couriers and websites that ask for this when filling online forms!)
Cheers
Steve


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## Malbec (Jan 2, 2014)

You have to provide him a full address of your office, tower name, area, street name if the package is going to be delivered via courier. PO Box only for postal items.

I wonder if couriers are already using Makani system, then just a number and country


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