Audiophonics no longer sells to USA

[renanj]

Last week I tried buying an IET904BA stereo amplifier from Audiophonics and was surprised to find they no longer sell to the USA due to tariffs. I wrote to their support team and they confirmed this.

Has anyone else experienced this lately? If Audiophonics is reading this, I ask "Is this permanent? How long before you open up sales to the USA?". I like your amplifiers!

 

[chelgrian]

Why are you surprised it’s now painful to sell in to the US?

I imagine they would only start again if a local distributor did everything.

 

[Fledermaus]

What a shame, and what an interesting time we live in...

 

[Fahzz]

"interesting" is not the right word.

 

[Sokel]

It's surprising if you think that the whole fuss is 15%.
The tricky part about it is that the goods must be only EU originated and not coming from 3rd parties (how would anyone can even prove that, certifications maybe?)

Strange decision indeed.

 

[sigbergaudio]

The last few shipments I've sent to the USA have spent weeks in customs and often required the recipient to fill out various hard to understand forms with information they can't be expected to have.

Not a great recipe for happy customers, and cost time and effort for the sender as well, so I am not surprised some companies just can't be bothered / don't find it to be worth it.

 

[chelgrian]

It's surprising if you think that the whole fuss is 15%.
The tricky part about it is that the goods must be only EU originated and not coming from 3rd parties (how would anyone can even prove that, certifications maybe?)

Strange decision indeed.

No the ‘fuss’ is that the rules can and have changed at the drop of a hat and come in to force instantly rather than with forward notice. If you are doing land based shipping to reduce costs it takes significant time, I know companies that have been caught out by rules changing while shipments were in transit.

It’s simply not possible to plan a business when you have unquantified future liabilities.

If a company doesn’t do enough business in the US to make dealing with all of this a profitable endeavour then they will simply stop selling there.

 

[valerianf]

The USA will not have any more access to many products that are common in the rest of the world.
When I will go back to France may be I will bring back some Audiophonics amplifier.

 

[Buckeye Amps]

The last few shipments I've sent to the USA have spent weeks in customs and often required the recipient to fill out various hard to understand forms with information they can't be expected to have.

Not a great recipe for happy customers, and cost time and effort for the sender as well, so I am not surprised some companies just can't be bothered / don't find it to be worth it.

I think this has as much to do with it as the tariff price itself.
US Customs is a MESS right now. Routine shipments from suppliers (like Hypex and Purifi) now have to be ordered another week or two in advance of my usual timeline because they can just sit at the Customs Clearance stage for days on end.

Not to mention that most consumers are asked to pay the tariff/custom fees before delivery, which if they are not prepared for this it does shock them. A lot of forums (car parts, computers, etc) that I frequent outside of Audio stuff are full of people saying "I ordered X and UPS demanded $$$ just to deliver it, what a scam" as most people still don't understand how tariffs work and how UPS (or FedEx or DHL) asking for payment before delivery is normal.

So I can absolutely understand a company not having the time or justification to handle the extra hassle of the logistics and/or customer uncertainty.

 

[Matias]

Living in Brazil it has always been like that since the 90s: customs, tariffs, days held on inspection, delays, frustration. In my point of view you had been living in an "golden age", and now are along with us in the "real world", so to say.

 

[chelgrian]

I think this has as much to do with it as the tariff price itself.
US Customs is a MESS right now. Routine shipments from suppliers (like Hypex and Purifi) now have to be ordered another week or two in advance of my usual timeline because they can just sit at the Customs Clearance stage for days on end.

Not to mention that most consumers are asked to pay the tariff/custom fees before delivery, which if they are not prepared for this it does shock them. A lot of forums (car parts, computers, etc) that I frequent outside of Audio stuff are full of people saying "I ordered X and UPS demanded $$$ just to deliver it, what a scam" as most people still don't understand how tariffs work and how UPS (or FedEx or DHL) asking for payment before delivery is normal.

So I can absolutely understand a company not having the time or justification to handle the extra hassle of the logistics and/or customer uncertainty.

Indeed business likes stability if you have to double your prices in the USA to cover import fees and taxes and appoint a distributor to deal with it then that is what you do if you have sufficient business to warrant it.

However random customs delays and random number generation for tariff amounts you can’t plan for,

 

[Buckeye Amps]

However random customs delays and random number generation for tariff amounts you can’t plan for,

This as well, yes.

 

[Buckeye Amps]

Plus the tariff amount being applied to the whole amp cost vs. just a certain part is hard to overcome. So a EU company has to deal with 15% increase over the entire cost of the amp where a US company only has to deal with the tariff on one part being used.

And even though this should be good news for a company like me, I don't like it. Competition and access to various options is a great thing for the consumer, so it does suck to see one option be taken away.

 

[Carlton80@0]

What a pity. Audiophonics offers excellent customer service with fair pricing. This is a sign of the times for the US market.

To add insult to injury, I have shoppers credit vouchers that I am guessing can no longer be used. BUMMER

 

[Fledermaus]

"interesting" is not the right word.

In some cultures, "May you live in interesting times" is used as a curse - that's the kind of meaning I had in mind

 

[valerianf]

@Matias It happens that I am going very often to Brazil, my wife is from there.

The USA made long time ago a very low tax system that was fluid and good for individual and businesses.
Then in 1996 the EU tried to catch up and lowered import taxes.
Nowadays the US are going directly down to a third world country tax system.

I remember that each time I go to the cashier of a supermarket in Brazil, the employee asks for my CPF (Brazilian tax ID).
Everybody is smiling when I answer that I do not have one as I am a tourist!

Let us hope that the US Supreme Court will shot down these third world inspired tariffs.

 

[JSmith]

Let us hope that the US Supreme Court will shot down these third world inspired tariffs.

Agree... plus refunds for all charged so far.


JSmith

 

[tineared]

@Matias It happens that I am going very often to Brazil, my wife is from there.

The USA made long time ago a very low tax system that was fluid and good for individual and businesses.
Then in 1996 the EU tried to catch up and lowered import taxes.
Nowadays the US are going directly down to a third world country tax system.

I remember that each time I go to the cashier of a supermarket in Brazil, the employee asks for my CPF (Brazilian tax ID).
Everybody is smiling when I answer that I do not have one as I am a tourist!

Let us hope that the US Supreme Court will shot down these third world inspired tariffs.

That would be a nice surprise, but I'm not holding my breath

 

[xanalog]

Am I wrong to make the assumption that there is a new game/ploy afoot, ever since the $800 de-minimis exception has been nullified?

I can still order products, from such places as aliexpress; yet I pay no duties or tariffs on items (many, since ruling).
I notice that local shipping distributors handle bringing purchased items to our address, probably because import containers are shipped directly to them, from the ports.
But I can't figure out where the loophole is.
Chinese sellers don't seem to be bothered by tariffs and heavily advertise for "local franchises/distributorships"
As long as the goods are not shipped by carriers such as DHL.

 

[Buckeye Amps]

Am I wrong to make the assumption that there is a new game/ploy afoot, ever since the $800 de-minimis exception has been nullified?

I can still order products, from such places as aliexpress; yet I pay no duties or tariffs on items (many, since ruling).
I notice that local shipping distributors handle bringing purchased items to our address, probably because import containers are shipped directly to them, from the ports.
But I can't figure out where the loophole is.
Chinese sellers don't seem to be bothered by tariffs and heavily advertise for "local franchises/distributorships"
As long as the goods are not shipped by carriers such as DHL.

They simply list a shockingly low price on the customs declaration. Think cents.