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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 29
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 29 |
Just wanted to mention that delivery of my new hard drive with BIAB arrived to me in UK within 2 days of order, which is excellent service. However, I was disappointed to find there was additional charges over and above the £25 dollars postage I had already paid. These included £10.10 (GBP) import VAT and £11.00 brokerage surcharges? This totals approx $35 extra ($60 in total)
I must say that so far I am really happy with the product and the real tracks sound are excellent but feel that it could be made clearer to overseas customers of these additional costs. There may be some mention of it somewhere during the ordering process but I did not see it.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
But how would someone in another country understand the extra charges other governments impose on whatever? I had a hard enough time when I used to go to the US to understand my own countries regulations on what they would impose duties and taxes on despite 'free trade'. So if I bought a pair of shoes made in Korea I had to pay taxes and stuff and that depended on the other country. IE Korea. If I bought a pair of shoes made in the USA I paid nada in taxes or duties due to free trade. But if I bought too much tobacco (those were the days) or booze (those we the old days too) then I got dinged even if it was made here and sent there and I was bringing it back home. (geez). I don't think they make shoes in the US anymore, but I might be wrong. I think they get their wellies from China too, unlike the UK ones that say BF Goodrich.
Honestly the only way around that issue is for the UK market to get large enough to justify setting up shop where someone puts the software on the hard drive in the UK, or if you can ship to Austria and France and wherever without taxes and duties then maybe it might happen sooner.
It also seems hit and miss in the UK depending on the area the thing is shipped into. Maybe you get a better Deal near Sandwich, in the "mean time it's different in Greenwich", where the Zulus live. Now finger that out.
My alleged future son in law is flying back to Heathrow tonight, and headed to Deal, which is a big deal, because I'm tired of the pussyfooting around due to he, the almost 20 yr old daughter, and my wanting to sing Great Pretender at 80 decibels. I'm switching to England swings like a pendulum do, as soon as he's on the airbus to Toronto, and heads back to Kent U....
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,587
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,587 |
Hi Paul,
I'd imagine that it'd be very difficult for a company to keep up-to-date with all the changes that different countries undergo regarding taxes. Living in Australia, I always make it a point to check out the Govt's custom and duties web pages before I purchase anything overseas. From what you've written, it sounds like our Govt is a little more generous than the British Govt in that we don't have to pay any fees if the item is under AU$1,000 (last I heard, at least).
I might be wrong, but I thought I'd read somewhere on the PGMusic website a reference to the possibility that some overseas countries may have taxes and levies on goods purchased from PGMusic. I know it's been discussed a number of times in the forums and with particular reference to the British Isles.
Hope you continue to enjoy version 2010. I think it's brilliant!
All the best,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
On the other hand, I'd find it very easy to imagine that if I felt I was being heavily taxed, I would find this an issue to take up with my own country's lawmakers and though such things do indeed take time, they are worth the effort in the long run.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 29
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 29 |
Thanks for the replies guys.
As I haven't imported anything before it was just a bit of a surprise (ignorance isn't always bliss!). Considering the quality of the product I certainly don't begrudge the extra cost but would have preferred to have expected it.
I have been playing in bands for over 30 years and have always wanted to write my own stuff but have never got around to it. The playing and singing was always natural to me but the technology used to get in the way, I could never get results I was happy with. Using this software for a short time, I know I am going to be able to produce some decent material as it is so intuitive.
Regards,
Paul
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 14
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 14 |
Paul, you can't really blame PG Music for UK import tax and VAT. I suppose if it didn't exist we would all be buying loads of stuff from abroad which wouldn't help our economy.
I've found in the past that if goods are shipped with the likes of Fedex they are very keen on collecting the duty but if shipped through the regular mail so that Royal Mail make the delivery they often don't bother to collect it. Not only that but they are just as quick.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 207
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 207 |
I live in South Africa; I've just bought BIB 2010 and had the same problem for the first time...got hit for import duty. But as the saying goes, it's only money. The upgrade is worth every cent. Mike Laatz mikelaatz@telkomsa.net www.capetownjazz.com
Mike Laatz
Cape Town
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 707
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 707 |
In my experience of these things, a lot depends on the courier. Royal Mail never seem to bother, while some couriers see it as a chance to charge a £10 (or £11 in your case) fee to collect and pay the import duty. For them, it's just income maximisation. At least with something as expensive as BAIB, you probably don't mind paying it that much - in the early days of Amazon.com, I "imported" a couple of CDs with a total value of pennies over the £18 limit in force - the import duty and VAT was about 90p, while the courier charged £10 for collecting it. At least the guy who came to the door had the good grace to be embarrassed ...
Brian
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,869
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,869 |
this seems to be completely random in UK, I paid £19 for BIAB hard drive, nothing for omnisphere, or an 18 CD piece of software. Its a question of what 'they' THink its worth as poosed to real value, and if and when the freight company feel like charging you extra. If customs does not stop it you might get lucky sometimes.
Win 11 64, Asus Rog Strix z390 mobo, 64 gig RAM, 8700k
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
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Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
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