The missing AmpliTube 5 & AXE I/O option

[Kinketsu]

I love the idea of the "AXE I/O + AmpliTube 5 MAX" deal, and would like to purchase it.

But to do so from Canada (and I'm sure many other countries are in a similar position), the deal would have to be purchased directly from and shipped by IK Multimedia. This incurs all sorts of uncertainty with shipping and customs taxes and warranties and potential delays. Earlier this year I had to wait 3+ months for my iLoud MTMs to arrive.

Canadian retailers have AXE I/O in stock. I'd love to be able to order that AXE I/O from a Canadian retailer, and then have an upgrade path to AmpliTube 5 MAX that is roughly comparable in cost to the "AXE I/O + AmpliTube 5 MAX" deal.

I have contacted IK Multimedia support and of course they can't change anything. But if anyone in IK marketing happens to read this: please consider, especially in light of the current state of the world, any deal that can be arranged virtually is very very helpful versus something that forces a consumer to deal with cross-border shipping.

Thanks,
K

[Peter_IK]

IK dealers should have the option to carry the products we do on our site. It is up to them to decide what they stock. I would recommend not only contacting IK Support like you did but your local authorized dealer to see if they would carry this bundle as it would show interest from their customers and help them know that people want them to carry it.

[Kinketsu]

Hi Peter,

Ah, great suggestion, thanks! Presumably this would require a product ID for the bundle that IK Multimedia makes available to retailers...I had the impression that this wasn’t a thing ... but I’ll ask my usual retailer.

K

[DarkStar]

Point the retailer at bundle on the web page and say "I want one of those!"

[Kinketsu]

Point the retailer at bundle on the web page and say "I want one of those!"

Yes, thanks, I did pretty much exactly that. They said "we are not currently carrying that bundle", which was already evident to me from their website, and also not very informative about whether this was a choice or an impossibility. I've sent a follow up note, but my impression is that this isn't going to change; no doubt things are busy with Black Friday and perhaps it'll be worth another attempt later.

I may just have to roll the dice on cross-border uncertainties, but it's really frustrating.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.

K

[darkogav]

I love the idea of the "AXE I/O + AmpliTube 5 MAX" deal, and would like to purchase it.

But to do so from Canada (and I'm sure many other countries are in a similar position), the deal would have to be purchased directly from and shipped by IK Multimedia. This incurs all sorts of uncertainty with shipping and customs taxes and warranties and potential delays. Earlier this year I had to wait 3+ months for my iLoud MTMs to arrive.

Canadian retailers have AXE I/O in stock. I'd love to be able to order that AXE I/O from a Canadian retailer, and then have an upgrade path to AmpliTube 5 MAX that is roughly comparable in cost to the "AXE I/O + AmpliTube 5 MAX" deal.

I have contacted IK Multimedia support and of course they can't change anything. But if anyone in IK marketing happens to read this: please consider, especially in light of the current state of the world, any deal that can be arranged virtually is very very helpful versus something that forces a consumer to deal with cross-border shipping.

Thanks,
K

Hi, did you have to pay Canadian duty on your shipment from IKM for iLoud?

[Kinketsu]

Earlier this year I had to wait 3+ months for my iLoud MTMs to arrive.

Hi, did you have to pay Canadian duty on your shipment from IKM for iLoud?

I should clarify ... I ordered my iLoud MTMs from a Canadian retailer believing they were in stock. Turned out there was a small error at their end, and I had to wait for them on backorder. And it being 2020, that took a while. I assumed that was a backlog at IKM, but to be fair, I don't have data on how long it might have taken had I ordered directly from IKM.

If you are in Canada and what you want is available directly from a Canadian retailer, I'd recommend ordering that way. I've found the pricing in Canada of IKM hardware to be fair, sometimes even a tiny bit advantageous, depending on the current exchange rate. And also if there's any issue with your purchase, it may be easier to work out without a border in the way.

I am contemplating buying the "AXE I/O + AmpliTube 5 MAX" directly from IKM, because I can't find a way to buy it in Canada. But before I buy it, I will certainly call Canada Customs first to be sure I understand if any duties apply as they cross the border. (Back when the world was normal, I travelled to USA often enough that I'd buy stuff and bring home with me; the duty-free for returning travellers was enough to cover a purchase of this size. But sadly the world is different now.)

I hope that helps,
K

[darkogav]

Just a quick update. I picked a z-tone from IKM store online. It was sold and shipped from US. I took about 5 days to come in. I had to pay about $20 duty to the fedex person. Free shipping and used IKM jam points. I think this was prbly as least $50 cheaper than buying from one of local stores.

[Kinketsu]

Just a quick update. I picked a z-tone from IKM store online. It was sold and shipped from US. I took about 5 days to come in. I had to pay about $20 duty to the fedex person. Free shipping and used IKM jam points. I think this was prbly as least $50 cheaper than buying from one of local stores.

Thanks for the info; very helpful. I'm curious what the IK price was on the Z-tone you bought, and also if you know how much of that $20 was a 'brokerage fee' (the process of getting it across the border) versus 'duty' (the amount Canada Customs charges). I'm honestly a bit surprised if there was any duty at all ... I had a look at the customs schedule and at least in the category I thought this equipment belonged, most items were exempt from duty.

Thanks for any additional info,
K

[darkogav]

it was $69 USD after discount. you always pay a fee anytime you order from US. unless you have it delivered in the US and go pick it up across the border. only worth it if you are going there anyways.

[Kinketsu]

I was just trying to figure out the nature of your fee, so that I could try to estimate what my fee would be. I'm guessing that your fees were not duty, but were actually HST and maybe FedEx doing the brokerage.

[darkogav]

it says $10 HST and $10 ROD fee.

[Morsecode4]

Just purchased my bundle through Sweetwater. Live in Canada as well. Great deal even after factoring in exchange rate which I would pay either and duties.

[Kinketsu]

Just purchased my bundle through Sweetwater. Live in Canada as well. Great deal even after factoring in exchange rate which I would pay either and duties.

Nice, thanks for the tip. Hadn't considered that option, and yes, it's a good price.

I have found a Canadian retail price that works out at only slightly more, after tax, and so will consider the merits of that versus this. But also I'm pondering right now whether to just buy the AXE I/O, which honestly has quite a lot of gear, and then maybe pick up AmpliTube 5 MAX at some opportune time later. Decisions, decisions.

[darkogav]

Just purchased my bundle through Sweetwater. Live in Canada as well. Great deal even after factoring in exchange rate which I would pay either and duties.

Nice, thanks for the tip. Hadn't considered that option, and yes, it's a good price.

I have found a Canadian retail price that works out at only slightly more, after tax, and so will consider the merits of that versus this. But also I'm pondering right now whether to just buy the AXE I/O, which honestly has quite a lot of gear, and then maybe pick up AmpliTube 5 MAX at some opportune time later. Decisions, decisions.

That makes no sense. If you buy Axe IO now, you will automatically get the AT 5 max bundle when it comes out. The price of the Axe IO is the same price as Axe IO with the bundle. Unless you found a retailer that has an Axe IO on super clearance.