[bri1042]

It's been a week and they haven't shipped the stuff yet. Sigh. I haven't had this car for very long and I really can't enjoy it until the audio stops sucking. this whole ordeal makes me miss my little RSX-S. (Sorry, needed to vent somewhere)

[makkan00]

Its a nice kit. If you wish to read more technical details on Alpine kit, read my thread.

[bri1042]

They called me on Friday and apologized for not sending it yet. It's supposed to ship on Monday morning now. Finger crossed :-)

[bri1042]

It shipped

[bri1042]

...and it's in Portland, to be delivered tomorrow. It was fun watching it bounce around Europe on the FedEx tracking for a few days, and then it made it across the US in 8 hours.

[dewey4262]

I was thinking about ordering this kit from them as well but had read that it sometimes takes Schmiedmann awhile to get parts if they don't have them in stock. Glad to see you are getting yours in. Do you know if we have to pay any taxes/VAT?

[dborelli]

When I ordered from Schmiedmann I got a duty bill from fedex for about 20 bucks, if I remember correctly.

[taibanl]

Originally Posted by dborelli

When I ordered from Schmiedmann I got a duty bill from fedex for about 20 bucks, if I remember correctly.

Yep. One for $5 and one for $20. Different purchases of same item. :

[dewey4262]

At least that isn't too bad, I think I might end up ordering that Alpine upgrade then. Thanks for the info.

[bri1042]

The kit arrived yesterday and it's sitting at my apt. complex office. It flew around Europe for three days and then went from arriving in Memphis to my apt. complex in Portland, OR in 14 hours. Sorta fun to watch. :-)

I haven't gotten a bill from FedEx yet, but considering how quickly they delivered it and how little I paid for the shipping compared to buying six pounds of stuff from Amazon or Newegg, I won't complain if I do have to pay them a duty fee.

FedEx called me while they were filling out the import paperwork. The kit was list as generic "auto parts" and they wanted more information for customs. I told them what it was, but I couldn't answer the "country of origin" question with any certainty. It's Alpine gear, so is it Japanese? It's got BMW part numbers, so is it German? Apparently didn't matter in the long run.

I ordered the kit and it was listed as In Stock. Schmeidmann took a while to ship it, and that was apparently a mistake. I had been corresponding with one person there and didn't get results, then I directly replied to my order confirmation and got immediate results. The employees there appear to have varying levels of effectiveness.

I would order from them again despite the delay.

US residents paying VAT depends on which country you order from, I think. I recall having to pay it once when I ordered an item from the UK, but I did not have to this time.

Anyway, the complex office opens in a few minutes and I will go retrieve my toys and make sure they arrived safely.

My HU has been recoded and I have all the tools I need (I hope), so this weekend will be fun!

[bri1042]

Arrived safe and sound. The box was pretty beat up, but the items were in an inner box and safe.

[bri1042]

Install day. Wish me luck

[taibanl]

Originally Posted by bri1042

Install day. Wish me luck

Male sure you match the colors on the tweeter /midbassleads. Youll have to search but apparetly its labeled wrong and they are reversed.