As of 12th August 2026, the EU and Norway have introduced a new EPR compliancy requirement for all bodies importing into the EU.
EPR stands for Extended Producer Responsibility. Importers now need to declare details of packaging BUT... importers also need to be registered with each individual EU member state and Norway.
- Registration needs to be completed separately for each EU member state and Norway.
- The cost of registration and the requiremenets varies between EU member sytates.
It is with great regret therefore, that Plasma Music Limited will be suspending sales to the EU or Norway.
Up until 1st July 2026, items entering the EU with a value of less than 150 Euros were exempt from import fees. This is no longer the case and ALL items are now subject to EU import duty, irrespective of value.
It is very complicated for a small business like Plasma Music Limited to calculate duty as each EU state has its own rate of VAT and duty. Also, the scale is not linear.
When purchasing items from within the EU, please be aware that you may have to pay additional charges when you receive them. I'm so sorry.
Up until 29th August 2025, items entering the United States with a value of less than $800 were exempt from import duty. The discontinuation of the $800 de minimis exemption for all countries, means that ALL items are now subject to US import duty, irrespective of value. Duty on items from the United Kingdom is 10%.
Sadly, I have subsequently split my 'USA Canada' shipping rates. Prices to USA include import duty which I pay when I book the shipping. On the plus side, this speeds up delivery of items and there's nothing more for you to pay
Well, wasn't that a big mistake! Why on earth did the UK leave the EU? It's made life for small businesses like Plasma Music Limited, quite a bit more difficult. Anyway, we all need to get on with it, I guess.
Okay, so now VAT is NOT applicable on sales to the EU but EU customers may have to pay import duty.
VAT is a standard percentage of the selling price; 20% here in the UK, 19% in Germany, 22% in Italy and four rates in France, for example.
Import duty however, is in my experience, considerably more unpredictable and I'm afraid I simply am unable to estimate charges for different countries. It also should be noted that couriers often charge a 'processing' fee when charging import duty. Hmm... of course they do!
When customers send me equipment to be repaired, I request that they select 'Export for Repair' on the customs declaration. This avoids me paying customs duty when I receive the item.
When returning equipment that has been repaired, I select 'Return After Repair' on the customs declaration. This means that if import duty is charged, the customer will only pay for the work I have done (the price on my invoice) and will exclude the value of the item that was sent to me.
UPDATE - July 2026
As of 1st July 2026, the 150 euros de minimis was abolished. All goods sold to non-business customers and of a value below 150 euros will be subject to tax. This will apply to each item declared and NOT the value of the entire shipment.
I used to have a single shipping price category for Europe. After 1st July 2026, that changed and shipping to 'Europe (EU)' and 'Europe (non-EU)' were separated. Each EU state has its own rate of VAT and duty and I'm afraid small businesses like Plasma Music Limited simply cannot keep up. When purchasing items from within the EU, you may have to pay additional charges when you receive them. I'm so sorry.
Indeed, the manufacturer of the chip that's at the heart of my Oracle JMP-1 battery eliminator for the Marshall JMP-1, states a 100 year data retention to quantum trap (the technology employed to retain memory without a battery). The 100 year period begins as soon as the device is initially powered up.
Yes. Please visit just my on-line store.
The short answer is no, I don't offer a fast-track service.
All repairs are done chronologically and while some techs do charge a little extra for a fast-track service, in my mind, that doesn't really compensate customers who might be in front of you in the que.
Having said that... I know that sometimes stuff comes up and often, things just go wrong when you really don't need them to. Appreciating that life isn't perfect, I'm only too happy to help so please just talk to me. If your equipment can be repaired quickly and I don't have to wait for parts, I'll always do what I can.
Occasionally the cost of a repair can approach or potentially even exceed the financial value of the item being repaired. If I feel that this will happen, I will contact you to discuss how we may proceed.
Some items may hold a special sentimental value that can't be expressed in financial terms. I'm quite sensitive to that and will do everything I can to help and keep costs realistic.
I'm sorry but normally, I don't repair HiFi.
HiFi is rarely repaired down to the level (component level) that I'm used to and that the EMI (electronic musical instrument) market expects. Normally of modular design, HiFi repairs often involve whole subsystems being swapped out. Unfortunately, manufacturers and distributors of consumer electronics, don't keep spare parts in stock for too long, as they used to. Hence, procuring parts is usually a nightmare.
At 60 GBP plus VAT per hour, it's too expensive for me to fix HiFi systems down to component level.
THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS... My valve experience often tempts owners of high-end valve equipment to contact me. Manufacturers and distributors of high-end HiFi, tend to stand by their products and acquiring technical literature for example, is much easier then trying to do the same with manufacturers and distributors of more popular consumer electronics. At the end of the day, if I'm able to get appropriate support on a product, I'm usually to at least have a look at it.
The whole process can take half a day but I don't think it's appropriate to charge for all of that. My charge for a straight-forward clean is just for two to three hours of my time; between 120 and 180 GBP plus VAT, assuming that no parts are required, of course.
Okay, so I never fix 'one' key, as a single key going down, is indicative of an excessive accumulation of dust and other airborne contaminants on the key-bed. I therefore, always service the entire keyboard.
Stripping a keyboard, cleaning the keyboard contact PCB, cleaning the keyboard contact PCB carbon contacts and cleaning the carbon nipples inside the rubber bubble strips is extremely time consuming. For a 61-note keyboard, the process can take between two to three hours. Then, the keyboard needs to be dried out and reassembled.
The process is less involved on keyboards that use copper spring contacts but in other ways, they're a lot more fussy, requiring precision alignment, for example.
Honest... it's worth it in the long run. If not done properly, then you're only going to be back in a few months because another key has died!
