Shipping: US to UK - urgent matter

[nofuture]

Has anyone has experience?

(note: Admin, please move this if ot's not the place to discuss)

I'm tempted to buy IBM laptop for around £1700 from ebay in US(shipping included). I have few concerns:

First of all I heard that i would need to pay tax in UK depending on price. Anyone aware how much? How do they calculate it and how could i avoid it.

Secondly, what dificulties i might encounter?

Shipping should be done by USPS Express Mail International

Your oppinion and experience is higly apreciated.

Regards

Nofuture

Mod edit: moved to off-topic area.

[mazzinia]

mmm, I'm not sure if I'm right, but I think that the only ways to NOT pay any taxes are:

- someone carrying it directly
- sent marked as a gift and a very low value declared (and you have to hope that nobody will check what's inside...)
- maybe if it's sent in a package declaring that inside are samples of another kind (and still hope that nobody will open)
- maybe if declared as broken - for parts (and still hope that nobody will open and try)

Apart the 2 maybe, the other 2 are valid systems... and the safer is the one involving hand delivering.

[ajkula66]

Apart from paying VAT, you should have no issues...

[nofuture]

I have no one in US to bring it here to UK.

It is in original box, new T61p. Sealed in factory box.
Gift and samples are options. But low walue is hard to satisfy, as my seller needs to insure item and therefore value must be at least $1000. Maybe he is wrong? Any other options?
What are the odds that customs would open to check the package? What are consequenses?

[whizkid]

You'd have to ask locally what the penalties are of perpetrating fraud for the purposes of tax evasion for your jurisdiction. Writing it that way makes it seem pretty serious, huh? :)

I'd also be VERY careful about buying even a new item from overseas. If it goes wrong, your won't have standing to bring any action against the seller in US court, and I don't imagine your courts could enforce any judgment. Your credit card company and eBay may protect you, so be sure to ask them.

Another consequence is that the warranty may not be honored if you didn't buy through approved channels.

You should fully know all of the risks you are taking.

[kensplace]

AsBasically whats already been said, no import duty on laptops or desktop pc's, but you will have to pay vat at the standard 17.5% rate.

As mentioned earlier, the warranty may be USA only, or return to USA, you need to check that. The power lead may be a USA one, the PSU should be ok, but ask anyway (pretty sure most use variable input's these days and should work pretty much anywhere). Documentation, rebates etc may be USA specific/only.

It also has a lot further to travel, so you should make sure it is WELL insured by the person who sends it, in case it goes missing in the post, or gets damaged.

It could also have a USA keyboard layout, and support phone calls to the seller would probably cost a fortune, plus if you need to return any parts to the seller, its a longer wait and more cost than a local buy.


I would not advise trying to defraud customs, Im not sure of the penalties, but I would assume both you and the seller could get into some serious trouble for trying to defraud vat on a 1700 pound item if your caught....

[underclocker]

Plus, USPS only will insure up to $500. So, either you or the seller must agree on who owns the risk.

A visit to the U.S. or a forum member visiting the U.K. is the best bet.

Plus, you should ensure you are buying a unit with an international warranty.

[Troels]

When i bought a thinkpad in april USPS had insurance up to $2000 or something.
Maybe this has changed with their new international rates which seems to have been introduced this May.

My take on this is: The box says thinkpad all over it, even the model number is written on the box, so it is an object of theft. If it's insured i thinks it's less likely to be stolen. So ALWAYS insure shipments in this pricerange and especially when the contents of the box is more or less stated on the outside.

Secondly is £1700 that good of a deal compared to UK prices - i.e. it's roughly $3500?

But you'll need to pay 17.5% VAT of the value of the laptop and shipping + brokerage/handling fees charged by your postal company - Royal Mail?
I don't know what these charges are, but expect £5 to £20.
Also if you are hit by the customs they CAN ask for proof of purchase/offcial price statements, but this rarely happens. Often if a company sends from the US to Europe, they declare the value of the contents.
If there are no such declarations and price info, they will take 17.5% of the package insurance.

[bill bolton]

Plus, USPS only will insure up to $500.

USPS will insure for much higher than that on their "Express Mail International" expedited airmail package service.

221.31 Express Mail International Merchandise Insurance
Express Mail International merchandise insurance coverage against loss, damage, or rifling is provided up to $100 at no additional charge. Additional insurance coverage above $100 may be purchased at the sender’s option. The fee for optional Express Mail International merchandise insurance coverage is $0.75 up to $200; $2.10 for $200.01 to $500; and $2.10 plus $1.35 for each $500 or fraction thereof over $500, up to a maximum of $5,000 per shipment, although limits vary by country. See Individual Country Listings for merchandise insurance limits.

Cheers,

Bill B.

[RealBlackStuff]

For that amount of money you should buy locally.
You'd thus avoid any warranty hassle.
Besides, it should be available in the UK now for about £1,600
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/laptops/0,39029 ... 174,00.htm

[nofuture]

Just a note on the price its $1700 Dollars so approximately £850. It makes it a lot cheaper than UK prices. That’s the only reason I’m considering, as even with shipping it’s going to cost me just a £1000.

I understand that US prices are around that mark, so I have no reason to be suspicious that it’s fake.

So I assume that it will be as following
$1600 = £800
VAT 17.5% - £140
Shipping costs - $100 = £50
Total = £990

Have I missed anything, do not want any surprises at the end.

Thanks for your advice guys.

[RealBlackStuff]

I'm tempted to buy IBM laptop for around £1700 from ebay in US(shipping included).

It's the small things in life (£ instead of $) that confuse...

[Toine]

850 pounds,times 1.175 is the right anwser.
You pay vat on the shipping as well. (at least here in the netherlands we do).
998.75 pounds.