Buying & Shipping LCD /Plasma from USA to India? If? How

[crashnburn]

Buying & Shipping LCD /Plasma from USA to India? If? How?

Anyone with insights on shipping big things across continents / people who have migrated & lived in different continents or anyone else please advise.

MODERATOR - This is technology so I posted it here. If you think it would get more hits somewhere else please move to other area.

I do not watch too much TV so I have lived without one for a long time now. Also, I travel a lot so I am barely home to enjoy anything at my place.

Everyone once in a while I do have a craving to watch a DVD on big screen or something. But have not bothered investing.

Here's the scenario:

I have some family visiting me from India and I need to get a TV for a month or two. I figured I could buy an LCD/ Plasma and then do one of the 2 things:
1. Ship it to India with family when they go back
2. Keep it around until I move my residence next and then ship it to them.

WHY BUY IN THE USA & SEND?
- Cheaper, more variety, better options, my GIFT to familia

WHY NOT TO SEND?

- Shipping might not be reliable (???)
- Shipping might be expensive and supercedes the SAVINGS you got (How much $$$?)
(Insurance ofcourse included)
THOUGHTS / INSIGHTS?

- Custom Duty Charges for Import into India (How do they charge now? How much.. and would it be the same under both of the above scenarios?)
THOUGHTS / INSIGHTS?

PS: I know someone who bought a Big Flat prior to moving from Singapore to Japan since they are MORE EXPENSIVE (3 times the price) there. Ofcourse, here it was a CORPORATE MOVE so well taken care of by the company.

Please let me know your thoughts. I very much appreciate anyone who can give me clarity here.

[rkawakami]

The one big thing to realize is that India uses the PAL-B broadcasting system. Here in the US, what's being sold is for NTSC. You can get multi-standard televisions but I believe you may have a hard time finding one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PAL
http://www.kropla.com/tv.htm
http://www.world-import.com/the_chart.htm

edit: If you are just going to use it as a monitor (with a separate tuner), then that will probably work.

[crashnburn]

Will definitely get Multi-System. But I need to determine the Shipping + Duty issues.

[rkawakami]

Hmm... may have to take back what I said earlier ("hard time finding one"). Googling around, there seems to be a couple of online sellers of multi-system televisions. One other thing to also consider is the power input of the set. India appears to use 220VAC as mains power.

For import duty information, try here:

http://finmin.nic.in/faq/index.html
http://www.immihelp.com/nri/india/travel/import.html

edit: Also found this:

http://www.tech2.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1705

and this:

http://exim.indiamart.com/customs-duty/ch85.html (see section 85.28 )

[crashnburn]

Wow, the last 2 posts were awesome. Pretty much what I could find about the Customs Duty. How did you find it? I Googled and failed.. ..

PS: Now where can I find more about the Shipping / Freight + Insurance costs?

[syedj]

Just my $0.02...

It might be cheaper both in price and shipping/handling to buy something for Dubai and then ship to India. You can easily find 220V multi-system units there and shipping will also be much cheaper as compared to from here. Although I have never been there myself but I have heard from others that electronics are much cheaper in Dubai than in the States.

Above all, shipping such delicate equipment over the oceans on your own might not be safe as well - unless you get it packed really well -- and I do mean really well.

Another option might be to rent big screen TVs from here for the time that family is staying here for. You can watch that TV to your heart's desire and return it whenever you are done with it. Save the shipping/insurance and price for the TV and send it to India. They can buy another TV over there; I am sure they also have plenty of choices.

[rkawakami]

How did you find it? I Googled and failed.. ..

A Google input of "import duty india television" shows the exim.indiamart.com link as the first hit. Scanning down the page for "television" I found what appeared to be the relevant chapter on such items. The tech2.com link was further down the first page of hits.

[RealBlackStuff]

Check with companies such as FedEx, DHL and UPS.
My preference would be DHL.

[crashnburn]

@Syedj

- I'll give that Dubai thing a good thought & research.

@rkawakami

- I probably did not get the right keywords in. I appreciate your guidance.

@ RBS

- DHL, FedEx? I thought this would be a job for 'dedicated' moving / freight / shipping companies that help 'expats' move for work assignments.

I'll ask them anyways.