Stephen Read

Got some time in NYC in September and am hoping to do some shopping whilst I'm there and not sure how best to get them home.

Thinking about a Netgear access point and a PCIMA card plus a few other bits and bobs including some hard-to-find carcare products that I may not really want to bung in my suitcase

This could be on top of the usual clothing items that are so much cheaper out there so the case is going to get pretty full anyway!

Has anyone ever just sent stuff to their home address via US Mail rather than carrying it through customs?

Also, regarding buying electrical goods in the US, such as a network access point. I assume that it would run on 110v. Would I need a different power supply or should it be switchable so that I'd only have to get an adaptor for the US power supply?

Cheers,

Tiggs

on my first trip to NY years ago i made sure i took of all the labels from the jeans, chucked out the box the watch came in etc, etc....then went through customs with ppl with 4-5 HUGE bags with Bloomingdales, Maceys etc on them! no one cared so i dont bother now unless its real expensive.

T

caz1562

The problem you have with postage is it may never arrive back in the Uk plus you may still have to pay tax for it via the Post Office Customs side of it.

Check the link on postage law - HM Customs website

Check this link on what you are allowed to bring into UK

If I were you'd I'd rather carry goods in rather than chance the postage. Your choice I guess !!!!

I binned the box for my digi camera and removed any price tags from stuff just to be on the safe side. Good Luck


[Edited by caz1562 - 8/29/2002 5:56:38 PM]

Blackscooby

I wouldn't worry about it and just bring the clothing etc back through. I think you've really got to be taking the **** to get stopped.

I've been to NYC a number of times and haven't had any issues when bringing loads of jeans and stuff back through.

Obviously I've just jynxed myself and the next time I come through the customs bloke is going to be putting on his latex gloves and asking me to "Step this way please Sir, this won't take long!"

south-star

Just bring it back with you.I've done it before.Just take off all the labels.

[Edited by south-star - 8/29/2002 6:58:25 PM]

Stephen Read

Thanks.

scoob_babe

Not sure how true this is (maybe someone here can help) - if anybody who works for HM Customs overhears anything (even if you are talking to a mate in a pub) that relates to you buying goods abroad and not paying import tax, they are bound by law to report it?
If not true, please don't flame me, I would actually like to know if it is an urban myth!!

Daryl

scoob-babe - that's not true!

As for taking the labels off stuff, that won't make any difference either, Customs Officers aren't that stupid, well, not all of them

Just don't take the **** and, if you do get stopped, tell the truth and be nice, chances are they'll be nice to you as well

Stephen Read

I have always wondered why they sell duty free watches at airports. I imagine that most 'expensive' watches cost more than the duty free allowance. Therefore, you may buy it duty free from your airport of departure but shouldn't you really cough up the VAT when you land? This would certainly defeat the objective!

Regarding electrical goods, I heard a rumor that if you cannot demonstrate that something works, it could be taken off you. Hence the concern about packing a wireless network access point in my hand baggage!

Regarding getting stopped...I would have thought that the penalties for getting caught in the green channel with 'something to declare' would be have to be high. Otherwise, everyone would go through that channel and 99 times out of 100 you would get away with it. They must have a mechanism to 'persuade' people to be honest ie. scare people by making it clear that the consequences are severe.

I live in Switzerland these days anyway and the Swiss can be a bit tight on this kind of thing as so many people cross the border to take advantage of cheaper prices outside. Their is much revenue to be gained from catching people and fining them twice or three times the duty they would have been charged had they declared any chargeable items...

P.S. I even heard a story about someone from Geneva who popped a bag of rubbish into his car to take to the recylying bins but crossed the border into France to do a little grocery shopping. When we tried to get back into Switzerland he was stopped and a quick search of the car highlighed said bag of rubbish and they promptly fined him for 'importing rubbish into Switzerland'. This is a true story!

Regards,
Paranoid border crosser

[Edited by Stephen Read - 8/30/2002 6:00:58 PM]