Import taxes on an iPhone gift from the U.S.

Hi,

I am interested in getting an apple iphone and its really cheap in the US as u guys must have already known. My cousin is currently residing in the US. She is willing to buy it and ship to me via UPS. Will i need to pay the Custom charges even when its shipped by a relative? or is there anyway of not paying the Custom charges when the shipment is repacked? say without the original cover etc etc?

any other possible means? have anyone of u tried such measures when getting an electrial/electronic items from the US?

your opinions will be really appreciated.

cheers.

Of course. Why should you not?

even when its been repacked? say, like an used mobile?

You might get lucky, you might not get lucky.

What iPhone are you talking about though? The iPhone that is currently on the market is going to be replaced in 1 week. The new one that is coming out will only be able to be purchased on a 2 year contract, so there is no use buying one there anyway (they'll be no cheaper in the US anyway).

If you prove its been "used" for 6 months, then you shouldn't owe any customs on it...afaik

only as a personal item, not sure if this still applies to gifts, though.

Like the others have said. If it looks new then your going to be hit 19% VAT + 5% import Tax.
If the package isn't checked and tax charged, then count yourself lucky.

The new 3G iphone MUST be bought and activated with a 2yr contract (3yr for Rogers in Canada)
BEFORE you leave the store. A contractless iphone will be avail. but not anytime soon. When it is
released expect to pay $700-$800 for it.

At home activation, like was done for the 1st gen iphone is not possible and won't be allowed.

thanks a lot for your infos...

seems to be an difficult choice to get an iphone shipped in from the US... Googled for N95 smart phone in Germany and came across this...

have u guys heard of www.kijiji.de???

i searched for N95 in Cologne region and landed up with this...

http://koeln.kijiji.de/f-nokia-n95-Kaufen-...ordZnokiaQ20n95

is it possible to get N95, 8gb for 200€ in Germany???

Well, I would be careful, that link lists as the seller:
http://www.ai118.com/info.asp?id=3
who just happens to be a person in China, who is more than happy for you to pay by Western Union... Need I say more?
The normal price for the N95 8GB is around 450€ in Germany: http://geizhals.at/deutschland/a280620.html

My advice is don't touch the N95 - I got one with my contract last year and they are rubbish - lots of features, but the keyboard is awful - it is so small you can't avoid hitting wring keys - the software is buggy - the camera is good, but really slow and a battery drain. The WIFI is neat, but due to the useless keyboard, and the limited size of the screen, you can't really browse anything useful.

If you get it for free with a contract like I did, then OK, but don't expect anything great. I would say do not pay any sensible amount of money for them - even Nokia must realise they are no good if they've made them available as contract give aways.

Colin

The N95 has nothing on the iPhone.. that is a fact. It is completely inferior in every way.

You can try to avoid customs charges by declaring it as a gift (complete with gift wrapping) and a value under €40, but for an iphone I would want to put the full value on for insurance purposes.

..and then be prosecuted for assisting fraud as well as smuggling...

The UI of the iPhone is innovative and unmatched. But download a big file using the UMTS connection and then you will know how much more time the iPhone will take compared to N95.

Ok, I was more referring to the new model, which is 3G. You'd be crazy to buy the old one now.

Well this was meant as a reason not to do the undervaluing in the first place, but the comment could be taken that way if you want it to.

I was also referring to the 3G iPhone. Even though most models support 3G/HSDPA, there is quite some difference in the download speeds. Nokia performs better in this regard compared to competition. To some extent slower download speeds can be compensated with a faster UI.

how about the new O2 XDA Diamond? i will be able to extend my O2 contract beginning of next yr. any advices on taking this mobile?

I don't know how you can compare the speed of the N95 to the 3G iPhone when the 3G iPhone hasn't even been released yet.


What do you mean "how about"? In regards to importing, of course the same restrictions will apply. If you're talking abuot the phone itself, then it is also pathetic compared to the iPhone.

Hutcho loves the iPhone more than his wife!

This is a fact proven by NASA and Mensa.

i meant the mobile performances. I will be getting it here itself with O2 contract.

There is no phone as good as the iPhone. That is a fact.