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Family member sending over laptop or desktop...

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  • 05-10-2007 8:31pm
    #1
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭


    I was looking into the possibility of buying a laptop or a desktop computer on Ebay because with the US/Euro currency rates, I would save some money. But It appears difficult to do without paying the customs charges.

    So I do actually have a family member in the states who would be able to purchase a laptop or a desktop for me and send it over to me? Does anyone here know if this eliminates customs charges at all? Thanks a lot...


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    #2
    liamo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭liamo


    cheesedude wrote:
    So I do actually have a family member in the states who would be able to purchase a laptop or a desktop for me and send it over to me? Does anyone here know if this eliminates customs charges at all? Thanks a lot...

    I don't think that will work.
    At best you will evade duty - which is an offense.
    The not-so-bad scenario is having the laptop confiscated.
    At worst you will lose the laptop *and* get hit with a charge/fine/whatever.

    Don't f**ck with the customs - they're the biggest and meanest MoFos in the valley.


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    #3
    patpark121
    Registered Users Posts: 161 ✭✭patpark121


    cheesedude wrote:
    I was looking into the possibility of buying a laptop or a desktop computer on Ebay because with the US/Euro currency rates, I would save some money. But It appears difficult to do without paying the customs charges.

    So I do actually have a family member in the states who would be able to purchase a laptop or a desktop for me and send it over to me? Does anyone here know if this eliminates customs charges at all? Thanks a lot...

    Anything purchased outside EU states is liable for duties & taxes on importation, only exception is documentation. It must be accompanied by a proforma or commercial invoice which would declare the contents & value. Only way out would be for them to physically carry it over themselves.


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    #4
    eamon234
    Registered Users Posts: 1,924 ✭✭✭eamon234


    That's about right even if they marked it as a gift you are only exempt from duty if it's worth under €45 so unless they physically bring it across and say it's theirs there's no other way around it.


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    #5
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    liamo wrote:
    I don't think that will work.
    At best you will evade duty - which is an offense.
    The not-so-bad scenario is having the laptop confiscated.
    At worst you will lose the laptop *and* get hit with a charge/fine/whatever.

    Don't f**ck with the customs - they're the biggest and meanest MoFos in the valley.

    How would I lose the laptop and get charged?


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    #6
    liamo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭liamo


    I supposed I should have prefaced my comment with a disclaimer. So here it is now : I don't really know what I'm talking about.

    Having said that, I don't believe I'm wildly off the mark but would be pleased to be corrected by someone who does know what they're talking about.

    1. You asked how you could avoid paying customs charges - VAT? Duty?

    2. You considered buying a laptop via a family member in the US and having it posted to you to avoid paying such charges.

    3. It would be entirely reasonable for a member of the customs to consider this an attempt to evade VAT/duty. This, I imagine, is an offense.

    4. I imagine the penalty for such an offense would involve up to a) the confiscation of the item being posted and/or b) the imposition of a fine and or c) being charged with evading VAT.

    I suppose my original post would have made more sense if I had elaborated a little. That's what happens when I write a post after a few glasses of wine.

    Anyway, hope your purchase goes well.

    Liam


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    #7
    66o66o
    Closed Accounts Posts: 48 ✭66o66o


    I get that done a lot, My Sister just takes the thing out of the box and sends it to her own name at home saying its her own and sending it back for repair etc....
    Customs may be the law but doesn;t stop if from being criminal....

    The government is all about extorting money from the people with any means necessary...


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    #8
    ciaran76
    Registered Users Posts: 4,693 ✭✭✭ciaran76


    As someone who used to work in this field. They have seen all the tricks. People pretending to send it back for repair sometimes they ask of proof of purchase etc etc.

    Look sometimes you can be lucky and get away with it. But sometimes not. Its a risk whatever you decided to do to try avoid paying.


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