Bringing a new Wii back to Ireland from the US

dardoz · 01-01-2009 1:50am #1

Hi guys. I´m just coming back from holidays with my wifes family in Mexico and we are stopping over in New York for a few days. I want to buy a Wii with Guitar Hero + the guitar and bring it back with me.

I´ve been trying to think of the best way of bringing it back without getting charged for it in customs. The Guitar box is pretty big I would imagine so I dont know whether to carry that as hand luggage or not. I was gonna kick the box around a bit and say I bought it online from the US a year ago and do pretty much the same to the Wii box so they dont look new.

Anyone got any other ideas?

Nody · 01-01-2009 12:12pm

Don't Wii games come with a region limitation? If so you'd be forced to ONLY buy games from Region 1. Oh and no customer check will be fooled by a unopened box that you kicked around claiming it is a year old, unwrap it all and put it in your bag if anything.

Mr E · 01-01-2009 12:25pm

The Wii is region locked. It'll work here, but you'd need to buy a stepdown transformer to handle the voltage differences, and you'd need to buy all of your games online from the US/Canada (games bought here won't work).

The Wii box is pretty small, but the guitar box is pretty big. And good luck with customs.... if they get ya, they get ya.

krudler · 01-01-2009 12:49pm

Surely thats a ton of hassle to get something back that you can just buy here? you'll have to get a new plug, ensure your tv is ntsc, get a region decoder for the wii (which wont work one the software upates once you go online with it) Most game stores have wii/GH bundles now anyway

taram · 01-01-2009 7:14pm

HMV had GH3 for the Wii for 50 euro at the mo, much easier than trying to lug that giant box back!

dardoz · 01-01-2009 7:29pm

taram wrote: »

HMV had GH3 for the Wii for 50 euro at the mo, much easier than trying to lug that giant box back!

They have Guitar Hero with the guitar for 50? I am after Guitar Hero 4 though as its the first one on the Wii that lets you download new songs online to play.

I did have a masterplan, I got a receipt some of my inlaws had from buying a Wii in Mexico last year. So I was just gonna take it out of the box and show them the receipt from Mexico if they asked any questions.

But afer much consideration/googling I am going to get it in Ireland instead. There are too many drawbacks to buying a US one, especially now considering Sterling is so weak for buying games online.

krudler · 01-01-2009 7:40pm

horrah! some common sense, something sorely lacking on consumer issues

the_syco · 01-01-2009 9:27pm

dardoz wrote: »

I did have a masterplan, I got a receipt some of my inlaws had from buying a Wii in Mexico last year. So I was just gonna take it out of the box and show them the receipt from Mexico if they asked any questions.

LOL. You'd be talking to customs in Ireland. Mexico, last time I checked, wasn't in Ireland, thus if you had brought it in, you'd be charged.

dardoz · 02-01-2009 12:56am

the_syco wrote: »

LOL. You'd be talking to customs in Ireland. Mexico, last time I checked, wasn't in Ireland, thus if you had brought it in, you'd be charged.

I think you re misunderstanding me, theres hardly any need for being a smart ass. I have a receipt for a wii bought over a year ago which I could have used to prove it wasn't new, and thus I wouldnt have to pay customs for bringing it into the country as my receipt would suggest I have already had it in Ireland and just brought it on holidays.

Jonnykitedude · 02-01-2009 1:25am

Dont worry i have brought back a bike and two mac books on one trip and a snowboard on another.........do i walk through the red gates of customs.......not a hope!!

Could i buy them here, yes i could but why should i when i can save over 3-4k on the lot.

Sits back and waits for the lashing im going to get for that last remark:D:D:D

Kintarō Hattori · 02-01-2009 12:52pm

dardoz wrote: »

I think you re misunderstanding me, theres hardly any need for being a smart ass.

He wasn't being a smart ass. Regardless, it's good to see some common sense as another poster mentioned.

the_syco · 02-01-2009 2:13pm

dardoz wrote: »

I have a receipt for a wii bought over a year ago which I could have used to prove it wasn't new

You have a receipt of a product bought outside of Ireland. If customs stopped you, you were going to prove to them that the product was in fact bought in Mexico, albeit one year ago. Customs will see a silly-billy showing they bought an item not in Ireland, and charge you the VAT difference, or just confiscate it.

snubbleste · 02-01-2009 5:11pm

You can bring in goods from outside the EU duty-free to the value of €430

tallaghtoutlaws · 02-01-2009 10:33pm

dardoz wrote: »

I think you re misunderstanding me, theres hardly any need for being a smart ass. I have a receipt for a wii bought over a year ago which I could have used to prove it wasn't new, and thus I wouldnt have to pay customs for bringing it into the country as my receipt would suggest I have already had it in Ireland and just brought it on holidays.

Customs can still charge you for an item over a year old especially if it was bought outside the EU. How do they know you have ever had it in Ireland. They will charge you.

I bring my PS3 with me to the US all the time been there 5 times this year. If you get caught and you have to pay well you know what they say tough sh*t. Thems is the laws unfortunately.

Bringing a new Wii back to Ireland from the US

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