Shipping a Used Personal PC from USA

[Guest]

Hi,
I have to ship my own personal laptop from the United States to Thailand via US Postal and my mom will have to do a customs declaration when she ships it. Does anyone (especially SB) know what is the best thing to put on the US Declaration so I don't get charged duty?

I had my mom mail me some educational DVD's I had when I taught in the states and they charged me duty because they thought they were new DVD's, but she didn't put it as "USED PERSONAL DVD's", she had them labeled as just "DVD's" and I got hit with a 1400 baht duty. I didn't pay that much for them new, but they were educationally valuable or I would have let them keep the darn things.

Any info if greatly appreciated and I know enough of you here in Thailand have shipped things or heard stories from other people that I should be able to come up with the right thing to use.

Thanks as always,
Nhscotsman

[pacman]

I can give plenty of information about posting small valuable items in & out of Thailand but a laptop is a laptop.

There is no disguising it.

It should be described as an old machine, they may want to verify that, the value should be on the declaration as less than $100, not unreasonable with the over-supply of 2nd hand units coming onto the market.

Have you looked at Fedex or DHL? Ask them about importing a laptop, what is their policy if you say you will refuse any duty charges, I know here, we can just refuse the charges & the parcel gets returned to sender.

That would have applied to the DVDs but being Thailand, I take nothing for granted.

Tell your mum not to box the machine up in its original packaging, stick tape over bits of it like it is holding it together, when they examine it, it won't look new, they can't argue that it hasn't been used.

Lastly, can a BM bring it with him? Advise what city the laptop is in, it's worth a shot.

[pacman]

I imagine the cost to airmail a laptop from the states would be high, especially if you opt to insure it.

Sea mail will take much longer, maybe 3 months, so you have little choice.

Be careful with insurance, it can't be more than the declaration of the value, personally I wouldn't.

The insurance valuation is the magic number looked for by the thieves in the system.

No insurance & it can't be worth stealing, high insurance & the odds of it going missing go up in proportion.

Please don't sue me if it is lost & you want to blame me for bad advice, it is just my experience from shipping goods for many years.

Jobs delivering high value freight are keenly sought after by thieves, there is an entire industry within the prison system forging references for when reformed prisoners re-enter the work force.

You only have a 2nd hand laptop to worry about...      

[katoeylover]

Use fedex or dhl and value it as a gift with no value. You will pay a bit more for the shipping but it will be worth it.

Insurance value only. DHL is good at clearing stuff through.

I dont think I have ever had a problen either way ( Thai - UK, UK - Thai)

[Stogie]

Get the hard drive sent over and buy a new laptop here.

[EyeMahk]

(pacman @ Nov. 12 2008,21:03) Lastly, can a BM bring it with him? Advise what city the laptop is in, it's worth a shot.

Good idea!

(stogie @ Nov. 12 2008) Get the hard drive sent over and buy a new laptop here.

Even better idea! Or hire someone to image the drive onto an online drive, then you can just download the files.