laptop

[penandpencil]

have you guys ever bought a laptop here in the US and had it shipped to Europe? If I do that - I want to buy two here, due to the weak dollar - will I have any problems with customs or with USPS? Thanks for your replies.

 

[dong20]

have you guys ever bought a laptop here in the US and had it shipped to Europe? If I do that - I want to buy two here, due to the weak dollar - will I have any problems with customs or with USPS? Thanks for your replies.

I guess it depends on where in Europe. If you ship to the UK you will almost certainly get stung for VAT and import duty.

 

[Mem]

It will have a different electrical plug than you use over there.

I would never buy something in Europe to use over here if it had a different plug.

 

[dong20]

It will have a different electrical plug than you use over there.

I would never buy something in Europe to use over here if it had a different plug.

Yes, but plugs are easily changed, Mem.

 

[Mem]

Yes, but plugs are easily changed, Mem.

Okay I did not know that. I knew there were travel converters, but everything in available here, so most Americans do not buy items with foreign plugs.

 

[midlifebear]

I drag a couple of Dell lap tops with me everywhere I travel. I never have to worry about the 110 or 220 Voltage issue because the power cords convert and manage the juice. As for electrical plugs, it's a simple issue of buying a universal conversion plug from Radio Shack. I also carry my laptops in their own overhead carry-on luggage bags. If you ship your PC's, lap tops or not, in their original packing boxes, be ready to get hit with import fees as well as VAT/IVA taxes and whatever else they custom agents can think of for generating money

However, if you buy an electrical product (electric razor for example) in any country where 220V is the standard (which is just about everywhere but the USA and most of Canada), I can guarantee you'll soon ruin the electrical toy whether you have a conversion cord or not.

 

[penandpencil]

hi all,
I have a plug for the US computer...
I don't have the original box, so I would have to send the laptop in a different box. the laptop is for me,,, i have one here in the US and i want to have another one over there so that it is more convenient for me when i travel
I will be mailing the computer to spani

 

[dong20]

I drag a couple of Dell lap tops with me everywhere I travel. I never have to worry about the 110 or 220 Voltage issue because the power cords convert and manage the juice. As for electrical plugs, it's a simple issue of buying a universal conversion plug from Radio Shack. I also carry my laptops in their own overhead carry-on luggage bags. If you ship your PC's, lap tops or not, in their original packing boxes, be ready to get hit with import fees as well as VAT/IVA taxes and whatever else they custom agents can think of for generating money

However, if you buy an electrical product (electric razor for example) in any country where 220V is the standard (which is just about everywhere but the USA and most of Canada), I can guarantee you'll soon ruin the electrical toy whether you have a conversion cord or not.

The voltage thing used to be a real problem, but these days one minor benefit of globalisation is that adapters are often voltage 'agnostic' either accepting 100-220 automatically or have a small slider switch on them (or the device itself does).

It's no doubt cheaper to do that than make different PSUs for different markets. Laptops from major Brands (I find) tend to come with such universal PSUs though check before buying. Smaller devices such a razors bought in a 220v region may give you a closer shave than you'd like if used in the US!!

It's not something to count on though, and I'd be especially careful going from North America to elsewhere, especially with products made there, I've found that catering for other electrical standards is all none existent - but then for the domestic market it's not really a consideration.

To the OP:

If the laptop is clearly used, you may be able to avoid duties but your question was about purchasing them due to advantageous currency rates - do you already have them???

 

[penandpencil]

dong20 -
yes, i have purchased them and I have even installed itunes, etc. etc. i bught them one month ago or so and they are even dusty if you open it, it is clear that it has been used somehow....

 

[novice_btm]

For at least the last 10 years (in some cases, even longer, e.g. all Apple models have had it since 1984), most computers come with auto-switching voltage (110/120-220/240), especially laptops. Again, check to be safe (there'll be fine print on the power "brick", in the case of laptops), but it's more of an oddity to find one that DOESN'T auto-switch today.

One notable exception that I have seen, is with desktops. While most still switch, it's NOT an "auto" switch. That is, sometimes there is a physical switch on the box, near where the cord connects, where you actually have to switch it between 110 and 220 settings.

Recently a friend was visiting from Europe, bought a laptop, and was holding it, and looking at it, and examining it. I asked him what he was doing, and he said, "I'm trying to figure out how to mark it up to make it look used, so that I don't have to pay taxes on it, but I just can't face scratching up my new 'baby'." :tongue:

The only real issue today, are the plugs/prongs, but that's so easily changed (prong adapter, or replacement cord) with that it's a non-issue.

 

[penandpencil]

i will put a sticker or something and scratch it a little bit and then go to the post office.... yes, this computer has an internal voltage convertor or something, so i just need a special plug, which i have....
should i remove the battery before mailing it?

 

[dong20]

...
should i remove the battery before mailing it?

Yes, definitely. Ship it with it, but not installed.

 

[transformer_99]

I have the coolest IBM X31 12" notebook with a 1.7 Ghz Pentium M/Centrino. Anyway it's an international model, the keyboard has the 3 dialects of Chinese in addition to the US English keyboard indications printed on them. It had a dead hdd and no power supply, so I went on-line and bought a knockoff 3rd party charger off ebay for it after determining the correct one by going on-line and researching it. Funny, the picture on the ebay auction indicated it was the OEM IBM part, but when it arrived, it was clearly a knockoff, the label said IBM, but preceding it, it said "FOR" and underneath was the "IBM" in the red "I", green "B" and blue "M". It works just the same and I paid for what was indicated as used charger, the unit I received was brand new. As long as it works, that's all I care about at this point. It was relatively inexpensive in comparison to what IBM wants for one of theirs direct.

I guess if I use a language pack for Windows and select that as the language of choice, I should be able to communicate with the Reds. :biggrin1: