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Shipping computer + LCD monitor to Paris?

J

JonTheBaller

Golden Member
My mom wants to buy my cousin (who lives in Paris) a new computer + LCD monitor. She considered going to Dell.fr, but I think it makes more sense to buy a computer here and ship it there. Even with shipping & customs, prices should be a lot cheaper. Which leads me to my question... how much can I expect this shipment to cost? How do customs work, and how much does that cost? Also, I'm assuming computers here can work in Europe, they just need to get the 220V cable and that the power supply settings are changed. Is that correct?

TIA!
 
Why not just get him/her a laptop instead ?

Shipping to France should be like 50-60 bucks with insurance for 1200
 
IF you wnat to be charged customs, open up the laptop and make it seem somewhat used.
It's a hit or a miss whether you'd be charged customs or not. I think.
Oh yea, mark it as gift. Because that's exactly what it is.
 
Well I'm probably going to open up the box before I ship to set up the computer before I ship it off. If I mark it as a gift will there be no customs fee?

Oh, and what's the cheapest service? USPS, FedEx, UPS, or another service?
 
Have you checked the price difference between the US and France ?
The main reason i would but the comp in the US is the keyboard. Otherwise, i'd say it will be easier for everybody to just buy the computer in France.
 
I was bored so I was checking out the prices. At the most, the price difference is less than $300 for the higher priced models, if you look at the lower end the prices are almost identical or less than $100. Considering shipping/insurance is going to run you around $60-70, then VAT if they decide to hit you with it. You also have to consider whether the warranty will work too. Not worth it unless you get a killer hot deal.
 
Originally posted by: johnnytightlips
My mom wants to buy my cousin (who lives in Paris) a new computer + LCD monitor. She considered going to Dell.fr, but I think it makes more sense to buy a computer here and ship it there. Even with shipping & customs, prices should be a lot cheaper. Which leads me to my question... how much can I expect this shipment to cost? How do customs work, and how much does that cost? Also, I'm assuming computers here can work in Europe, they just need to get the 220V cable and that the power supply settings are changed. Is that correct?

TIA!
Click to expand...

Depends.. I know nothing about LCD screens, but if the LCD monitor is plugged into the mains, it'd need to be switchable between 120v@ 60hz. to 230v @50hz.
Also sending as a gift probably won't work to avoid duty, cos the limit is about 50 Euros value for gifts (I'm guessing there is Euro-wide harmonisation in import allowances). VAT in France is 19.6%, so if the computer is $500, the postage/insurance $100, the import duty $20, (total $620), then the total including VAT will be about $741.
Sorry I can't help more
 
What Kami said is correct. With PCs its not worth importing/exporting from USA/to europe as the price difference is tiny and will be eaten up entirely by shipping and probable customs (I know here in germany they are very strict in that matter, don't know about france though - but I think it is an enforced EU-wide regulation on all incoming goods from the USA - as you are not the only ones doing this 😉 ). The keyboard is not an issue, he can order a keyboard with US layout at any major local computer store (if he writes alot of french reports a french keyboard may even make sense as the special characters are more easily accessable) - I believe with Dell you can even choose to have a US Keyboard and OS as a no cost option when you order over the phone... used to be that way anyway.

What deffinately makes financial sense is to ship a Mac from the USA to the EU... but we are talking Dells here. Kamis point with the warranty is also valid: I know that getting repairs under warranty on an imported Apple machine is quite tiresome, can't say if Dell is just as bad. I know Gateway was OK about it but in that case it was a machine from an american service member (which I told the the person on the helpline).
 
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