Buying electronics from the States and bringing home

Tommasi

Tommasi

Striker
Currently in America with work and a few things I'm after (andrpid Phone, smart watch and Nintendo Switch) are significantly cheaper over here. Is they any issue apart from having the wrong plug to buying over here? Most things are multi voltage now so that shouldn't be an issue but don't want to waste a load of money.

Cheers!
 


Might get stung for import duty and VAT. Should tell you on the box if they are dual voltage i.e 120v or 230v. I wouldn't chance it otherwise, but that's just me.
 
Tommasi said:
Currently in America with work and a few things I'm after (andrpid Phone, smart watch and Nintendo Switch) are significantly cheaper over here. Is they any issue apart from having the wrong plug to buying over here? Most things are multi voltage now so that shouldn't be an issue but don't want to waste a load of money.

Cheers!
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All of those are fine, plug excepted.
 
The Nintendo Switch is totally region-free and uses USB-C charger. It's a bespoke charger which converts the local voltage to the power needed for the console, so you'd need to buy a UK Nintendo Switch charger when you get back here, but they are only about a tenner off of eBay or Amazon.

For import duty, if you dispose of all the packaging and just have the console itself in your hand luggage, you could claim it was already your personal device which you took with you to the States to help pass the time on the flight. Not sure how likely you are to get away with that.

Android phones, I remember reading somewhere that the US uses different network frequencies, that might be old information and they may be more universal now, but I'd read up on that before spending cash.
 
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Trauntrian said:
The Nintendo Switch is totally region-free and uses USB-C charger. It's a bespoke charger which converts the local voltage to the power needed for the console, so you'd need to buy a UK Nintendo Switch charger when you get back here, but they are only about a tenner off of eBay or Amazon.
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TBF I've charged the bairn's up with my phone charger. Probably takes longer but it does the job.
 
Trauntrian said:
The Nintendo Switch is totally region-free and uses USB-C charger. It's a bespoke charger which converts the local voltage to the power needed for the console, so you'd need to buy a UK Nintendo Switch charger when you get back here, but they are only about a tenner off of eBay or Amazon.

For import duty, if you dispose of all the packaging and just have the console itself in your hand luggage, you could claim it was already your personal device which you took with you to the States to help pass the time on the flight. Not sure how likely you are to get away with that.

Android phones, I remember reading somewhere that the US uses different network frequencies, that might be old information and they may be more universal now, but I'd read up on that before spending cash.
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Slightly unrelated but the network thing could be an issue. I got an Apple upgrade a few years ago and the signal was really poor despite having perfect signal on a different Apple device with the same provider prior to the upgrade.

Anyway, after lots of investigation we found out it was because O2 had supplied me with an Australian handset. Palava to get it changed but something must’ve been different.
 
HorsePills said:
TBF I've charged the bairn's up with my phone charger. Probably takes longer but it does the job.
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I've done that as a short term measure when away, but it charges really slow, not sure if it would knacker the internal battery after a while.
It says on it that you should use a proper charger, but that might just be them trying to get coin some extra cash off of consumers
 
company we worked for in Houston provided a container to bring everything back..

we are currently using two big side lamps ..with a transformer for each one..

not sure if this helps
 
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I went to the Florida about 20 years ago when the exchange rate was about $2 to £1.
Basically anything you saw, just divide it in 2 and call it pounds.

I bought the kids Nintendo DS and they were only £50 with a free game.
I did panic a bit about import duty and getting UK chargers, but did it anyway.
We even split up the units between bags in case one of us got stopped and at least we'd only lose one.

I got on the plane just fine and people were getting on with Playstation consoles, Garage Band boxes and macbooks in new sealed boxes.

Needn't have worried all fine
 
Trauntrian said:
For import duty, if you dispose of all the packaging and just have the console itself in your hand luggage, you could claim it was already your personal device which you took with you to the States to help pass the time on the flight. Not sure how likely you are to get away with that.
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Incredibly likely.
 
Tommasi said:
Currently in America with work and a few things I'm after (andrpid Phone, smart watch and Nintendo Switch) are significantly cheaper over here. Is they any issue apart from having the wrong plug to buying over here? Most things are multi voltage now so that shouldn't be an issue but don't want to waste a load of money.

Cheers!
Click to expand...


you'd have to declare it at the airport. you could take your chances but probably not worth it if you're stopped and you're found to not have declared them
 
bobster999 said:
you'd have to declare it at the airport. you could take your chances but probably not worth it if you're stopped and you're found to not have declared them
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There's no way they would ever find out really, especially if you dump the boxes.

If I was him I would check the phone will work on networks here. It has probably changed, but they used to use different frequencies for certain networks there to here.
 
Bought this tablet in the states when I lived there lt was 2/3s of the price of 1 from here , usb c charger so so problem.
 
sales tax, which varies depending on which state your buying in. I got an iPod touch from the Apple Store in NYC and it was only once I'd actually stuck my card in the reader, realised that it was near enough the same as getting one in the UK
 

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