Questions about shipping and customs fees.

[tt80rez]

I own an iPhone XS Max (valued at $1200/40k thb) that is unfortunately back in the US. Now I need a new phone as my current one is broken and kind of old anyways. I want to have it sent here (to Bangkok). I have heard mixed opinions and advice, some say use private companies like FedEx, some say use USPS and the customs fees will be lower. Some say if you ship personal affects they will be taxed 0%, 7% and some say 30%. I'm super confused and just want to find the easiest solution, I don't mind paying the fee but I want to know what i'm looking at and if there are any tips I should know ahead of time. Many suggested not leaving the phone in it's original box, so it doesn't appear as if it is brand new. Idk, open to advice

[CharlieH]

Stay away from couriers ! Use USPS and you can still track it to your door.

[jmd8800]

I have just purchased cell phone in the USA and I am having it shipped here via DHL. I'll let you what happens as events unfold. Hopefully it will be here on Friday the 11th.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

9 minutes ago, jmd8800 said:

I have just purchased cell phone in the USA and I am having it shipped here via DHL. I'll let you what happens as events unfold. Hopefully it will be here on Friday the 11th.

 

What's gonna happen is you will pay through your nose.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

18 minutes ago, jmd8800 said:

I have just purchased cell phone in the USA and I am having it shipped here via DHL. I'll let you what happens as events unfold. Hopefully it will be here on Friday the 11th.

 

I think that story (DHL) is not likely to end well, especially depending on the price of the phone....

[Pilotman]

My UK iPhone just packed up. bought a new one in Pattaya and had the UK sim put into the new phone, works perfectly with no problem in keeping the UK number and all the sim loaded data, contacts etc.     

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Stay away from couriers ! Use USPS and you can still track it to your door.

 

I think that's probably the best course also. USPS Priority International or USPS Flat Rate box.

 

But you'll need to be careful about just how much value insurance coverage USPS will allow on those kinds of packages.

 

Sending via a private courier is just begging for Thai Customs grief, not to mention, some of the private couriers these days, I believe, have restrictions on the shipping of lithium batteries even when contained inside a device. With USPS, AFAIK, lithium batteries inside devices are still OK for shipping.

 

[tweedledee2]

I ordered an HP lithium laptop battery listed on eBay for $34.99 with free shipping and tracking on Dec 16, with an estimated delivery date between Jan. 4-14. It was shipped 12/17 from Guangzhou, China by Post to Surin. The package was picked up from the Surin Post Office by SCG Delivery and delivered to my rural home NE of Surin on 12/26. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, tweedledee2 said:

I ordered an HP lithium laptop battery listed on eBay for $34.99 with free shipping and tracking on Dec 16, with an estimated delivery date between Jan. 4-14. It was shipped 12/17 from Guangzhou, China by Post to Surin. The package was picked up from the Surin Post Office by SCG Delivery and delivered to my rural home NE of Surin on 12/26. 

 

When folks above are referring to avoiding "private couriers" for these kinds of shipments, they're talking about U.S. based outfits like DHL, FedEx and UPS... not really China Post.

[jmd8800]

Time will tell. Plus one size doesn't fit all in Thailand. My experience is likely quite different from others as there is little consistency.

 

One reason I used DHL for this ...... I get mail sent here from the USA once a month usually. Late November the mail was sent in the usual manner 2 days before Thanksgiving. That package sat in the USPS LAX airport facility 13 days before being forwarded. It contained only documents.

[jmd8800]

The phone arrived. Here is the breakdown of fees added by customs.

 

Customs duty = 10%

VAT = 7%

Disbursement fee (handling?) = 214 THB a flat rate I guess as no % listed.

 

Customs calculates the value + frt (freight?) + ins (insurance?) and calculates the above percentages on that value.

I don't know if the "frt" is freight. The cost of shipping through DHL was 3x higher than the value used in the calculations.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

49 minutes ago, jmd8800 said:

The phone arrived. Here is the breakdown of fees added by customs.

 

Customs duty = 10%

VAT = 7%

Disbursement fee (handling?) = 214 THB a flat rate I guess as no % listed.

 

Customs calculates the value + frt (freight?) + ins (insurance?) and calculates the above percentages on that value.

I don't know if the "frt" is freight. The cost of shipping through DHL was 3x higher than the value used in the calculations.

 

That above sounds typical for DHL... Whenever they do those calculations, it's ALWAYS based on the combination of however they value your item (which isn't necessarily how you value it), the cost of shipping, and the supposed cost of their insurance. And then they apply all their percentages based on that.

 

So how much extra in baht did all the DHL customs stuff end up adding onto the purchase price and direct shipping cost of your phone?

[jmd8800]

The total price of customs is irrelevant because prices of phones are different. I'm not unhappy with what I paid.

 

They didn't value my item. I did. The figures used to calculate any customs taxes and fees are based on what I value I gave them. Cost of shipping and insurance was agreed upon by myself and DHL when I agreed to pay them to ship it. I knew the cost of shipping & insurance upfront, DHL did not inflate those prices.

 

2.5 days from the West coast of USA to my door.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The fact that you had to pay +- 20% above your actual purchase in fees, plus the direct shipping cost, by virtue of using DHL is enough of an answer for me....

[jmd8800]

So what you are saying is that the +- 20% I paid is higher than is required by Thai law?

 

Show me where imports duties and customs for this cell phone are less than what I paid. I doubt DHL adds in a few %  ..... but maybe they do.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

1 hour ago, jmd8800 said:

So what you are saying is that the +- 20% I paid is higher than is required by Thai law?

 

Yes. Since in the opening post you said you own a phone.

 

Which means taxes have already been paid.

 

Thailand thanks you for your patronage.