Shipping a Smart Phone from US to Thailand

[WaveHunter]

I want to buy a used iPhone off of eBay in the US.   Cost to ship is cheap for me since I use a shipping consolidator in the US (around 20 USD) for air which would arrive in 10 days.  I believe there are no Customs duties (only VAT).  Is that correct?  I just want to be sure before I order it.

 

I already looked into buying a used one off of Facebook Marketplace which I buy from all the time and am happy with BUT for high-valued items there is no protection against fraud since most sellers want cash.  I want the protection afforded me by paying with a credit card through PayPal, which I can do on eBay.

[KhunLA]

I wouldn't be surprised if you got hit with a heavy duty, or they refused to forward it, after point of arrival.  As you're not allowed to mail LiPo batteries.

 

If just a back up, buy a new phone here (Xiaomi fan myself), then you have the best of both worlds, IOS & Android.

[Celsius]

If you need to return it then what are you going to do? Ship it back from Thailand to USA?

 

Both Shopee and Lazada are pretty safe marketplaces with a huge selection of used phones.

 

 

Oh yes.... ^  the batteries 

[WaveHunter]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

I wouldn't be surprised if you got hit with a heavy duty, or they refused to forward it, after point of arrival.  As you're not allowed to mail LiPo batteries.

 

If just a back up, buy a new phone here (Xiaomi fan myself), then you have the best of both worlds, IOS & Android.

I don't think that's true.  I spoke to the consolidating company shipping agent specifically about any shipping restrictions of a smartphone with lithium batteries, and he said, without hesitation, there was not any as long as the batteries were not removable.  I'll check again but he assured me there would be no issue with that.

 

As for getting a non Apple phone, I can not since it must sync with iCloud.  And BTW, I am also a Xiaomi fan; they make really excellent quality products. ????

 

[WaveHunter]

1 hour ago, Celsius said:

If you need to return it then what are you going to do? Ship it back from Thailand to USA?

 

Both Shopee and Lazada are pretty safe marketplaces with a huge selection of used phones.

 

 

Oh yes.... ^  the batteries 

I'll be damned!  I never even thought of Lazada, assuming they only sold current issue phones like the $1000+ ones.  I just took a glance, and you're right!  There are plenty of just the one I am looking for (iPhone 8)!

 

With Lazada I can pay with credit card and be protected by my credit card company if I am scammed (which sometimes happens on Lazada).  Not only that but Lazada has a good reputation of making sure buyers are not taken advantage of if a dispute arises, and of course you're right about the hassles of having to send it back to the USA if issues arose.

 

So, THANK YOU for your helpful suggestion ????

 

 

[Negita43]

Are you sure it uses the same bands as in Thailand?

[Doctor Tom]

35 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

I'll be damned!  I never even thought of Lazada, assuming they only sold current issue phones like the $1000+ ones.  I just took a glance, and you're right!  There are plenty of just the one I am looking for (iPhone 8)!

 

With Lazada I can pay with credit card and be protected by my credit card company if I am scammed (which sometimes happens on Lazada).  Not only that but Lazada has a good reputation of making sure buyers are not taken advantage of if a dispute arises, and of course you're right about the hassles of having to send it back to the USA if issues arose.

 

So, THANK YOU for your helpful suggestion ????

 

 

and it comes in Chinese, Hindi or whatever other language it used to have and you have no idea what spy software is left in it.  Stay clear is my advice and buy somewhere you can have a come back if it doesn't meet expectations.   

[digbeth]

Custom would want to see Thai FCC (NBTC) approval sticker or sign on the product, might not be there on the US model, 

you'll then be asked for import license for the device in question, while paying storage which your shipping agent will happily charge you,

 

if the device does not operate on bands outside of the allowed range for Thailand, you might be issued a license and your device released to you, or if not it's confiscated and sold off in auctions as 'scraps' years later 

[sometimewoodworker]

11 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

and it comes in Chinese, Hindi or whatever other language it used to have and you have no idea what spy software is left in it.  Stay clear is my advice and buy somewhere you can have a come back if it doesn't meet expectations.   

It’s (or will be) an iPhone. iPhone’s are not android so changing the phone language and region configuration is simple, fast and not locked in. Chinese iPhones are different and AFAIK don’t have e-sim technology but the do have dual SIM card carriers 

[WaveHunter]

13 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

and it comes in Chinese, Hindi or whatever other language it used to have and you have no idea what spy software is left in it.  Stay clear is my advice and buy somewhere you can have a come back if it doesn't meet expectations.   

Sounds like you are a bit paranoid (victim of too much fake news, perhaps?) ????  You do know that iPhones are are manufactured mostly  in China, don't you?  As for Lazada, it is actually a pretty good sales platform and takes extraordinary steps to assure customer satisfaction. 

[WaveHunter]

11 hours ago, digbeth said:

Custom would want to see Thai FCC (NBTC) approval sticker or sign on the product, might not be there on the US model, 

you'll then be asked for import license for the device in question, while paying storage which your shipping agent will happily charge you,

 

if the device does not operate on bands outside of the allowed range for Thailand, you might be issued a license and your device released to you, or if not it's confiscated and sold off in auctions as 'scraps' years later 

None of this is true.  C'mon dude...Be real!

[Doctor Tom]

44 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

Sounds like you are a bit paranoid (victim of too much fake news, perhaps?) ????  You do know that iPhones are are manufactured mostly  in China, don't you?  As for Lazada, it is actually a pretty good sales platform and takes extraordinary steps to assure customer satisfaction. 

sure. Not paranoid, just sensible 

We are talking here of second hand phones, not new ones, so they come from goodness knows who, from goodness knows where and with goodness knows what on them. If you don't see that as risky, then good luck mate .