Buying Electronics (ie Mobile Phone, Laptop, Etc) online delivered to thailand?

[wisemonkey]

Hi,

I am wanting to buy some electronics from amazon and ebay, to be delivered here in chiang mai. However when I go to checkout online there is a warning saying your country may impose taxes etc on delivery. I am just wanting to know has anyone gone through this process, the last thing I want is to buy a mobile phone and then it be held ransome by the guys at the post office for 4000 baht or something, cheers for any info.

[ocean268]

www.lazada.co.th

Lazada will deliver to your doorstep and you can pay cash on delivery after inspecting the item. Good Luck!

[wisemonkey]

www.lazada.co.th

Lazada will deliver to your doorstep and you can pay cash on delivery after inspecting the item. Good Luck!

thanks interesting site, but the items im looking at on ebay and then comparing on lazada, lazada is almost double the price of what I can get it for from ebay.

[h90]

www.lazada.co.th

Lazada will deliver to your doorstep and you can pay cash on delivery after inspecting the item. Good Luck!

NOT Lazada!!!!

I ordered 3 times, 3 times problems with delivery. 1 time I had to complain at paypal, than it got delivered 48 hours later.

I ordered 1 drum for a laser printer and they sent a used one. I complained they told me to send it back, scan the tracking number + invoice from the post and they'll refund it + post costs after checking it. And it may need 1 week because they are busy.

Of course after 3 weeks still nothing. Several emails....no reply (I even told I don't need it refund, if they send me a new drum instead it would be OK).

After these 3 weeks I filled a complain at Paypal. I got the full amount refunded but of course not my shipping costs. Case was closed without comment. No sorry no nothing.

And of course doggy things like "this shop doesn't offer invoice with VAT", as the shop is inside Thailand it means it is tax fraud.

I ordered a couple of times at invadeit. Always perfect. If there is a problem, you write an email and it get fixed immediately. They are more expensive, but I rather pay 200 Baht more and don't have to worry.

[h90]

www.lazada.co.th

Lazada will deliver to your doorstep and you can pay cash on delivery after inspecting the item. Good Luck!

thanks interesting site, but the items im looking at on ebay and then comparing on lazada, lazada is almost double the price of what I can get it for from ebay.

cheap things from Ebay per normal post usually came without import duty. But it depends on your luck.....

[wisemonkey]

What about using ebay and amazon? Any problems with delivery? or post office asking for VAT on delivery , etc?

[ukrules]

Ebay is completely different to Amazon. Don't bother with Ebay, there's too many amateurs and scammers using that site, it's dead to me.

Amazon on the other hand is a completely different experience.

I've ordered various electronic devices from Amazon. I use the express shipping which is generally either DHL or UPS.

When you place an export order for something that's sold by Amazon themselves they charge an advance import duty deposit, often this is an over charge and the customs duty and VAT payment is handled by DHL.

A few months after you've made your purchase the part of your import tax deposit which wasn't used for paying duty / vat is then then refunded to your credit card.

The refund can take months to arrive, like 3 or even more months but it will come in the end.

[Isan Farang]

Ebay is completely different to Amazon. Don't bother with Ebay, there's too many amateurs and scammers using that site, it's dead to me.

Amazon on the other hand is a completely different experience.

I've ordered various electronic devices from Amazon. I use the express shipping which is generally either DHL or UPS.

When you place an export order for something that's sold by Amazon themselves they charge an advance import duty deposit, often this is an over charge and the customs duty and VAT payment is handled by DHL.

A few months after you've made your purchase the part of your import tax deposit which wasn't used for paying duty / vat is then then refunded to your credit card.

The refund can take months to arrive, like 3 or even more months but it will come in the end.

Can you provide an example on the cost of one of the electronic devices you have purchased from Amazon, and then the cost you was charged for shipping and the pre paid duty.

[ukrules]

Can you provide an example on the cost of one of the electronic devices you have purchased from Amazon, and then the cost you was charged for shipping and the pre paid duty.

Sure. I purchased 'Yeti Microphone' made by Blue Microphones, shipped to me from the US.

This one : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VA464S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

As sold by amazon themselves, cost of microphone $119

This is what amazon says about the order, note the following prices are in UK Pounds due to me using a UK Pounds based credit card and converted from USD but it will give you an idea of how it works.

I suggest that nobody ever uses Amazon UK for physical goods as the prices are much higher for everything, especially shipping.

Order Summary

Item(s) Subtotal: GBP 70.52

Shipping & Handling:GBP 26.74 (Fastest delivery option available - it took about 4/5 days from the US to Hua Hin I think), Bangkok deliveries are quicker.

Total before tax: GBP 130.35

Estimated tax to be collected: GBP 0.00

Import Fees Deposit GBP 33.09

Grand Total: GBP 130.35

Refund Total: £33.09

It looks like I didn't pay any tax after all as they refunded the entire deposit, I have no idea why.

The refund came through on January 10th, 2015 and the original order was placed on November 10th, 2014.

I've bought various other things from a cheese grater, a couple of pairs of jeans to a special bluetooth drawing stylus for my ipad from Amazon over the years.

I never did keep track of how much duty was charged but the refunds always follow by a few months.

The estimated delivery date was way off, it suggested that I would be waiting at least 7 or 8 days yet it arrived in about half that time.

Separately from Amazon I ordered an 'Oculus Rift DK2' virtual reality headset and I had to pay them a few thousand Baht cash on delivery when that was delivered. this was expected.

[Isan Farang]

Can you provide an example on the cost of one of the electronic devices you have purchased from Amazon, and then the cost you was charged for shipping and the pre paid duty.

Sure. I purchased 'Yeti Microphone' made by Blue Microphones, shipped to me from the US.

This one : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VA464S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

As sold by amazon themselves, cost of microphone $119

This is what amazon says about the order, note the following prices are in UK Pounds due to me using a UK Pounds based credit card and converted from USD but it will give you an idea of how it works.

I suggest that nobody ever uses Amazon UK for physical goods as the prices are much higher for everything, especially shipping.

Order Summary

Item(s) Subtotal: GBP 70.52

Shipping & Handling:GBP 26.74 (Fastest delivery option available - it took about 4/5 days from the US to Hua Hin I think), Bangkok deliveries are quicker.

Total before tax: GBP 130.35

Estimated tax to be collected: GBP 0.00

Import Fees Deposit GBP 33.09

Grand Total: GBP 130.35

Refund Total: £33.09

It looks like I didn't pay any tax after all as they refunded the entire deposit, I have no idea why.

The refund came through on January 10th, 2015 and the original order was placed on November 10th, 2014.

I've bought various other things from a cheese grater, a couple of pairs of jeans to a special bluetooth drawing stylus for my ipad from Amazon over the years.

I never did keep track of how much duty was charged but the refunds always follow by a few months.

The estimated delivery date was way off, it suggested that I would be waiting at least 7 or 8 days yet it arrived in about half that time.

Separately from Amazon I ordered an 'Oculus Rift DK2' virtual reality headset and I had to pay them a few thousand Baht cash on delivery when that was delivered. this was expected.

Thanks for the information, can I ask was the goods sent by courier or USPS express delivery (same as EMS through the post office)

[ukrules]

I'm pretty sure it was a courier although I can't remember for sure, DHL I think.

So it was DHL or UPS, either way a private courier. I have noticed that DHL will offload a package for delivery via EMS inside Thailand if you're located outside Bangkok. So the local delivery part can happen by the Thai post office but the international bit is fully trackable on the couriers website as you would expect.

[wisemonkey]

So if they do hold what I bought online hostage at the post office for some import tax, is there a rate? Also how would they know how much I paid, I am thinking specifically of getting a phone, located in hong kong, buying from Ebay is saving around $300 as opposed to buying in thailand, so a saving of around 9000 Baht, but if the post office is going to charge around this amount there would be no point to it, may as well get in thailand.

[Cheesekraft]

if you order on ebay, you can often ask the seller to write "gift" and write a low value for the item. Otherwise; customs usually charges quite a lot. I had a package ~1500 baht picked up, had to pay 610 baht. Amazon was always fine for me, you pre-pay customs and get a refund if it isn't used.