Is this plan foolproof?

DVD-Man

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I want to purchase 2 mobile phones, they retail for 339 gbp each here but can be had in the US for 390 gbp for both!

I plan on using a personal shopper service to buy and get the items delivered to a US address and then forward them onto me. There would be fees for this but probably work out about 50-60 gbp.

Cons are there is no guarantee on the handsets when you take them out the region and they won't work with 4G here.

I'm not too fussed about 4gG as my sim omly contract doesn't allow it and I get by with 3G between home and work.

With regards to the lack of warranty I could use insurance against at least one of the handsets and then just be hopeful that there's no more shoddy build quality.


Does anyone see or forsee anything wrong in my quest for savings?
 
Items from the USA are notoriously the worst for getting pulled for duty/VAT.
 
Items from the USA are notoriously the worst for getting pulled for duty/VAT.
Aye, I would hope the parcel could be sent on as a gift or something but understand the nedd for appropriate insurance which means declaring the correct goods.
 
4g will work on almost all the networks fully. ee is one of the spotty ones, because of what bands it uses, but then it will just fall back to 3g. I've done the same thing but had someone buy it in person, saved a ton of cash.
 
I wonder how US security would view two mobile phones that aren't switched on and with no SIM card inserted, being air-freighted to the UK?
 
As long as the box is still sealed I can't see it being a problem. Think how many mobile phones Apple ship from China....
 
As long as the box is still sealed I can't see it being a problem. Think how many mobile phones Apple ship from China....
Yes but they will have traceability. These will be two phones that have been handled, sold, moved about and traceability will be lost. And they will only know that the box hasn't been opened, by opening the package. The unopened box will then reveal two phones which are being sent to the UK with no hint of VAT or other customs charges being paid.
 
I wonder how US security would view two mobile phones that aren't switched on and with no SIM card inserted, being air-freighted to the UK?


They have no problem with them, the only time they need to be turned on is if they are in your hand luggage.
 
It soudns like as long as you don't get silly trying to avoid VAT/duty and the bands aren't a problem then it should be OK.
 
What would the potential VAT hit be roughly £100.00 plus the customs handling charge, who knows tbd? Either way it will be less than buying 2 handsets in the UK but maybe not a big of a difference if you don't get pulled at random.
 
By the time you add potentially cost for the person buying them, shipping them, VAT and customs etc - I doubt you'll be much better off over all.
 

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