Sending mobile phones to the Philippines

[Northerner]

Hi everyone,

Today I went to send a parcel to Rizza via DHL through a store I am familiar with in Manchester. But when I listed the items in the box the guy in the store looked puzzled and flicked through his DHL manual. Seems the Philippine customs might seize the two mobile phones I am planning to send.

I was sending an old iPhone 2G and a cheap Samsung for Rizza's brother (as well as a few clothing items).

But would this package get seized?

[mistermatty]

well they will get hit with a large customs fee ...that i am sure of ...

[Northerner]

well they will get hit with a large customs fee ...that i am sure of ...

I listed the whole package as being about £210 in cost, given that it is all second hand (except the clothing items from primark) that figure is about right, so VAT should be based upon the 15,000 pesos it is valued at, surely

[stevewool]

i did just what you did , the story goes, sent some papers and this cheap mobile phone worthless to me , paid and off it went to dhl, came back next day stating that i did not say what it was worth, away it went again saying its worth £10 emma got it but before she could collect it had to pay tax on it so all in all the phone that was worthless cost us nearly £40 beware

[Northerner]

i did just what you did , the story goes, sent some papers and this cheap mobile phone worthless to me , paid and off it went to dhl, came back next day stating that i did not say what it was worth, away it went again saying its worth £10 emma got it but before she could collect it had to pay tax on it so all in all the phone that was worthless cost us nearly £40 beware

You mean they charged £30 for a £10 phone? a 300% charge? Or was that including DHL costs? I have listed these phones as being worth £200 all in all, I could not afford a 300% tax dump on that.

[stevie c]

i did just what you did , the story goes, sent some papers and this cheap mobile phone worthless to me , paid and off it went to dhl, came back next day stating that i did not say what it was worth, away it went again saying its worth £10 emma got it but before she could collect it had to pay tax on it so all in all the phone that was worthless cost us nearly £40 beware

Thanks stevewool for the information i was going to send two mobile phones to florsel but will not do so know at them charges im best wait until i go there in september then take them myself

[stevewool]

to right mate its not just us paying here florsel will have to pay tax too, the anoying thing is that it was a old crap phone

[Northerner]

I don't mind paying say another £30-£50 but really don't want to pay for some crazy fee, I can cancel it as I know the guys in the shop and they've not put it through yet, but I would rather get this parcel over there - even if I have to send it via balikbayan..

[stevie c]

yes mate its a rip off im going to make a balikbayan box up & send may items works out cheaper that way buy stuff from bootsales primark also coffee chocolate things like dat only works £70 per box thats door to door

[stevewool]

have you thought about giving money instead , just a thought

[stevie c]

i have but theres many things here that she cant get thewre in the phils will also send a box or 2 every year when she is here with me

[Northerner]

Just been checking balikbayan and there is no guarantee to get off on paying taxes.. I think I need to find out how much those pirates are going to cost me...

[stevie c]

but they dont check what is in the boxes my friend has sent many items balikbayan mobile phones cameras food all sorts & never has had a problem & no extra charge

[somebody]

I do remeber reading on a website of a company which delivered to Phill a special fee they would add to pay for the tax at the time it was 1000 pesos which was a tenner. The company seems to have gone now.

Do remeber things you send with fedex or dhl will of course all be done as normal. I doubt they really know or care to much about bablikyan boxes.

As Steve said people seem to be put almost what they like as long as legal in the box and it is ok although of course it takes quite a while to ship and arrive. plus so many people I know seem to have had all their boxes lost at sea at one time or another!!!

[Northerner]

Took the samsung cheapo phone out of the package and listed an ipod touch. Unless they take off the hard plastic case or turn it on, there is no way to tell..

So fingers crossed it gets through untouched

[JimOttley]

Took the samsung cheapo phone out of the package and listed an ipod touch. Unless they take off the hard plastic case or turn it on, there is no way to tell..

So fingers crossed it gets through untouched

Taking a chance Sean, well known that anything of value has trouble being delivered in the Phils.

We used to have trouble just sending replacement pre-configured hard drives for a Novell server, I mean this was stuff that was going to help keep a large major electronics manufacturer running in Batangas, without the drive the factory was going to come to halt!!!

For stuff like cellphones you can get good cheap ones anywhere in the Phils a lot cheaper, ok not an iPhone, I would have saved that for your next visit over there and put up with something simple bought with cash sent.


Jim

[fred]

I dont know much about phones as I`m one of the few these days that doesn't own one..
We just bought my eldest a brand new bog standard Nokia for him to use whilst he is here..
I think it cost 1,250 Pesos.. We bought it as we had some trouble getting his ericson pay as u go unlocked.
If they could have unlocked it,that would have cost around 300 P.

[Sim11UK]

I can't really see the point in sending things like mobile phones & wondering, 'will they, or wont they get there'?

Just so much easier to get one there.