We Are Still Doing The Boards+Population In The Usa, But It Looks Like

[Dead1nside]

I don't mind the team assembling them, if anything it's probably better. I just hope the Chinese case factory are finally on track, I'd like to hear something with regards to this.

 

[Vorporeal]

I believe they don't have to pay customs from Texas to the UK because the device is for sale later, and it's part of the manufacturing process, at least I seem to remember that being mentioned.

that's what I was saying, so if they mail each individual Pandora to US customers, the talk before the Texas assembly was that they might get a customs fee when entering, unless they had them shipped back to the US from the UK all together for shipment. Also it was mentioned that the customs fee could be a rather high percentage, I don't remember what exactly just that it was possibly as much as $150. No one ever really determined how likely it was for this to happen and I don't recall any of the team making any comments at all. Which is why I would appreciate if Craig or ED could comment on if they know if anyone has ever gotten this fee when they have sent a device, IF they have shipped to the US before.

Alright dude, time to chill. First, it's highly unlikely that customs fees would be 50% of the cost of the device. Fees that high were mentioned for places like Brazil - not for the US. I'm pretty sure US Customs is pretty reasonable when it comes to this kind of stuff. Also, if you're really that worried, try doing some research. Don't just whine on here and make these massive paragraphs filled with terrible English (I mean come on, you're an American, at least do the language some justice) and practically no punctuation. Google something like "US import fees consumer electronics" and see what you find.

 

[Poem58]

I believe they don't have to pay customs from Texas to the UK because the device is for sale later, and it's part of the manufacturing process, at least I seem to remember that being mentioned.

that's what I was saying, so if they mail each individual Pandora to US customers, the talk before the Texas assembly was that they might get a customs fee when entering, unless they had them shipped back to the US from the UK all together for shipment. Also it was mentioned that the customs fee could be a rather high percentage, I don't remember what exactly just that it was possibly as much as $150. No one ever really determined how likely it was for this to happen and I don't recall any of the team making any comments at all. Which is why I would appreciate if Craig or ED could comment on if they know if anyone has ever gotten this fee when they have sent a device, IF they have shipped to the US before.

Alright dude, time to chill. First, it's highly unlikely that customs fees would be 50% of the cost of the device. Fees that high were mentioned for places like Brazil - not for the US. I'm pretty sure US Customs is pretty reasonable when it comes to this kind of stuff. Also, if you're really that worried, try doing some research. Don't just whine on here and make these massive paragraphs filled with terrible English (I mean come on, you're an American, at least do the language some justice) and practically no punctuation. Google something like "US import fees consumer electronics" and see what you find.

there's nothing wrong with my English, so whatever. None of us here are trying to impress an English teacher or get an "A" on our essay. I tired doing research and cannot find the answers not definitive ones. There is too much mumbo jumbo and legal-eese. If you have nothing useful to add, then don't. I have a valid concern seeing as I have been laid off AGAIN. I am only repeating what had been said a long time ago. $150 is not 50% but very high. sorry if you have no concerns, but regardless of the situation even if it is $30 or $50 it's still something I was told would not be an issue nearly a year ago and now is again. I'm not asking for more than does anyone know. If all you have is some unwarranted attack on my typing skills, then I am glad things are so great in your life that you have no concerns. I however do, and the one thing I don't understand is why ever since I have joined into this project and ask a question, I'm usually greeted with some reason I asked wrong, now use English bad or whatever. I was told I couldn't read because I just couldn't understand S-video ONLY meant no composite on the TV-out cable. Hmmm. Seems there was one and I wasn't so wrong for asking.
I emailed OP and Jackie said she had no idea. So that leaves me to ask here. My recollection was that there wasn't anyone from Brazil asking about customs fee's to the U.S. and making them in Texas couldn't possibly have solved that for them. If you want better punctuation, you are welcome to buy me a new keyboard, I have a Acer Aspire 5100 laptop with super glued keys from where the cheap plastic underneath the keys broke. They don't always work. Sorry if my questions are invalid because my only computer has bad keys.

I don't see how that helps me here. I'm also sorry that I have only the information I received here in these forums to go on and the inconclusive discussion didn't answer my questions.
from now on, I'll guess I'll run my concerns past you first and you can answer me, and I just won't post anymore.

actually I won't be posting anymore, after all I followed you advice and Googled "US Import fees consumer electronics and got the following which of course was said before and gives no definite answer, but makes it simple. I have to cancel. since this is the most information anyone is willing to give.

The following from U.S. Customs and Border Protections:

Your great auction purchase of gorgeous linen products? Depending upon the country of origin, quota restrictions could hold them up in CBP for a long time. And storage charges in such cases can be expensive.

"In other words, "Buyer, Beware." When you buy goods from foreign sources, you become the importer. And it is the importer - in this case, YOU - who is responsible for assuring that the goods comply with a variety of both state and federal government import regulations. Importing goods that are unsafe, that fail to meet health code requirements, or that violate quota restrictions could end up costing you quite a bit of money in fines and penalties. At the very least, such goods would be detained, and possibly destroyed, by CBP.

Knowing what is admissible is just part of the story. The other part is knowing how to import. Depending upon what you are importing and its value, the procedures can be very complicated.

It does not matter whether you bought the item from an established business or from an individual selling items in an on-line auction. If merchandise, used or new, is imported into the United States, it must clear CBP and may be subject to the payment of duty as well as to whatever rules and regulations govern the importation of that particular product into the United States."

So as you see just as in the thread last year this doesn't exactly answer anything, like what goods, or how much. Just "you better know what you are doing"

I don't so I quit. I don't know what else to do, I haven't imported and I'm not the type who takes risks. I just wanted a Pandora.

Nice meeting a lot of you. Sorry but I won't be following if I cancel as it would make me a bit unhappy to see the Pandora joy I will obviously be missing out on.

 

[gruso]

This is a device being sold out of the UK, and always was! No official information has changed. Direct shipping to Americans from Texas was always a maybe, and I'm guessing the reason we didn't have a definitive answer on it was that it was a legal grey area. Don't let some website freak you out with regulation speak. Millions of individuals buy things from all over the world every day. You don't have to worry about compliance issues, that's what CE is for.

This thread contains good information for US orderers:

http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/52282-international-gbax-orders/

 

[Monk]

I tired doing research and cannot find the answers not definitive ones.

There's a reason for this. There is no definitive answer to give. There are plenty of examples of people who have never paid any import fees, and also stories of people who HAVE. It depends on numerous variables which, as an chaortician will tell you, makes the whole system impossible to predict. Some of those variables may be fairly predictable - like using couriers who are well known for charging import fees whether you have already paid them or not - and some of them are completely unpredictable, like whether the customs officer on duty the day your parcel sails by decides to stop it and check the contents, or not.

Once you have the human factor in there, there's really no way you can predict how it's going to go - at least not sensibly. It doesn't REALLY matter if someone can produce a printout from The Internet showing that Pandora should be excluded because of this, or because of that, or the other. They might help you get your money back, or help in a protracted fight to avoid paying, but in the short term if you want your goods the customs officials (and/or any courier who wants to take on that duty) pretty much have you by the short and curlies.

Now - if YOU have imported stuff from abroad before then you also have anecdotal evidence about how often parcels get stopped and opened. Have you ever been charged? Have you ever received a packet which has been opened by customs to check the contents? And so on - if customs have never bothered you before, how similar in size and weight to the Pandora have the packages been?

Finally - something no-one here can answer, and only OpenPandora could POSSIBLY answer (though I doubt they even know themselves) would be how OpenPandora will document your parcel. If they document it as the type of product which falls under an exclusion rules then your chances improve. If they document it under something which attracts import duty then you're likely screwed, and if they try to defraud the US government then run like heck to that "Cancel Order" button (IMHO). If they just address it to you and don't fill in any extra paperwork - I've no idea!

This forum can be a PITA, but when there is a lot of heat on a specific topic - like US import duties - and no solid clear resolution, that's not usually because the forum isn't trying to be helpful - it's usually because there isn't a definite answer. Only a lot of theories

 

[wermy]

This site seems useful:
http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/bychapter/
Of particular interest is chapter 95, which talks about video games (that is, if they classify it as a video game):
http://www.usitc.gov/publications/docs/tata/hts/bychapter/1000C95.pdf
Does anyone else who might have more meaningful insight than me want to take a look?

 

[Tokiopop]

there's nothing wrong with my English, so whatever. None of us here are trying to impress an English teacher or get an "A" on our essay.

No but we do like to be easily able to read long posts

No offence.

 

[Poem58]

Gruso, Monk, Wermy thank you. I'm sorry, I'm just a little stressed. It's hard enough using this crappy keyboard, and I always held Vorporeal's comments in high regard and just took it a bit strong. I know things aren't a definite which is why I asked if maybe Craig had ever had a customer say "Hey what the heck I got this charge" or something. I guess with all the wait and life, it's just stress ya know!? And the whole calm down and the English and punctuation thing, it just set me off. any of you who are married know just how hard it is to keep your significant other from thinking you got ripped off and everything. now if I get some huge fee on top of it (I know $150 was extreme but memory and an old email to OP suggests this was a real guessed figure form someone). i don't for anything want to give up my Pandora, I was just fishing for some reassurance that if it had a fee it couldn't be that high. Or shouldn't be a problem.

I can't imagine I'm the only person who ordered from the U.S. who is concerned about what this could mean. That information I quoted directly from customs itself suggests if I don't know about the process, It could cost a lot of money or even the Pandora. I have only ordered 1 item EVER from out of the U.S. and it was a GBA flashcart. I had no customs fee or anything. Which is why I got spooked. I didn't even know that was something I needed to worry about until that thread last year as my last email at that time from OP said to sit back and wait for my Pandora to ship, so I had no way of knowing it was even an issue. Yeah texas shipping wasn't for sure. As a matter of fact Jackie said she couldn't verify for at least 2 more weeks and then 2 weeks later, this revelation that it was to be assembled in the U.K. It's fine if no one knows but I have a hard time that with this many people we can't get a good idea of what's likely to happen. There is a lot of people here who have ordered things from out of the country way more times than I have.

I'm sorry if people cannot understand that it is important for me to figure this out to at least some degree of certainty of what to expect. Maybe it's best if I do back out. I never thought those words would type (poorly) off my fingers...
But thanks for the links I will check them out and see if I can get a reassurance in some way before Jackie sends instructions for refund. I really don't want to do it.

 

[Poem58]

there's nothing wrong with my English, so whatever. None of us here are trying to impress an English teacher or get an "A" on our essay.

No but we do like to be easily able to read long posts

No offence.

OK. Sorry, but fair is fair. Do you mean:

No, but we do like to be easily able to read long posts.

No offense.

 

[gruso]

Here's an interesting article.

Notebooks, netbooks and similar computing devices that weigh under 10 kilograms are duty free.

http://import-export.suite101.com/article.cfm/imported-computer-notebook-and-netbook-sales

Again, this is just information from The Internet so I don't expect it to be gospel. The article seems to focus on things crossing the US/Canada border so I'm not sure.

If people are Googling for this kind of information, I'd suggest searching for computer/netbook import duties. It seems to be better defined than gaming handhelds, and there is certainly no reason that Pandora could not be declared as a netbook.

[edit] oops, better add the link. :lol:

 

[Poem58]

Here's an interesting article.

Notebooks, netbooks and similar computing devices that weigh under 10 kilograms are duty free.

http://import-export...d-netbook-sales

Again, this is just information from The Internet so I don't expect it to be gospel. The article seems to focus on things crossing the US/Canada border so I'm not sure.

If people are Googling for this kind of information, I'd suggest searching for computer/netbook import duties. It seems to be better defined than gaming handhelds, and there is certainly no reason that Pandora could not be declared as a netbook.

[edit] oops, better add the link. :lol:

See now we are getting somewhere, wermy's second link lists video games and suggests that less than 2 items are free. If I'm reading that right. Good point about Pandora being a netbook. Weren't we jokingly trying to classify it awhile back? I think I suggested calling it a PocketBook. For pocketable netbook.

This really is a learning process for me. Maybe we'll dig up some good info this way. Thanks again guys. I'm already starting to feel better!

Edit: That netbook article doesn't seem to have much to do with importing aside from comparing importing and exporting amounts. Doesn't help much about personal importing.

Edit: ooops read again, and saw the duties comment. That's encouraging especially with wermy's second link.It now seems likely there won't be a customs fee. That wasn't so hard. I wonder why that wasn't as likely a year ago, I think the whole Texas assembly idea stopped it bofre the right info came to light. unless I see otherwise, I'm going to assume it's Ok then and happily go back to waiting for my Panda. Thanks guys.

 

[paddy]

I used to work on three large production lines for ibm and lees food factory ,i recon i could
do about 50 Pandora's an hour after mabe 3 hours build up .. send them to me or get me a
ticket down to craigs production line.

Paddy

a pandora a minute i recon ... not kidding guys

 

[MrBlais]

No shit! Fly me over there and I'll help build the full first batch free of charge (Of course, I just want my Pandora when I leave).

 

[WizardStan]

Here's an interesting article.

Notebooks, netbooks and similar computing devices that weigh under 10 kilograms are duty free.

I'm trying to picture a 10 kilo netbook.

 

[Edy]

Let's get ready for this. Now is the time.

Somebody needs to logisticize stuff like trucks for transporting the parts to Craig's garage assembly line and arranging flight tickets and configuring EvilDragon's alarm clock. I mean, somebody with a knack for it. The actual trip to UK to assemble the Pandoras will develop into a Guy Ritchie movie plot where everything is so complex and intertwined that the Pandoras are only likely to disassemble even further, or the completed units end up in the van of some slick criminal who's never heard from again. With forgiving music in the background. EvilDragon's luggage is certain to get lost in transit, probably accidentally sent to Bermuda or Atlantis, and his passport gets stolen. The OP team could go for a drinking spree and play some Mario Kart that turns into a fight, in the end Craig proceeds to collect everyone's order number. EvilDragon ends up as a hobo in a foreign country. Powered by Craig's optimism, estimates are pushed forward the standard quantity.

I mean... It's just assembly. Right? What could possibly go wrong?

It's going to be absolutely sensational!

I can see a movie about the Pandora's history, just like "Pirates of Sillicon Valley" (IMDB entry).
Featuring real footage from the old Village's live webcam.

 

[Mjlink]

there's nothing wrong with my English, so whatever. None of us here are trying to impress an English teacher or get an "A" on our essay.

No but we do like to be easily able to read long posts

No offence.

OK. Sorry, but fair is fair. Do you mean:

No, but we do like to be easily able to read long posts.

No offense.

I find you a tough read bro. Just being honest here, I skip your posts, lack structure, transition, etc.

Not trying to be a dick.

Peace & Mango,

Link

EDIT: On topic: I've imported a lot of $300-$500 Minidisc recorders from Japan and never had any customs issues. I've also shipped in excess of $10,000 of mindisc recorders overseas or to Canada and never had any complaints through Ebay. Most transactions were under $300, no complaints from my customers.

 

[Vorporeal]

Here's an interesting article.

Notebooks, netbooks and similar computing devices that weigh under 10 kilograms are duty free.

http://import-export.suite101.com/article.cfm/imported-computer-notebook-and-netbook-sales

Again, this is just information from The Internet so I don't expect it to be gospel. The article seems to focus on things crossing the US/Canada border so I'm not sure.

If people are Googling for this kind of information, I'd suggest searching for computer/netbook import duties. It seems to be better defined than gaming handhelds, and there is certainly no reason that Pandora could not be declared as a netbook.

[edit] oops, better add the link. :lol:

I was doing some research into customs and I came across a bunch of US/Canada stuff as well - it seems to all be related to NAFTA, the "North American Free Trade Agreement". For that reason, things could be quite different when coming from the UK/EU.

@Poem: I'm sorry for being so harsh - today was a really bad day for me (lots of work followed by my CS department account (I'm a student) getting mysteriously deleted). The problem with finding stuff out about imports/exports is that it doesn't seem to be very well defined - to an extent, it seems like import fees are up to the customs agent who handles your package. If you want some good (and probably trustworthy information), you might want to consider going to the local post office (USPS) or UPS store and ask the people working there if they can answer your questions. Outside of the USCBP (Customs and Border Protection), postal workers are your best sources for shipping-related information, including imports and exports. I did a decent amount of research online to see if I could answer your question, but didn't find anything of significance. Most of what I found was US/Canada (NAFTA) related, and therefore probably isn't a good benchmark for what to expect with imports from the UK.

(It does help though to make an attempt at formatting posts decently - if people can't easily read what you wrote, they're more likely to skip over it or take it less seriously. Humans base their actions off things like perceived intelligence and literacy frequently (sadly), even if it is purely subconscious.)

 

[Rathum]

According to the HKTDC, there's no import duty on personal computers.

May have to pay a processing fee because it's valued at over $200, but I would think that would be included in the shipping.

 

[Mjlink]

According to the HKTDC, there's no import duty on personal computers.

May have to pay a processing fee because it's valued at over $200, but I would think that would be included in the shipping.

Love the logic, but the UK doesn't control China, those commie Pinkos have been on their own for some time now. If we were talking Dingoo's, you'd be the bullseye.

Peace & vaporized hash oil,

Link

edit: typo

 

[Rathum]

According to the HKTDC, there's no import duty on personal computers.

May have to pay a processing fee because it's valued at over $200, but I would think that would be included in the shipping.

Love the logic, but the UK doesn't control China, those commie Pinkos have been on their own for some time now. If we were talking Dingoo's, you'd be the bullseye.

Peace & vaporized hash oil,

Link

edit: typo

That was... odd.

HKTDC gives advice on import duties to/from various countries on their forums. Also, HTS subheading 8471 says computers under 10 kg are free, as others have said.