View Full Version : Shipping a computer from US to UK
So I have a friend who is visiting from the UK for a couple months, and he wants to take advantage of the much lower computer component prices over here and build himself a new desktop. Only problem is getting it back in one piece. I seem to remember reading about some of our members shipping fully built computers overseas before, so thought I'd see if any of you have any tips for that phase. Suggestions? Tips? Tricks?
slaveofconvention
10-04-2011, 12:01 AM
I suggest you have your friend take into account VAT (the UK equivalent to sales tax) - it stands at 20% and there's a good chance he'll be charged that 20% when the computer enters the UK. When we brought my wifes PC from the US to the UK, we got hit for it - in our case it was doubly annoying as the PC had been built in the UK in the first place, shipped to the US then back to the UK so we'd already paid it. We could have contested it, and would probably have gotten the money back but we never got around to it. The other main thing to bear in mind is that the PSU must be a power input switchable one - we use 240v as our main electric here, so a hardwired 110v PSU will explode rather spectacularly, probably taking the motherboard with it, if it can't be switched
xr4man
10-04-2011, 08:33 AM
ot only the voltage, but don't you guys use 50Hz rather than 60Hz? that can cause problems too.
Fuganater
10-04-2011, 08:40 AM
I took a full mid tower from Africa to the US and back. No issues. Transited through Brussles.
If its a new PSU it is no issue. All the new good ones are auto sensing of the V and Hz. They are all good 110-240v 50/60Hz. Check the label to make sure.
Cale_Hagan
10-04-2011, 12:53 PM
I suggest you have your friend take into account VAT (the UK equivalent to sales tax) - it stands at 20% and there's a good chance he'll be charged that 20% when the computer enters the UK. When we brought my wifes PC from the US to the UK, we got hit for it - in our case it was doubly annoying as the PC had been built in the UK in the first place, shipped to the US then back to the UK so we'd already paid it. We could have contested it, and would probably have gotten the money back but we never got around to it. The other main thing to bear in mind is that the PSU must be a power input switchable one - we use 240v as our main electric here, so a hardwired 110v PSU will explode rather spectacularly, probably taking the motherboard with it, if it can't be switched
epic. "a hardwired 110v PSU will explode rather spectacularly, probably taking the motherboard with it, if it can't be switched"
very possibly new sig quote, not sure yet. but epic none the less! :banana:
nevermind1534
10-04-2011, 06:29 PM
If you don't want to risk anything breaking, ship the parts separately, and maybe buy a case for it over there (shipping the case can be quite expensive).
altec
10-05-2011, 12:30 AM
If you don't want to risk anything breaking, ship the parts separately, and maybe buy a case for it over there (shipping the case can be quite expensive).
My thoughts.
I'd ship all the parts in a box with very soft foam, and anti static bags. Should do the trick.
nevermind1534
10-05-2011, 01:24 AM
My thoughts.
I'd ship all the parts in a box with very soft foam, and anti static bags. Should do the trick.
I'm not usually even that careful when I ship. I put the parts (in retail packaging) in the box and recycle whatever materials I have laying around. I found that newspaper, if used correctly, can be a very lightweight, effective packing material, though.
Twigsoffury
10-05-2011, 11:51 AM
these things are like 60 cents a piece.
http://trycold.com/img/instapak-quick-rt.jpg
just crunch and pack.
Hmmm, I've never actually seen those anywhere besides boxes with stuff packed in. What are they called and where would one find them?
Twigsoffury
10-05-2011, 12:11 PM
Hmmm, I've never actually seen those anywhere besides boxes with stuff packed in. What are they called and where would one find them?
Office depot sells 'em
hell i dunno the exact name of them either.
i'd check amazon.com, but something tells me you gotta buy a whole set box of them, and not individiuals like office depot does.
SXRguyinMA
10-05-2011, 12:38 PM
a can of expanding spray foam and a trash bag, make your own :)
Kayin
10-07-2011, 06:03 PM
I make cases for custom instruments that way. Works real well.
As may be evident from my lack of presence on the boards..period...the last few weeks, stuff's crazy at work; just haven't had much time to catch up on threads. Tomorrow's gonna be my second day off in...four weeks?...and most of those were 10-12 hour days? :dead:
Anyways, after talking things over with the guy he's apparently found a loophole in VAT law that if you're bringing something in for your own personal use, and each item is worth less than 400BPS, no VAT. So if he does end up buying the components over here he's going to test them in one of my spare cases and then repack them and take them over as components. No single component will be worth more than 400BPS, so should be good. ;)
artoodeeto
10-10-2011, 12:05 PM
a can of expanding spray foam and a trash bag, make your own :)
oooh....that could be useful. Any idea how much pressure the expanding foam puts on whatever it's expanding on? I'd hate to go this route on something only to have the foam push too hard and break it...
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