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Going abroad to buy a PC

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January 5, 2012 10:29:46 PM

Hey guys. So recently my girlfriend tasked me with building her a gaming PC. She lives in norway so i had a look at their dealers and tried to build something together. Now i knew from the get-go that stuff is really expensive over there, but after comparing their prices to stuff over in the UK i found it would be £350 pounds cheaper to buy it here. Considering a return from norway only costs about 50 pounds i thought it'd be a good idea for her to come visit me and we could buy and build it here.

An issue that i have though would be paying customs at the airport. Now obviously if she rolled in with a suitcase full of chipsets and components, im guessing they'd charge her. But if i built the entire system in the UK, and basically just sent her with a full computer(minus monitor), would they then want to charge her? I mean logically it should be fine, since people take and buy laptops abroad all the time without issue, and a PC is basically just a large laptop. But then logic has never stopped the government from getting its due.

So has anyone had any general experience with going abroad to buy stuff, or taking PCs through the airport? Obviously what applies in one country wont always hold true for another, but any advice on the issue would be appreciated. Thanks.

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January 5, 2012 11:35:49 PM

Elessar_Dan said:
Hey guys. So recently my girlfriend tasked me with building her a gaming PC. She lives in norway so i had a look at their dealers and tried to build something together. Now i knew from the get-go that stuff is really expensive over there, but after comparing their prices to stuff over in the UK i found it would be £350 pounds cheaper to buy it here. Considering a return from norway only costs about 50 pounds i thought it'd be a good idea for her to come visit me and we could buy and build it here.

An issue that i have though would be paying customs at the airport. Now obviously if she rolled in with a suitcase full of chipsets and components, im guessing they'd charge her. But if i built the entire system in the UK, and basically just sent her with a full computer(minus monitor), would they then want to charge her? I mean logically it should be fine, since people take and buy laptops abroad all the time without issue, and a PC is basically just a large laptop. But then logic has never stopped the government from getting its due.

So has anyone had any general experience with going abroad to buy stuff, or taking PCs through the airport? Obviously what applies in one country wont always hold true for another, but any advice on the issue would be appreciated. Thanks.


Hi :) 

Its not taking it out that will be the problem, its getting it IN to Norway,,,all countries charge import duties on NEW items and some on second hand items (although generally less)

Get her to ring her local customs or tax office and ask what rate of import duty will apply to a new or second hand computer....

Norway is not in the EU , thankfully for you or you would be adding VAT to that import duty....

Hope this helps :) 

All the best Brett :) 
January 6, 2012 12:06:44 AM

Since all of the items will be taken out of their original package and will be used for a couple of days, im assuming the computer would count as second hand, since its used merchandise.
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January 6, 2012 12:18:53 AM

Elessar_Dan said:
Since all of the items will be taken out of their original package and will be used for a couple of days, im assuming the computer would count as second hand, since its used merchandise.


Hi :) 

Umm yes but customs officials are not stupid....they will have seen that trick 1000 times and you could get the lot confiscated for lying on the customs declaration.....

All the best Brett :) 
January 6, 2012 6:08:18 AM



Proof of VAT having already been paid in an EU country would get it as far as Sweden and a land border is easier to cross than the borders drawn in airports. :D 


January 6, 2012 10:46:23 AM

HMMMM not one to be sneaky, cough cough, but personally i think you would be better off sending it a component at a time via air mail, but yes you could just build a small micro atx system and shove it in a suite case and try that, but be sure to have used the system first, for example put some personal photos on it and other such personal stuff so as to make it look used.

If they catch you, plead ignorance, as at the most you will just have to pay import duty on it.

PS, i recently built a gaming system for a friend in Denmark (Im in the UK), he flew over here, had a small holiday and flew back and he reckons he still saved in the region of £300 !
January 6, 2012 11:50:00 AM

A guy I used to know back in the late 80's used to have a nice little trick for getting bikes imported from the USA. This was back in the innovative days, he had the first MTB suspension forks I'd ever seen and stuff from the boutique brands.

His process..

1. Buy or get given an old MTB.
2. Put MTB in dedicated bike bag and ensure airline knows you will need the luggage checked in.
3. Fly out with old bike
4. Give old bike to nearest kid spotted outside of Airport
5. Buy new bike, ride it round for a couple of days to get it a bit muddy
6. Fly back with new bike in bike bag.

On return to the UK he had an audit trail to show him taking the bike out of the country and returning with it, the fact that the one going out cost £5 and the one comming back £5000 doesn't matter to them, a bike is a bike. Other than an X-Ray to check the tubes were not stuffed with Bolivian marching powder he used to sail straight through.

I'm old enough to remember when our demo systems were on old Sparc Station machines and we used to fly them all over the world for trade shows. We had them in Samsonite style cases with padding and none of the guys who had to carry them ever had an issue. If it was me going back to Norway with a new rig then just tell them you went to a Lan Party - bonus marks for having a picture of said party as desktop background on phone and PC.

January 6, 2012 11:58:03 AM



On that basis I'd just be inclined to stroll into another country with a PC in my baggage and challenge them to stop and charge duty on anyone carrying a laptop. What's the difference, in reality?

Does any country's customs outfit keep a record to ensure every laptop taken in is later taken back out?

January 6, 2012 2:47:31 PM

Anyone got any advice on packaging? Ideally id want to just assemble the whole thing and put it in a suit case with some clothing for padding on the outside, and fill it with foam peanuts on the inside. But im somewhat worried about rattling and vibrating damaging parts that are attached to the motherboard. Im thinking of maybe taking off the GPU and RAM, and putting them in their original packaging, and then leaving the motherboard with the CPU bolted to the case. But i have no experience with this, what do you guys think?
January 6, 2012 5:15:19 PM



If it's put together properly, it won't need any internal bracing except maybe a polystyrene block on the heatsink that's big enough to go all the way to the casing.

Is this to be cabin baggage or will it go in the hold? It gets pretty cold six miles up there in the luggage hold. If you don't ferry it to Sweden and cross the border by car, it's preferable to ship it by freight where it's more likely to be handled professionally by the loaders than the animals who handle baggage.

January 6, 2012 6:37:58 PM

Well the idea is for it to go in the hold. It would be far too big and heavy to go as cabin baggage( http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/331897-13-gaming-%C... This is the full build specs, and my tower with similar components and case weighs in at 18Kg).

Im really hesitant about shipping it by freight since I think they'd be very likely to charge duty on it, which would undermine the whole point of buying it in england rather than norway. Plus a rough estimate on price based on UPS website shows im looking at around £150 shipping, considering she can get a return ticket with extra luggage allowance for around £90 i dont think thats a great option.

Is the temperature gonna be an issue? I mean I heard electrostatic damage might be an issue, so ive factored in some static bags, but i didnt think cold would matter.
January 6, 2012 6:44:50 PM



A dry cold shouldn't harm it but I've known laptops never to work again after a night in a car boot (trunk) in cold, damp weather.


January 6, 2012 7:27:57 PM

Here is something that will most definitely help

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreat...

Easy steps:

1. Basically your gf buys the components from England ( and asks for a VAT refund cheque or doesn't pay VAT at the store; depends of which store and what their policy is) when she visits you therefor you're 350 pounds lighter.
2. If she got the VAT cheque then when she gets to customs they'll stamp the form and she can cash the VAT she paid bringing your savings to 350 pounds + VAT
2.1 If she didn't pay VAT in the first place then you're already 350 pounds + VAT ahead.

As for shipping, it's best to send the bundled boxes together in a package then to assembling it. There's a high chance something will break inside the PC (GPU breaking from the motherboard or the heatsink breaking off)
January 6, 2012 7:29:15 PM


The coolmaster case looks like it should fit in a large samsonite case with little issue and leave enough room for packing with some soft clothing. It might be worth sticking a couple of the silica gel packs that come with the parts in the case when you build it and take them out before you boot in Norway. I'd also suggest leaving the machine for a good few hours once you get it indoors to reach room temperature.
January 6, 2012 7:31:24 PM

SpadeM said:
Here is something that will most definitely help

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreat...

Easy steps:

1. Basically your gf buys the components from England ( and asks for a VAT refund cheque or doesn't pay VAT at the store; depends of which store and what their policy is) when she visits you therefor you're 350 pounds lighter.
2. If she got the VAT cheque then when she gets to customs they'll stamp the form and she can cash the VAT she paid bringing your savings to 350 pounds + VAT
2.1 If she didn't pay VAT in the first place then you're already 350 pounds + VAT ahead.


Hi :) 

Oops thats all wrong....Norway is NOT a member of the EU..therfore she WILL pay VAT when she buys the parts but CANNOT reclaim it as no VAT office to claim back from in Norway...

All the best Brett :) 
January 6, 2012 7:41:23 PM

No actually Brett, because norway is not in th EU it doesnt pay VAT.

'Visitors to Ireland from outside the European Union (EU) can buy goods in Ireland to take home with them and benefit from tax relief'

This is absolutely great news, because if she gets a VAT rebate then the total saving is about £500.
January 6, 2012 7:47:32 PM

Elessar_Dan said:
No actually Brett, because norway is not in th EU it doesnt pay VAT.

'Visitors to Ireland from outside the European Union (EU) can buy goods in Ireland to take home with them and benefit from tax relief'

This is absolutely great news, because if she gets a VAT rebate then the total saving is about £500.


Actually you don't need a VAT office to stamp your cheque, that gets done at the border crossing basically, by the customs officer and he's required by law to do it. I do this quite frequently in Romania since our prices are **** compared to other countries so i ask a friend who's serb to buy stuff using his id and then get at least the VAT back.
January 6, 2012 7:50:37 PM

So basically, she pays VAT when she's here in britain, gets a receipt from scan, then when she's going home the british customs officer at the airport gives her some form of proof that she's taken the goods out of the EU, she then mails the proof back to scan who give her a refund of the VAT?
January 6, 2012 7:54:27 PM

Elessar_Dan said:
So basically, she pays VAT when she's here in britain, gets a receipt from scan, then when she's going home the british customs officer at the airport gives her some form of proof that she's taken the goods out of the EU, she then mails the proof back to scan who give her a refund of the VAT?


Hi :) 

This doesnt depend on Uk VAT law...it depends on Norwegian import duty law.....which none of us know enough about....

Get HER to ask at her NORWEGIAN tax office.... its the only way to know for sure...

All the best Brett :) 
January 6, 2012 7:58:27 PM

Brett928S2 said:
Hi :) 

This doesnt depend on Uk VAT law...it depends on Norwegian import duty law.....which none of us know enough about....

Get HER to ask at her NORWEGIAN tax office.... its the only way to know for sure...

All the best Brett :) 


Well based on the link spadeM gave us all of this is handled by Ireland. Ireland charges VAT, its irish customs that will stamp her on the way out and its Irish business that then give her her VAT back. Logically in my case this would translate to British VAT law doing everything else. As far as i can see Norwegian import duty law doesn't have a say in the matter of VAT. Of course there is still the issue of Norway charging her import duty once she arrives with the goods.

But yeah, a call to the norwegian customs office is definitely in order.
January 6, 2012 9:10:06 PM

Elessar_Dan said:
So basically, she pays VAT when she's here in britain, gets a receipt from scan, then when she's going home the british customs officer at the airport gives her some form of proof that she's taken the goods out of the EU, she then mails the proof back to scan who give her a refund of the VAT?


The store from which you bought all the stuff pays u back ... my serb friend bought a nikon D90 in london 1 year ago and when he came back home he sent the stamped document back to the shop and they sent him the money for it. Usually not all shops do that, as in give you the tax refund papers (mostly in estern Europe) but the major retailers do it and also most shops in western Europe.

As for the import tax that she'll pay, you can find that out on Norway's customs website or finance ministry (that's the case for my country). But as a previous poster wrote, you could actually skip that if it went to Sweden first and then cross the border to Norway by car (no one checks your luggage).
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