" To Lug or not to Lug "...a PC from the US to UK

Heyhey guys...

Thanks to all of you for making this site , an indespensible tool for better living...in the UK and in general )))

Ok, i have read several  posts about the plus and minus of bringing your home PC to the UK.
Well what i am certain of is that you can buy a decent computer (atleast a P3 with dvd drive...without the basic software ) for around $200.00 plus tax ( thats 100sterling and some change) And with the minature towers they have these days its easy to fit it in your luggage and pretty light too..granted you must pack nicley and in a different box so as to avoid suspision of it being new.

Ofcourse the bottom line is the bottom dollar and i feel it would still be cheaper to buy an adapter/voltage regulator in the UK than pay 300-400 sterling for the same computer.

I am in the California right now and will be back in London in a couple weeks..ive read the posts regarding VAT and how to pack it...but it seems a remote possibility that i will get nabbed with VAT .

The other choice would be to buy a home PC via  US ebay...but i reckon if you are getting a PC via Royal Mail then chances are high you would be charged VAT.

If anyone is more informed about this please let me know as my time is quite limited here in the States.

BTW if i do bring a home PC i do plan on buying a new one.

thanks heaps
Zufan

The cheapest I've seen a new computer over here is £488, so if you can find something cheaper over there, you're doing well.  Even if you do have to pay VAT, you still get out pretty cheap since the dollar is so weak.

I brought my desktop with me.  It was too big to fit into a carry on though so be wary of that.  It got a bit bashed in regular cargo but overall made it okay.  It was fairly new but old enough to not be considered for VAT and to be honest no one batted an eye as we went through customs.  I just went through nothing to declare.  My computer has a switch on the back that allows it to go from 110 to 220 so just make sure yours does. 

I also brought a new laptop to Spain I got for Christmas.  I think the main thing they look for is that you are not going to bring a ton of stuff over and resell it.  So long as your computer has your personal stuff on it...

When we moved back from Korea we brought a lot of shoes and clothing that were fairly new.  We were told to scuff the shoes by rubbing them on the sidewalk/street a bit to help them look not as new.  Technically this is illegal and avoids taxes so I won't advise you to do something similar ....

Thanks for that speedy heads-up both of you ..i think i will start seriously shopping for just the tower and keyboard...CompUSA has a special for Celeron PC brand new with dvd , bRW for $200 , its all black and housed in a mini tower...they make them sooo small nowadays its great (Without monitor ofcourse.)since this morning so i will go and check them out...

Zufan

Try this site for comparison of some inexpensive deals in the UK--

http://www.bigpockets.co.uk/

Zufan, that is an amazing price!!!!  I brought my laptop (It has since died, was a few years old)  that was super easy and all I needed for it was a simple adapter to plug it in with. 

For sure bring a PC if you can. There's no way you can match the deals in the US by buying one in GB.

I can't say this applies to all desktops, but my Dell desktop didn't require a voltage converter. Just the simple plug adapter. THE MOST IMPORTANT thing is to, before plugging the computer into a UK outlet, slide the small switch in the back that will allow the computer to use 220 volts.

Before you buy, make sure it's 220 volt compatible. There should be no shortage of choices.

That's what I did Douglas and just bought a new cable here... works like a charm...

HI YA!
  My personal expierence turned out quite nice.  I shipped my tower, not too expensive and a lot safer than the airlines, not too mention cheaper.  Airlines will charge you for over-weight baggage.  Also keep in mind most airlines only let you take two stow away bags.  I then just bought a moniter and a printer here from a second hand computer store.  Only spent about 60 quid.
good luck!!

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I just went through nothing to declare.  My computer has a switch on the back that allows it to go from 110 to 220 so just make sure yours does
I can't say that enough. I have a Sony VAIO desktop and their power supplies do NOT have the switch for voltage and two years later Sony US won't get me a UK adaptor and Sony UK won't get me one because it's a US computer. So, it's a pile of junk.

Though your price is a great deal, cargo CAN damage it. I paid a hefty sum to ship mine as the only way to do it was through UPS because I don't trust the USPS for things like this. I might as well have bought a pc over here.

In the end, I bought a laptop which (like all of them) is universal between the UK and US with it's power supply. Personally, that is my recommendation for you as they can have the same or better specs than desktops.

You can also register items that you don't want to pay VAT on with customs BEFORE you leave so that you won't have a problem when you get to the UK. I am not sure where to do this but it can be done

You could always get an apple Macintosh, which ever since their inception in 1984 made sure that every one of their apparatus runs on both 110 and 220 (handy for purchasing those ipods in the states and running them here).

Just thought of one thing to add - if you buy a Dell, it's easy and free to change your warranty registration over to the UK from the US. Painless. All on-line.

You could always get an apple Macintosh, which ever since their inception in 1984 made sure that every one of their apparatus runs on both 110 and 220 (handy for purchasing those ipods in the states and running them here).

Until now... the new iMacs sold in North America are 110v only. I guess because the new housing is so tight and they couldn't fit an appropriate power supply in the new housing. Of course, being Mac folks, we didn't even *think* about it until after we'd already got it home. After all, all the other macs have had universal power supplies!

So who knows what we'll do when we move in about a year and a half. I guess we'll have to find a voltage converter and see if that works.

You can remove the hard drive from your computer (or have someone do it for you.) Then buy a new computer in the UK and install the old hard drive. So you will have all your old software and information, but you won't have to lug the whole computer.

edit: And you won't have to worry about electricity or anything like that.

What a brilliant idea!!

i didnt even think of that...yes i do have an old P2 computer here in the states...its got a lot of junk i want to clean off it but i can get software to take care of that and just re-install progs im having problems with....see the way i figure is if i spent 200 -300 pounds Sterling for a comp in UK, i probably end up with a used one but $USD 400-500 will get you a new P4 (even without operating system which i dont need cause i can use my old Win98 etc )

what do you think ?
Karina
PS plus i can avoid VAT if i brought it with me in luggage.