Buying internationally avoiding VAT - General Questions and Answers

I want to order a Samsung Galaxy S3 from Europe, as a US citizen do I still have to pay VAT? Is there a way around it at all?

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[Q] Where can I order a smartphone like the Samsung Captivate?

Hello freinds.
I'm looking for recommendations on websites that sell Samsung Captivate at fair prices.
It is important that the site will make deliveries to Israel.
Thx.
You'll be looking for the vanilla Galaxy S phone (i9000), which you can order from somewhere like Clove.
Hey, I'm looking the specific version Samsung Captivate from U.S.
You know websites are sell the smartphone?
Thx.
have you tried wirefly.com? They sell the captivate for $559 - no contract. That is the only "fair" price you will find. It is an AT&T phone and you will have to but it from AT&T reseller.
I don't know if they ship to Israel. You may need a US buyer to reship it.
Could always check eBay....
If I could get my hands on the i9000, I'd be pleased.
http://www.clove.co.uk/samsung-galaxy-s-i9000-16gb-8gb-internal-memory-8gb-microsd-card

[Q] compatibility

I currently live in the US, and I'm about to go back to Korea for my mandatory military service. I want to buy a Nexus S in the states and take it to Korea, because it's a little bit more cheaper here. I saw a post here saying that the i9020T from T-mobile is the same as SHW-M200K, SHW-M200S from Korea. So if I buy the i9020T here would It work in Korea?
Frequency checks out for SK Telecom, but the other 2 carriers in SKorea, I am unsure of.
CHorden said:
Frequency checks out for SK Telecom, but the other 2 carriers in SKorea, I am unsure of.
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Thanks for checking it out. I'm going to bestbuy this weekend to get the T-mobile version then. One last question - is the price of nexus s rapidly dropping everywhere except bestbuy? if so then should I look for a different place to buy it? Thanks again.
If you're gonna buy it outright, its cheaper to buy online at different websites than from best buy. BB has it for 529.99 + tax. I found some for 459.99 at other sites. Keep in mind that bc some of these sites aren't physical stores, you won't have to pay for tax. Also a lot of them have free shipping and online coupons if you look for them.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

[Q] Questions about buying phone in the US

Hello there, I'm from Indonesia. This summer holiday (Jun-Jul mid) I'll have a trip to the US for the first time and beside that I want to buy a new smart phone.
1. I'm 15 yo and I won't occupied by my parents when in the trip, but I'm given a additional visa credit card by my parent which is issued in my country. Question is, can I use that CC to buy the phone without any additional info needed or what do i need to have/give any additional info/sth like that?
2. What retail stores are recommended there? The price, the service, the easiness for me? As I know there are so many retail stores in US. I'll be in major cities though, like LA, LV, Boston, NYC
3. Any recommended Android phone to buy? Actually I'm aiming for the SGS2 but looks like it won't have come to US when I'm there.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Flyer888 said:
Hello there, I'm from Indonesia. This summer holiday (Jun-Jul mid) I'll have a trip to the US for the first time and beside that I want to buy a new smart phone.
1. I'm 15 yo and I won't occupied by my parents when in the trip, but I'm given a additional visa credit card by my parent which is issued in my country. Question is, can I use that CC to buy the phone without any additional info needed or what do i need to have/give any additional info/sth like that?
2. What retail stores are recommended there? The price, the service, the easiness for me? As I know there are so many retail stores in US. I'll be in major cities though, like LA, LV, Boston, NYC
3. Any recommended Android phone to buy? Actually I'm aiming for the SGS2 but looks like it won't have come to US when I'm there.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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Here are some quick thoughts. In the USA, it is often cheaper to buy over the web. They will want to ship to the billing address of the cc to prevent fraud. This will prevent you from using your credit card with most mail order vendors. Is the CC in your parents name or yours? If it is in your name, you should have no problem buying at a retail store as long as you have your passport for identification. Will you be staying with relatives? Could they run the purchase through their CC (reimburse in cash via ATM)?
Most of the carriers in the USA use a different technology than the rest of the world. You need a GSM phone. AT&T and T-Mobile both use GSM but use different frequencies for voice and data than most/all of Asia. So you are looking for a quad band phone that supports the frequency used in Indonesia. 2100? If you bought a prepaid T-mobile phone they would unlock it after 60 days and $10 in your account. (Or pay someone on ebay for the unlock code $10) T-mobile has some good prices but they only have a few prepaid android phones. LG Optimus T/Optimus One ($120) and the Samsung Galaxy S ($350) https://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/prepaid.aspx
You can also buy an unlocked phone that has been imported into the USA. If you buy a quad band phone, you could use it in the usa and in Indonesia. One of the major problems is that the vendors are almost all mail-order firms. If you are dealing with family, you could have them order it before you arrived so that you could have it right away. The Samsung Galaxy S2 looks like it is available via mail order for around $700-$800 USD with NO Warranty.
Explore3 said:
Here are some quick thoughts. In the USA, it is often cheaper to buy over the web. They will want to ship to the billing address of the cc to prevent fraud. This will prevent you from using your credit card with most mail order vendors. Is the CC in your parents name or yours? If it is in your name, you should have no problem buying at a retail store as long as you have your passport for identification. Will you be staying with relatives? Could they run the purchase through their CC (reimburse in cash via ATM)?
Most of the carriers in the USA use a different technology than the rest of the world. You need a GSM phone. AT&T and T-Mobile both use GSM but use different frequencies for voice and data than most/all of Asia. So you are looking for a quad band phone that supports the frequency used in Indonesia. 2100? If you bought a prepaid T-mobile phone they would unlock it after 60 days and $10 in your account. (Or pay someone on ebay for the unlock code $10) T-mobile has some good prices but they only have a few prepaid android phones. LG Optimus T/Optimus One ($120) and the Samsung Galaxy S ($350)
You can also buy an unlocked phone that has been imported into the USA. If you buy a quad band phone, you could use it in the usa and in Indonesia. One of the major problems is that the vendors are almost all mail-order firms. If you are dealing with family, you could have them order it before you arrived so that you could have it right away. The Samsung Galaxy S2 looks like it is available via mail order for around $700-$800 USD with NO Warranty.
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Unfortunately I don't have any relative there. The cc is in my name, so no problem right?
Because of that I'm looking for concrete stores maybe such as BestBuy, Walmart or anything else but I don't know which one of them gives me the best one?
Oh, so altough I buy in stores like I said before, instead of in the carrier's itself store am I still forced to buy the "post-paid system?"
As I know they're able to give it away off-contract but with higher price and locked, right?
I think most of the new smartphones are using quad band so that's not a problem... Because I have a friend here using a Captivate and it is fully functional after he unlocked it to be able to use the SIM cards issued here.
Thanks.
Flyer888 said:
I think most of the new smartphones are using quad band so that's not a problem... Because I have a friend here using a Captivate and it is fully functional after he unlocked it to be able to use the SIM cards issued here.
Thanks.
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I will agree that most of the new smartphones sold outside the USA are quadband. Probably most smartphones sold by T-mobile and AT&T or are unlocked will be quadband and most likely support 3g frequency in your country. If the phone is associated with ANY other carrier, 90% of the time it will not support GSM.
PS I never bought from them but if you are in Chicago you could check out http://welectronics.com/gsm/Samsung/SAMSUNG_I9100-GALAXY-S-II-16GB.HTML In NYC - http://www.jr.com/category/office/cellular-phones/n/4294528936-4294605649/sort-by-salePrice-1/ One of the few places that you might be able to haggle on the price (Source: web posting).

Where To Buy 4G Note 10.1 In US?

I've looked everywhere for a Note 10.1 and can only find it on Amazon for $600+. Is this the only place to buy it? Why isn't this available in Best Buy, Wal Mart, ATT Stores etc?
I'd really like to pick one up by the end of the year.....
LuckyStrike88 said:
I've looked everywhere for a Note 10.1 and can only find it on Amazon for $600+. Is this the only place to buy it? Why isn't this available in Best Buy, Wal Mart, ATT Stores etc?
I'd really like to pick one up by the end of the year.....
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There's no LTE version of the galaxy note 10.1, just 3g (the 8020--an LTE version doesn't seem to be shipping to retailers anywhere). You can buy the 3g galaxy note 10.1 from other vendors, including Sams Stores; however, most are higher than Amazon's price--expect to pay $625-$629 USD. (Right now, Negri Electronics has the unlocked 3g version available for $595 USD, I'm not sure how long that price will be valid, Negri is usually higher. http://negrielectronics.com/samsung...l?gclid=CI_s68298rMCFQmCQgodYWoAkw#.ULZxSqL-u ) If you really want LTE, look at the galaxy note 2, but expect to pay about the same price for the off contract version from US carriers (going unlocked international right now limits you to 3g). I'm seriously considering upgrading my existing Android tablet with the WIFI only version of the note 10.1. I'm not doing a lot of traveling right now and LTE isn't available in my area. Should I do more traveling next year to LTE areas, I'll get a prepaid MIFI to get LTE to supplement Internet access when WIF hotspots aren't available. I use VOIP on both my tablet and smartphone via WIFI and am happy with it, but then I've used VOIP at home exclusively for the past 8 years.
LuckyStrike88 said:
I've looked everywhere for a Note 10.1 and can only find it on Amazon for $600+. Is this the only place to buy it? Why isn't this available in Best Buy, Wal Mart, ATT Stores etc?
I'd really like to pick one up by the end of the year.....
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There will never be an N8000 sold in the U.S.; Samsung doesn't sell (or allow to be sold) any unlocked devices. So anywhere you get it it's going to be imported. An LTE Note passed the FCC a while ago with AT&T's bands so I'd expect them to offer it shortly; maybe in the beginning of the year. And any Note you will import is going to be HSPA+ 21MB which is 3G, not 4G. And if you find a N8020 it's highly unlikely it's LTE bands will be compatible with the U.S. carriers.
verizon gnote 10.1 with LTE is coming soon (allegedly). Google "sch-i925"
I'm not sure if this is bogus news....but anyone hear anything else about this mythical device?
There is LTE version of Note it has been launched in South Korea recently with JB as default and it also supports voice calling. It should launch in US soon as that will be the key market for the LTE version. The only reason Samsung delays its products in US is because of Apple Patent law suits
biswasd said:
verizon gnote 10.1 with LTE is coming soon (allegedly). Google "sch-i925"
I'm not sure if this is bogus news....but anyone hear anything else about this mythical device?
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I made a parenthetical reference to it in my post above. It's the 8020. It's been trotted out for press views but I couldn't find any references to it being stocked anywhere yet, even Korea. Given the non-uniform LTE standards stateside, you'll probably only be able to get this via a carrier. I would expect the off contract price to be slightly higher than the off contract price for the Note 2. I wouldn't expect to see the 8020 showing up at any US carriers until late in the 1st quarter of 2013 or possibly not even until the 2nd quarter.
I might get the att version if it ever comes out. 600 + for this tablet and 3g is just crazy .
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2
Sorry, I forgot my audience, I mean 3g not LTE which of course is true 4g. (I'm used to talking with people who don't understand)
Kind of depressing though, I can go to any electronics store and buy and iPad, yet a 3g Note 10.1 is next to impossible. And they wonder why android hasn't shaken up the tablet market? I don't want to buy this device if in 3 months I can get it through ATT by that point it there will be something newer...... I don't understand this business model.
So my next question would be is are there any high end android tablets I can get through ATT? Locally it is just the Galaxy Tab 2 which isn't really what I'm looking for. Also I would like to be able to make calls from the device if possible, but this is not mandatory.
Thanks.
LuckyStrike88 said:
Sorry, I forgot my audience, I mean 3g not LTE which of course is true 4g. (I'm used to talking with people who don't understand)
Kind of depressing though, I can go to any electronics store and buy and iPad, yet a 3g Note 10.1 is next to impossible. And they wonder why android hasn't shaken up the tablet market? I don't want to buy this device if in 3 months I can get it through ATT by that point it there will be something newer...... I don't understand this business model.
So my next question would be is are there any high end android tablets I can get through ATT? Locally it is just the Galaxy Tab 2 which isn't really what I'm looking for. Also I would like to be able to make calls from the device if possible, but this is not mandatory.
Thanks.
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I don't see a new LTE tablet coming out at the same time as the inevitable upgrade to the Note 10.1. There will probably be several months delay again in getting LTE tablets out because Samsung will need to work with individual carriers on LTE versions (same will be true of Europe as it rolls out LTE to more regions). If you live in an area with a Sams Store and have a membership or know someone who has a membership, check them out. They carry unlocked GSM phones and tablets. They have the Samsung P7320 (Galaxy Tab 8.9 4G LTE) as well as the 3G Note 10.1. I can't say how many stores have all items in stock. The problem with LTE in the US, as usual, is fragmented standards. This means that most LTE devices are only available through a carrier unless you're diligent and shop around online (NegriElectronics and Ebay are sources that occasionally have unlocked LTE devices that run on specific US carriers' LTE networks). You pay through the nose buying an on contract device locked to a fairly expensive monthly data plan that is added on top of a minimum of minutes for voice calls and texting. When you add up the cost of monthly fees over a 2-year minimum period plus the subsidized cost of a device, it's generally much, much more expensive than buying an unlocked, off contract device and then buying a prepaid service like Straight Talk (you can get an AT&T SIM or T-Mobile SIM, depending on which service is best in your area) https://www.straighttalk.com/secure/ServicePlans. There are also MVNOs for CDMA carriers Verizon and Sprint that have better prepaid monthly plans. Just take your time and do some research. If you're willing to carry a table rather than a phlablet, another option is getting a prepaid LTE MIFI device, which will be pretty small. Heck, if you have an LTE cellphone, check to see if you can use it as a hotspot.
mke1973 said:
I don't see a new LTE tablet coming out at the same time as the inevitable upgrade to the Note 10.1. There will probably be several months delay again in getting LTE tablets out because Samsung will need to work with individual carriers on LTE versions (same will be true of Europe as it rolls out LTE to more regions). If you live in an area with a Sams Store and have a membership or know someone who has a membership, check them out. They carry unlocked GSM phones and tablets. They have the Samsung P7320 (Galaxy Tab 8.9 4G LTE) as well as the 3G Note 10.1. I can't say how many stores have all items in stock. The problem with LTE in the US, as usual, is fragmented standards. This means that most LTE devices are only available through a carrier unless you're diligent and shop around online (NegriElectronics and Ebay are sources that occasionally have unlocked LTE devices that run on specific US carriers' LTE networks). You pay through the nose buying an on contract device locked to a fairly expensive monthly data plan that is added on top of a minimum of minutes for voice calls and texting. When you add up the cost of monthly fees over a 2-year minimum period plus the subsidized cost of a device, it's generally much, much more expensive than buying an unlocked, off contract device and then buying a prepaid service like Straight Talk (you can get an AT&T SIM or T-Mobile SIM, depending on which service is best in your area) https://www.straighttalk.com/secure/ServicePlans. There are also MVNOs for CDMA carriers Verizon and Sprint that have better prepaid monthly plans. Just take your time and do some research. If you're willing to carry a table rather than a phlablet, another option is getting a prepaid LTE MIFI device, which will be pretty small. Heck, if you have an LTE cellphone, check to see if you can use it as a hotspot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can tether with my Note, but I'm planning on using this as a headunit in my car so I'd like to have Google navigation without having to be tethered constantly, plus according to the guy I know at ATT he says it will be $10 per month for a tablet because at work I'm on a family share plan of 10 lines and we only have 7 now.
I will call a few Sams Clubs I am a member but online they just have the wifi note 10.1 so I wasn't sure.

[Q] Locked phones?

Hi. I know it is illegal to unlock phones in the United States now but it isn't in countries like India. I am planning to go to India soon so can I buy, lets say for example, a Samsung Galaxy S4 from Amazon for $200 with a AT&T contract and receive it at home and not activate the phone and then when I go to India and unlock it over there and then just use it as a phone to make calls over wifi? When you buy a phone online with a 2 year agreement attatched to it, do you have to fill out the contract details and everything while ordering it online or do you do that when activating the phone?

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