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Legality of shipping a laptop overseas

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M

md22

Guest
What is the name of your state? TX

Ok I know this probably isn't the best forum to put this in but I really couldn't find a forum that I thought this would fall under. Hope it's ok.

Here's the deal, I have a friend that lives in The Netherlands that needs to purchase a laptop with Paypal. Not many computer retailers take Paypal but he has found one. The problem is they do not ship to his country so he came to be for help. He wants to have the computer shipped to me and then me ship it to him but my father said I better make sure it's ok to do that with all these new homeland security laws and whatnot. So is this legal?
 


nextwife

Senior Member
Sounds mighty suspicious to me. If he can get money into paypal why can't he simply send a check or money order to a vendor and have it shipped direct? The only reason I can see for it going to you first is something illegal going with it or in it.
 
M

md22

Guest
I've known this guy for over a year now and talk business with him almost daily so I doubt he's planning on doing something illegal with the computer and framing me. I just need to know if it's ok to send a laptop to The Netherlands (holland). Thanks for your help though.
 

pattimelt

Member
Contact the US Department of Customs. They can tell you whether or not you can ship a laptop to the Netherlands. I worked for a laptop company a few years ago, and there was a whole list of countries that we could not ship to for security reasons, but I don't remember whether or not the Netherlands was on that list.

IF you do decide to do this--one word of caution--make sure that your "friend" doesn't use a credit card through paypal to pay for the laptop. He can claim that the card wasn't authorized and the laptop company will come after YOU for either payment or the laptop.

Personally, I wouldn't do this. There are places for him to get a laptop overseas.
 

JETX

Senior Member
Assuming that you have no financial risk, the only concern that I would have is that the technology might be prohibited from export. Some of the computers that we have domestically (even some of the older ones) have capabitlities that are barred from export. If you verify (either through the vendor or 'customs') that the computer is NOT prohibited AND if you have no financial risk (ship it now.... will pay later!), go ahead.

When I was in Korea, I found that we could purchase computers here (even ones BUILT there) for a hell of a lot cheaper than they could. I shipped several over to some of my friends.... but only after getting paid AND verifying it was not prohibited technology. Contact the vendor and make sure that they sell a 'comparable' product in that country. Most of them (like Toshiba) do. Oh, and be sure to check on the installed software also. Some licenses restrict export.
 

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