BajaNomad

Bringing in flatscreen tv

WhackAMolE - 1-7-2015 at 03:10 PM

Coming through San Ysidro. What is the story? TV is relatively new. Do I owe import duty? What's the procedure, do I take the "Declare" lane? I never see anyone going over that way, everyone just makes the left turn through the lights. Do I just stay way to the right and aim at that building that's over there?

Or stick it in the trunk and hope for the best? What is the penalty if I get caught?

Do I need a receipt? What happens if I don't have a receipt? I'm in a motel in the States and would have to run to Kinkos to print a receipt from the computer.

Thanks for any advice.

vandenberg - 1-7-2015 at 03:39 PM

Stand it up behind your seat. Protect screen with a throw blanket.
If stopped and questioned , consult the imaginary part of your brain. :biggrin::biggrin:

willardguy - 1-7-2015 at 03:40 PM

just take your chances. if they say anything tell em you're just bringing it down for the superbowl party!:light:

vandenberg - 1-7-2015 at 03:41 PM

Quote: Originally posted by willardguy  
just take your chances. if they say anything tell em you're just bringing it down for the superbowl party!:light:



There you go !!:light::lol:

CortezBlue - 1-7-2015 at 04:12 PM

They use to say that you MUST keep a LCD, Plasma in a vertical position.
It will help protect the panel from cracking.

If you pay taxes, got to the Declaracion lane. Have your receipt in hand and show them the TV and the receipt.

They will take the receipt and charge you 16% tax on the total. NOTE: Make sure you show them the price on the TV without the sales tax.

In the old days, all you needed was a 10 or 20 dollar bill and away you went

or

Do what I did. I have a ford f150. I took the TV out of the box and kept the TV intact with the styrofoam and took 2 pieces of 1/4 paneling and put one piece on each side. I placed it up next to the truck with a blanket covering the pieces of wood.

I then took 2 of the Harbor Freight truck stretcher bars and put one towards the top and one towards the bottom. Then I started packing everything in around it. I used luggage to fill with food and other items, and then my tool boxes etc. etc.

I had a softcover for my truck bed. The panel over the TV is a permanent panel that take a bit of work to get off. I cruised through the border at San Luis and thought my trouble were behind me.

Then I got to the San Felipe Military check point. The officer who was doing the inspection was an older guy and pretty much demanded that he look at the area under the top cover.

I had to take the cover off and he saw the blankets and the wood and waved us on.

PS Take Pesos with you to pay the taxes



[Edited on 1-8-2015 by CortezBlue]

DENNIS - 1-7-2015 at 04:20 PM




Just drive it through. It isn't new. Tell 'em it's old and used. Don't try to hide it. These people ain't stooped.

wessongroup - 1-7-2015 at 04:55 PM

I'm with Dennis and a few others on this approach .... always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission ... in most cases :biggrin::biggrin:

chuckie - 1-7-2015 at 05:16 PM

Done it a half dozen times...TV in original box, when questioned "Used"...never a problem

nbacc - 1-8-2015 at 08:55 AM

garage sale buy! write yourself a receipt.

chuckie - 1-8-2015 at 09:29 AM

Whats wrong with just telling the truth?

Skipjack Joe - 1-8-2015 at 09:53 AM

Boring? Lacks creativity?

chuckie - 1-8-2015 at 10:00 AM

CHEEP?

mtnpop - 1-8-2015 at 12:03 PM


I will be selling a 32" Hitachi in Mulege next month along with many other items , boat, quad, furniture, appliances, maybe jeep wrangler
some tools all of which I will list soon in the classified section..

time to regroup....

mtgoat666 - 1-8-2015 at 12:11 PM

Quote: Originally posted by CortezBlue  

Do what I did. I have a ford f150. I took the TV out of the box and kept the TV intact with the styrofoam and took 2 pieces of 1/4 paneling and put one piece on each side. I placed it up next to the truck with a blanket covering the pieces of wood.

I then took 2 of the Harbor Freight truck stretcher bars and put one towards the top and one towards the bottom. Then I started packing everything in around it. I used luggage to fill with food and other items, and then my tool boxes etc. etc.

I had a softcover for my truck bed. The panel over the TV is a permanent panel that take a bit of work to get off. I cruised through the border at San Luis and thought my trouble were behind me.

Then I got to the San Felipe Military check point. The officer who was doing the inspection was an older guy and pretty much demanded that he look at the area under the top cover.

I had to take the cover off and he saw the blankets and the wood and waved us on.



mr blue,
when you smuggle you typically don't chronicle your crimes on the internet! :lol::lol:

bajalearner - 1-9-2015 at 08:51 AM

I strapped a new m/c tire on the rear luggage rack of my cycle and crossed south at SY. An agent waived me to the side and I told him I bought it from a a guy for $30. The agent said it was about an $80 tire and charged me tax on $80. It was really a $120 tire.

It's a game to me. I knew if I brought the tire in my SUV, I would not be stopped. I brought in on my bike and would just pay tax on it if they stopped me.

monoloco - 1-9-2015 at 08:58 AM

Why not just do the right thing and declare it and pay the duty?

chuckie - 1-9-2015 at 09:36 AM

Always my question...these are the same people that whine and snivel about the "bad" Mexicans when they get caught....

CortezBlue - 1-9-2015 at 10:01 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by CortezBlue  

Do what I did. I have a ford f150. I took the TV out of the box and kept the TV intact with the styrofoam and took 2 pieces of 1/4 paneling and put one piece on each side. I placed it up next to the truck with a blanket covering the pieces of wood.

I then took 2 of the Harbor Freight truck stretcher bars and put one towards the top and one towards the bottom. Then I started packing everything in around it. I used luggage to fill with food and other items, and then my tool boxes etc. etc.

I had a softcover for my truck bed. The panel over the TV is a permanent panel that take a bit of work to get off. I cruised through the border at San Luis and thought my trouble were behind me.

Then I got to the San Felipe Military check point. The officer who was doing the inspection was an older guy and pretty much demanded that he look at the area under the top cover.

I had to take the cover off and he saw the blankets and the wood and waved us on.



mr blue,
when you smuggle you typically don't chronicle your crimes on the internet! :lol::lol:


That's Sr Blue to you!

That is why I am Cortez Blue, I hang with Clark Kent:P

bajalearner - 1-9-2015 at 11:41 AM

Just because a government or church dictates what a person must do may not necessarily constitute it's the "right thing to do".

There are many things in disagree with, in the system, and when I get a chance to skirt some things, I might do it because I have no voice or freedoms in most things. That's just me, I don't tell other people what is right for them.

nbacc - 1-9-2015 at 11:43 AM

We always declare if it is new but when used it is hard to do...Took lots of stuff in I bought at garage sales and had to take an educated guess at what it was really worth, We made it work at the border. Told them it was garage sale stuff (truth) and what we paid and worked form there.

gnukid - 1-9-2015 at 12:22 PM

People bring in tv's for camping and bring them home too, it is allowed and people have done it forever.

vandenberg - 1-9-2015 at 03:27 PM

Quote: Originally posted by gnukid  
People bring in tv's for camping and bring them home too, it is allowed and people have done it forever.


Hauling a 55 inch flat screen around while camping.:?::?:

Tough, to say the least. :saint::biggrin:

[Edited on 1-9-2015 by vandenberg]

mex-gringo - 1-14-2015 at 04:30 PM

I've just completed building a home in Rosarito so I was bringing in a lot of building materials and I found it's better to declare then to get stopped. I scanned in a receipt and reduced the prices on the computer....just because I'm cheap. You can be honest about it and pay the full tax but the moral of the story is you do not get hassled when entering mexico. Just wave the receipt and you go right in. I don't think there is a tax on used items but some items are not allowed.

CaboJohn - 1-14-2015 at 08:04 PM

Over the past few months I have had to bring in a few new items in original packaging: king size mattress and box springs, dishwasher, 65" flat screen TV, and a washer & dryer set. I declared all the items and was charged 16% tax on the item price paid(no tax included) minus a personal credit of $250 to $300(depends on the Aduana agent). You are allowed the personal credit for each person in your vehicle.

If you do fake a receipt be warned that they have a hand held bar code reader / scanner and can look-up the item price on the internet(took less than 30 seconds for my washer & dryer from Home Depot).

All the agents I dealt with were friendly and questioned why I did not bring other people to get more personal credit.....

If you want to see how to maximize credits go to the declaration area and Otay Mesa and see how the Mexicans load up the trucks with stuff and many people :yes: