Buying from USA

[pipme]

Attempt to buy computer goods from PC Power and Cooling USofA.
They say :-

...Thank you for your order with PC Power & Cooling. We have your order ready
to ship, but I will need some additional information from you before I can
release the order.
On all International orders we require a copy of your credit card (front &
back) and a copy of your identification card faxed or e-mailed to us before your order will be released. This is standard company policy and apologize in advance for the inconvenience.
If you feel uncomfortable sending this information via the internet you can always black out part of the numbers on the credit card/identification card before you send it. This is acceptable.
Please advise on how you would like to proceed with your order. I look
forward to hearing from you soon.
etc

Some iffy stuff there .. is this now the norm ? What about the ID card ?
Bl##dy time dif doesn't help either !! .. Recently bought from elsewhere in States no such rquirements ??

 

[ohmygodwhathaveyoudone]

dodgy

 

[pipme]

I don't think it is dodgy, as such, just a pain in the a rse !! Wondered if anyone else ran into this problem ?

 

[AdamW]

No, sounds totally reasonable really. Computer companies are especially vigilant due to the nature of their business. I once had to fax a copy of my passport to Birmingham to have them deliver a PC to London.

However, this is not standard practice. I order a lot of stuff from the US and have never had to do such a thing. As they point out, it is their company policy and they invite you to black out parts of the numbers. Sounds fair enough.

 

[big-all]

eeeee just my opinion you are giving them all the amunition for a cloned card and fake i d

now i could de wrong but i personaly would do as many checks as posible to satisfy my self i have never dealt with anyone outside the uk so i dont know the requirements but i would be warey

 

[nstreet]

It could all be totally innocent. With the amount of credit card fraud, they are probably just trying to verify that you have the card in your posession and not just the card details, which could have come from anywhere. They probably also think its a bit odd that someone in the UK is purchasing computer goods from the US.

Don't forget to take into account the VAT and customs duty. The postman wont hand over the goods until you have paid! Also, make sure any warranties or support agreements cover the UK.

 

[AdamW]

Ah, it depends. I have never bought computer goods from the US, everything I have bought has been shipped as "promotional items" or "toys and novelties"... before you start thinking what I would probably be thinking, let me just stop you there!!! All totally innocent gadgetry from ThinkGeek.

Now, my experience is that roughly 50% of the time you end up paying duty and VAT. Sometimes they ring me and I pay over the phone, one time they paid it (to expedite delivery) and then sent me an invoice. On that occasion I should have spoken to C&E after paying DHL because it was all zero-rated stuff, but I never pulled my finger out to try and reclaim my £45.

I think it largely depends on how busy they are! If it is a low-value package then they are going to be less bothered than if you import a car, for instance.

 

[nstreet]

Ah, it depends. I have never bought computer goods from the US, everything I have bought has been shipped as "promotional items" or "toys and novelties"... before you start thinking what I would probably be thinking, let me just stop you there!!! All totally innocent gadgetry from ThinkGeek.

Now, my experience is that roughly 50% of the time you end up paying duty and VAT. Sometimes they ring me and I pay over the phone, one time they paid it (to expedite delivery) and then sent me an invoice. On that occasion I should have spoken to C&E after paying DHL because it was all zero-rated stuff, but I never pulled my finger out to try and reclaim my £45.

I think it largely depends on how busy they are! If it is a low-value package then they are going to be less bothered than if you import a car, for instance.

I must be just plain unlucky then, all 3 of my purchses from the US were intercepted by C&E. I must be a dodgy character

 

[ohmygodwhathaveyoudone]

Whenever i order computer games from USA I put it down as a gift & have it posted by usual mail instead of UPS & FEDEX and have never paid tax or duty or vat or what have you.the only downside is that it can take up to 14 days.I also find using paypal is good as that way only 1 company has my credit card details.

 

[petewood]

When I bought from the USA I received a vat bill about 2 weeks after the delivery of the goods, and I also had to pay an import duty, but still saved about 20% on the total price. Credit card details were sent in the usual way.
American mail-order companies must be rubbing their hands at the current exchange rates.

 

[pipme]

The extra cost is totally irrelevent .. It is the kit I want, which is not available here... Doesn't that part always make one sick !! ready, willing and able to pay then the barstewards don't want your dosh !!
It was the request for pix of C-card -- easily effectively blanked -- and ID card ??
They do not have them in the US either do they ?
ID Card Link

 

[AdamW]

Send them a copy of your paper driving licence!

 

[jtaunton]

Eursotar make you do the same if you book a ticket on the company credit card but someone else goes to pick them up. If you do send them a copy of your CC with the numbers selctively blacked out, make sure that you black out the mirror image from the reverse too.....

 

[pipme]

Eursotar make you do the same if you book a ticket on the company credit card but someone else goes to pick them up. If you do send them a copy of your CC with the numbers selctively blacked out, make sure that you black out the mirror image from the reverse too.....

Yep, noticed the embossing ... never really noticed before .. certainly after scanning .. actually not easy to scan silver coloured raised alpha's look crap ....

Paper driving licence I have not even looked at that since moving house 10 yrs ago !! Bit hesitant there .. the numbers form codes so i need to know which ones to blank ...THERMO are you there Officer, sir How do we read the licence ?
Ok, cheers Thermo replied elsewhere
Drive 904126 AF9xx
Refers to, for example, Allan Fredrick Driver born 4th Dec 1996 (Drive being the first 5 characters of surname and 9xx a three alphnumeric code applied by DVLC)

I forwarded C-card images appropriately blanked, asked for more advice ref 'ID card' or whatever, pointing out that more info could be a problem with regard to security and that neither the US or UK required ID cards at present .... Was informed that the C-Card images were sufficient and the goods are on their way !!

 

[pipme]

Kit arrived this am ... undamaged packaging ... Twas shipped from Calif. on the 26th April ... so approx 7 days inc hol w/e .... Happy with that.

No customs etc as yet !!

Now to fit the posh 'silencer' power supply from 'PC Power & Cooling Inc'
With the problems recently reported hereabouts thought it a good time for update. .. We shall see !!


New PSU and 40 GB WD HDD all put together and running ... Thanks to Western Digital Data Lifeguard from their web site.. a cinch !