Quote:
Originally Posted by Sahil  Has anyone got in a LCD/Plasma TV from abroad?
How much would the customs charge for a 37inch LCD at mumbai airport? Also, do airlines charge extra to carry items like this? |
Quote:
Originally Posted by reignofchaos Total import duty on TVs is around 35% afaik. |
I got an LG 32 inch LCD from Dubai in Aug 2007. I got it as part of my checked in baggage, and till the time it is within your baggage limit, airlines do not charge you.
At Delhi airport, I was obviously stopped by Custom officials since the LCD packaging is way too big to avoid being noticed. According to our antiquated laws, the duty-free allowance is INR 25k.
Now they had to determine the 'current market value' of the LCD and for that, the official fished out an old, dirty book. According to that, the TV was valued at INR 30,000.
So the duty that I was supposed to pay was INR (30k-25k)*.35 = INR 1,750
I didnt bother with bribing as I thought this was a reasonable amount to be paid.
In Nov 2007, a friend was traveling from Dubai to Mumbai and I got the same set for my dad. This time, she chose to bribe the official (this was at Mumbai airport, mind you). This was because the official was in no mood to go by the rules. She paid INR 2k as bribe and came out faster than I did through the official route at Delhi airport.
Hope this helps.
EDIT: LG was the only brand offering 2 year international warranty. Although I liked the Samsung a shade more than LG, I chose the latter due to international warranty. As regards Sony, less said is better. Their quality of products has really deteriorated over the years.
Because of the international warranty offered by LG, I got professional installation done by LG technician free of cost