Sending stuff from London to China

[simplyolaf]

Hi all,

I need to move to china next year but have a lot of stuff with me at the moment which I don't want to throw away e.g. computer, books, xbox, clothes....

I would like to post it all... Anyone knows of any company that would do that for a reasonable price? Any idea of potential costs?

[jlowrance]

Here's a place I found:

http://www.sevenseasworldwide.com

[Josh2007]

I brough 136 kg air freight with me with Air China for an extra $400.

[simplyolaf]

Thanks for the info. I think I would rather send all the stuff before hand so I'll give it a try with Seven Seas Worldwide, they seem to be pretty cheap. Air China is extremelly cheap so maybe I will book my flight with them, just in case I have any excess luggage

[lilongyue]

Make sure you read the laws about shipping things to China. They'll root through everything you send, looking for taxable goods. Things like computers and other electronics are taxable up to 25% of their new price. You'll also need to fill out forms for customs to get the stuff. Dealing with Chinese customs is a real pain in the a**. I've had to do it a few times, every time has been a nightmare (faxing things 4 or 5 times because of "lost" paperwork, running in circles on the phone, etc.).

[roddy]

Also check what it would cost you to replace stuff here - with a PC in particular, where you might want to upgrade every few years anyway, it could work out cheaper to sell, save the shipping costs, and buy again here.

[cdn_in_bj]

http://www.sevenseasworldwide.com

Interesting that they ship FROM China TO Canada, but not the other way around.

Well I suppose I can use them to send my next batch of pirated DVD's...

[simplyolaf]

I didn't know about the tax.... I guess I'll have to sell my stuff. I didn't really want. I got attached to my computer and xbox(which comes with a media center)... and it will be really hard to part ways.

Anyways, thanks for all the info guys

[cdn_in_bj]

I didn't know about the tax.... I guess I'll have to sell my stuff. I didn't really want. I got attached to my computer and xbox(which comes with a media center)... and it will be really hard to part ways.

I think you could bring these with you on your flight. In my experience, customs at the BJ airport is very lax. I have never experienced, nor have I seen or heard of anyone else, being stopped on the way out for a spot inspection.

The xBox could go as carry-on, and the computer in a big suitcase or box with lots of clothes to protect against bumps (however, you may want to take out your hard drive(s) and put that into your carry-on). However, you should consider ditching the monitor and get a new one here.

I personally have brought back a big air purifier (this one was very obvious, as it was in its original box) as well as a home theater projector all without problems. I also know of someone who recently brought back a new iMac from the US.

lilongyue - did you encounter these customs nightmares at the airport, or were the items shipped separately?

[liuzhou]

I've never had problems carrying stuff in myself, but had many problems with shipped goods.