Bringing in a used 19 inch flatscreen.. will they give me a hard time in customs>??

amstellite

Bronze
Sep 5, 2007
565
12
0
Bringing in a used 19 inch flatscreen.. will they give me a hard time in customs>??

i m bringing obver a used Tvof mine, a flatscreen , for a friend,and a CD player.... the items are used,.. do I need to declare them and can they make me pay anything on them?
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
Yes, they will charge you. You can bring 1 used or new computer but it has to be a laptop, a screen is not among the exonerated items.
 
i m bringing obver a used Tvof mine, a flatscreen , for a friend,and a CD player.... the items are used,.. do I need to declare them and can they make me pay anything on them?

My advise would be fly into POP or PUJ and put the TV in your luggage and dont declare it under any circumstances, PUJ has never stopped me or anyone for that matter when I have traveled there. POP just keep walking and no speakie spanish, If they insist on stopping you hand the guy a 10 dollar bill and keep walking. Never had a problem doing this. SDQ you can also get thru 80-90% without being checked. STI is definate NO GO!!! They put all bags thru xray on leaving airport and will see the TV and you will have to pay a few hundred dollars. Good luck.
 

PeteyPablo

Bronze
Apr 30, 2011
726
1
0
My advise would be fly into POP or PUJ and put the TV in your luggage and dont declare it under any circumstances, PUJ has never stopped me or anyone for that matter when I have traveled there. POP just keep walking and no speakie spanish, If they insist on stopping you hand the guy a 10 dollar bill and keep walking. Never had a problem doing this. SDQ you can also get thru 80-90% without being checked. STI is definate NO GO!!! They put all bags thru xray on leaving airport and will see the TV and you will have to pay a few hundred dollars. Good luck.

Good to know about SDQ. I always tend to bring equipment when I travel through STI and always see the person at the xray look at my bags with a very perplexed look lol. Never been stopped though, always just go right through....maybe just my luck.
 

belgiank

Silver
Jun 13, 2009
3,251
103
0
The one time I went through STI, I had to put my luggage through the xray. Not really a problem though... as the screen was not working...
 

Pete Mercedes

New member
Jan 9, 2012
8
0
0
A, A
make sure its in a bag best bet is pop with the 5 or ten dollars and at the romana airport just keep yelling in english amigo and hi five everyone they never check .sti no bueno and sdq is a 50/50 chance i had a 22 inch vizio razor i put it in the bottom of my carry on then put my laptop on top of it when i went through sti no one said anything lucky i guess a friend of mine brought those hid light kits and they were busting his balls they wanted 100 us in sti
 

CaptnGlenn

Silver
Mar 29, 2010
2,321
26
48
I've seen people searched leaving PUJ, and almost got searched myself but the porter got it through, (my wife was walking a bit behind, and it looked like I had four bags just for me, he told the customs guy it was for two people). It's definitely best to pay the guys a few bucks to carry your stuff through, far less chance of being checked, and it's good to support the local workers.
 

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
13,470
3,604
113
A few months ago I had a 25" flatscreen in my bag with some towels and dirty clothes around it. It was in Punta Cana airport. I got stopped and the guy looked in the bag. The TV was face down and he asked me what it was. I said in Spanish electronics. He asked how much did it cost. I told him $80, and he let me through without even looking to see what it was.

Never declare it, just take your chances. It can never get worse if you don't tell them, and generally you can get through without them checking your luggage. But wait for a crowd and then go, don't go alone, even if you are with a baggage handler.
 

susan77

New member
Jan 19, 2008
552
10
0
It's definitely best to pay the guys a few bucks to carry your stuff through, far less chance of being checked, and it's good to support the local workers.

How much (in $US) do you think I should give a porter the next time I arrive at SDQ with 2 big suitcases AND a dog kennel?
Thanks!!
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
Hi:

Put the items in your suitcase, pack them well and walk through customs. I have done it with various items many times. You will be ok.

LTS
 

edm7583

New member
May 29, 2007
388
32
0
My advise would be fly into POP or PUJ and put the TV in your luggage and dont declare it under any circumstances, PUJ has never stopped me or anyone for that matter when I have traveled there. POP just keep walking and no speakie spanish, If they insist on stopping you hand the guy a 10 dollar bill and keep walking. Never had a problem doing this. SDQ you can also get thru 80-90% without being checked. STI is definate NO GO!!! They put all bags thru xray on leaving airport and will see the TV and you will have to pay a few hundred dollars. Good luck.


My experience is the exact opposite. The only place where customs ever checks my bags is in PUJ. Perhaps I do not look touristy enough compared to the other passengers so I stick out. Even pretending not to understand Spanish didn't work. At SDQ and especially at STI, tourist passengers are in the minority, and when a gringo arrives they barely even look at you. New 19in lcd tv's, desktop computers, and small appliances have been in my luggage at SDQ (and they are not listed on the form) on many occasions and I simply push my trolly past the customs officer, handing the form to him or her as I pass without even stopping, and the officer does not ever bother to stop me.
 
Last edited:

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
If you pull the wires and plugs that flat screen tv looks like a comuter monitor screen and not a tv. So its a monitor for your lap top. Pack the remote some where removed from the tv. No big deal. Done it a few times.
 

Randall Bell

New member
Feb 17, 2012
266
0
0
My advise would be fly into POP or PUJ and put the TV in your luggage and dont declare it under any circumstances, PUJ has never stopped me or anyone for that matter when I have traveled there. POP just keep walking and no speakie spanish, If they insist on stopping you hand the guy a 10 dollar bill and keep walking. Never had a problem doing this. SDQ you can also get thru 80-90% without being checked. STI is definate NO GO!!! They put all bags thru xray on leaving airport and will see the TV and you will have to pay a few hundred dollars. Good luck.

Good advice!

Also, try dressing like this, to throw them off your scent. just keep saying "HOLE,A!" "HOLE,A!"

Tacky-Tourist-Costume.jpg


ps - sorry accidentally clicked 'dislike on your post after clicking like.
 

slas7713

Member
Aug 9, 2004
275
13
18
I too just brought one to my wife last month, brand new wrapped in cloths. I flew into STI and they just waved me through as usual.
 

CaptnGlenn

Silver
Mar 29, 2010
2,321
26
48
My experience is the exact opposite. The only place where customs ever checks my bags is in PUJ. Perhaps I do not look touristy enough compared to the other passengers so I stick out. Even pretending not to understand Spanish didn't work. At SDQ and especially at STI, tourist passengers are in the minority, and when a gringo arrives they barely even look at you. New 19in lcd tv's, desktop computers, and small appliances have been in my luggage at SDQ (and they are not listed on the form) on many occasions and I simply push my trolly past the customs officer, handing the form to him or her as I pass without even stopping, and the officer does not ever bother to stop me.

good point. the few times I've seen people searched at PUJ they have looked like locals and NOT tourists. Being a redheaded rubio... I'll look like a tourist forever. LOL I guess the gringos get a pass.