Getting a mate to send a PSP from Japan...

[fatherjack]

Hi,

I've decided that I'm too impatient to wait for the UK release of the PSP and I have asked a friend who is living in Japan to price up a PSP, a couple of games and postage costs. By my reckoning, a value pack with Ridge Racer should come to ?130 for the PSP, ?25 for the game and approx ?15 postage (that's what my mate's guess is anyway). A total of ?170.

Basically, my questions are:

1. Am I going to get hammered by customs for tax on this? If it is sent as a gift, is it likely to get through or should I expect customs to hold up the package and tax me on it? I've read quite a few threads on here about people getting taken for huge amounts of tax and other charges. Is this because the packages are coming from import companies rather than private individuals?

2. Does the Jap release of Ridge Racer have English language support? My Japanese is a bit, erm, non-existant Same with Lumines - is that in English too?

3. Should I just be more patient and wait for the UK release

Cheers!

[Saurian]

Not sure about 1.

2. Does the Jap release of Ridge Racer have English language support? My Japanese is a bit, erm, non-existant Same with Lumines - is that in English too?

Ridge Racers is like 85% English - only save and load options are written in Kana, mostly everything else is English with some Japanese subtitles (pause menu Retry etc are also in Kana). Lumines is in English, again apart from load/save warnings.
(learn Katakana while you wait for it to arrive! it wont take you long!)

3. Should I just be more patient and wait for the UK release

Nah 8)

[Geoff D]

Why not just factor in a customs charge into your budget - then you're not surprised if you do get hit & it'll be a bonus if you don't.

[The Game]

Would it be possible to mark the packaged down as Repaired Machine, don't know whether that would help with the import duty.

[Neodog]

I bought my PSP from a Ebayer in Japan. He marked my package as a Used Game worth $39, then sent it EMS shipping. I did not get any custom charges and the machine arrived in perfect condition

[SUMIRE]

Someone should make a sticky on question one, it's a common question people keep asking...over and over ...

[fatherjack]

Sorry to bore with the repetitive questions, but thanks for the answers. Think I'll just go for it and keep my fingers crossed over the tax. I'll get one sooner than UK release and it should work out cheaper too.

I'll start brushing up on the old Katakana!

[Crossed fingers]

Wouldn't mark it down, someone on this forum, think it was the boatman, had his absolutely smashed to bits by a courier company. If it was marked down, you can wave goodbye to insurance.

[gossi the dog]

That was due to poor packaging - the PSP itself was fine. Pack it well and provided it doesn't go missing you'll be fine.