Hi

I am looking to import a DS Lite from one of these sites but before I do I'd like to know if anyone here has ordered from them before and what pitfalls I should look out for.

Are they both safe and reputable and also, what happens regarding customs? The site says that anything under $200 (before postage) is exempt. Is this correct?

Thank you

I use play-asia a lot and they are very reputable to deal with - quick delivery, good prices etc - BUT they do mark the items for import as what they are i.e goods and the value, so import tax is a bit of a lottery.

I got stung for 1 game (Nanostray on the DS) as I had to cough up around £4 import tax, but as I used Royal Mail for postage, they also charged another £4 for handling the import tax on my behalf, so it might be worth paying that little extra and use a service such as DHL or another courier they offer, as bound to be cheaper if you do get caught out.

Import tax varies, but generally, you are looking around 10-15% on average, so prepare yourself if you use play-asia.

I don't know about lik-sang, but they are quite popular and have a reputation for good service - but not sure if they mark their items as gifts (as this usually gets you off import tax) :D

Hope that helps.....

Thanks for your advice. Much appreciated.

I imported Resident Evil DS from Lik Sang and got stung for £9.

Won't use them again.

It will depend on what is marked on the box as value.

If it is over £18 (or £36 if marked as a gift) it will be liable for VAT and import duty. Plus on top there may be a fee charged by the courier too.

I've never used them, but I've heard good things about Yes-Asia - supposedly they'll pay your fees for you if you fall foul of customs. Anyone here used them and care to confirm?