Send old laptop from Europe

I've had a new laptop sent to me in a BB box with no problems and have heard others say they have sent TV's and all sorts of electrical goods, for myself I have sent over electric tools, Sanders Planers, Jigsaws and a Halogen Oven, I'm not trying to say these things are exempt from import taxes just that I have done it so many times and gotten away with it, out of around 20 boxes I guess just about everyone had electrical goods of some form and never yet had a problem.

 

Similar - we have many electrical items shipped here, including a laptop.

 

It may depend how you send it. I know for a fact that there is a customs officer attached to the Dumaguete post office who's only job is to make life miserable for people receiving valuable packages by mail. Seldom a problem but if they focus on your package it can become one. If sending by mail you can either take your chances or ask them first.

 

Like was said by dave1952, send in a balikbayan box should be no problem, don't use mail or courier.
If it is only to send an old laptop though it might not be worthwhile to do so, considering the cost of the balikbayan box. Check out the cost of a cheap alternative from Lazada or Shopee before you decide. Lazada has new Dell laptops starting from around 10k peso and cheaper for less known brands.

 

I'm sure we could all find plenty of stuff to fill up a BB box, old clothes, shoes just about anything we have no further use for can be utilised there in PH, Chocolate that goes down well, OK it does melt a little so it must be sealed in another box, sometime it takes on a white surface but that is just the cocoa butter coming to the surface and nothing to worry about. Toys amongst the children of the working classes are not all that common, last January I was buying up toys in the sales paying around 25% of the original price and was able to fill a box for a spend of around £100. I filled another box with clothes and shoes gifted from my sisters, when I send 3 boxes I get the third one cheap at £20, the majority of Filipinos have received little of any gifts in their lives, my Partner there once told me all she ever had was a wooden doll as a child, Yes for a very small spend you can bring a lot of pleasure to the people over there.

 

We've NEVER had a problem in Dumaguete, Cebu yes... 90% of the time, PhilPost values stuff so duty is 100 pesos plus 12 vat = 112... I'd have to agree with selling it back there (or give to a friend). Buy a new one here at Octagon, probably cheaper than shipping/ customs. We send stuff quite a bit. Shipping Cart, before it imploded in December, NEVER had a problem with customs, as long as you kept it under 12 of any one item...

 

I do wonder if the recipient of this Laptop will even have WiFi?

This is an absolute no brainer to me? you have asked the question how best to send an OLD Laptop this being something old but in good working order, you are unlikely to have the intention to give brand new and quite rightly so as they will just Feck it up anyway, so the Balikbayan box is a great way to go and there is no need to consider duty to be paid on this, on an offer I get 3BB boxes for $200US,,, for one on its own around $75, these have roughly 125ltr of internal space about the same volume as two large suitcases and no weight restriction, in this you can pack a load of your unwanted second hand goods, perhaps add some new from various sales, clothing of all descriptions even old T shirts with holes in, Do Dong will use this on the building site, you would want to pack the laptop in the centre of the box to avoid possible impact damage to the sides of the box, although the risk of this is low in my experience? with the variety of goods that can be fitted into this box you can bring much joy to a lot of people and especially to your Wife she is going to love that, sending presents to her family and friends, getting rid of her old Shoes and Handbags so she can buy new for herself.

 

And I have ONCE had a problem in Dumaguete. Although I do not know why we are capitalizing. Your failure to have a problem is no guarantee there will not be one, the same as my customs problem is no guarantee that sending a laptop will not be hassle free.

For anyone interested, I did NOT (there we go again) owe customs duty but the officer connected to the post office said something like: I say you do and it is up to you to prove you do not. I proved it and did not have to pay. But it was still a problem I would have preferred not to have.