<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Sep 18, 2011 at 9:51 PM, Stan Goodman <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:stan.goodman@hashkedim.com">stan.goodman@hashkedim.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div class="im">On Thursday 15 September <a href="tel:2011" value="+9722011">2011</a> 18:22:25 you wrote:<br>
> Hi Stan,<br>
> First, you need to decide which OS based do you want your phone, and<br>
> maybe which brand.<br>
><br>
> If it's Android, then Galaxy S-2 or the old Galaxy S could fit the<br>
> bill. Hebrew support can be added to them easily.<br>
><br>
> You can buy from eBay, but make sure that it support the band that<br>
> your cellular company supports.<br>
><br>
> Good luck,<br>
> Hetz<br>
<br>
</div>I've ordered an HTC Aria, from Amazon rather than ebay, for what seems<br>
to be the low side of the going rate on both sites ($255), and device is<br>
now in the care of FedEx, en route.<br>
<br>
I had been congratulating myself for what I saw as a coup, until I had a<br>
chat today with FedEx, who informed me that taxes due on the shipment<br>
will be NIS 516.38, which is far greater than I had expected. and which<br>
pretty well wipes out any price advantage from purchase at<br>
Amazon/ebay.etc.<br>
<br>
Perhaps I have become spoiled by the low customs rates of late for<br>
computer gear. Can this sum really be right, not an error or an act of<br>
revenge by a crazed and vindictive customs agent?<br>
<br></blockquote><div><br>"Phones" are taxed (IIRC) 16% by the state of Israel. Anything with a declared value > $50 (or the customs guy thinks it's > $50 even though it was declared lower) - will have to pay relevant import taxes and V.A.T. So 16% because it's a phone, add 16% VAT. And yes, shipment is included in the calculation of the "goods". <br>
<br>Does the sum still look weird?<br><br>-- Shimi<br></div></div></div>