I was wondering, is there any reason why I should buy the Steam Deck abroad in France instead of in my home of Canada?

So I (Canadian) am surprising my friend (from France) with a Steam Deck in October when I go visit them. It will just be the cheaper LCD version, since they won’t care about (or notice) the difference in quality.

Aside from buying adapters for the plug, I literally can’t think of a reason why I should buy it directly in Europe as opposed to getting it in Canada. It would be a lot easier since I can have it delivered to my address, don’t need a specific day and time for it to be delivered, don’t have to deal with any issues of ordering things in a foreign country (sometimes you need to have a local address to order and have things delivered, etc)

That said, I wanted to still check and see if there’s something I’m forgetting or just outright unaware of. I know there’s specific power requirements for the Steam Deck, but mine worked just fine with an adapter when I was last there in January.

  • mbirth@lemmy.mlEnglish
    12·
    3 days ago

    https://www.douane.gouv.fr/fiche/volume-and-value-based-customs-and-tax-allowances

    Value-based allowances, which apply to goods you’re carrying (purchases or gifts), mean that you don’t have to fill in a customs declaration or pay tax or duty. You don’t have to declare goods (including gifts) so long as their total value or their quantity doesn’t exceed the allowance limits.

    The overall market value of goods cannot exceed the following amounts:
    Arriving by plane or ferry: €430

    Any item whose value exceeds the limit must be declared and you will need to pay the amount of value added tax (VAT) and customs duties that would usually apply. These duties and taxes apply to the full purchase price on the receipt or an agreed-upon estimated value.

    If you are bringing multiple items into the country, each item will count toward your overall limit; once you reach the limit, any surplus goods will be taxed.

    Also note that the Steam Deck contains a Li-Ion battery and thus isn’t allowed in the cargo hold. So you’d have to take this into your carry-on onto the plane.

    EDIT: Oh, and since it has a Li-Ion battery, you’ll have to take it out of its packaging and have it scanned separately during the security check. At least that’s how it usually is when travelling in the EU.

    • Owl@mander.xyz
      4·
      2 days ago

      So you have to pay taxes if you bring your phone with you ? (Since it is probably more expensive than 430€)

      That a doesn’t seem to be how it goes.

      • MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz
        6·
        2 days ago

        The difference, like the other commenter already pointed out, is whether you take something across a border, and then leave it there.

        If you take the stuff you brought with you, back when you leave, then you didn’t import it. Import tax is exactly that, a tax on stuff moving from one country, to another. If you bring it in, and then out again, nothing changed.

        As such personal items aren’t subject to this, because the owner is coming and leaving with them. Technically there’s a whole song and dance that should happen when you come and go, but that’s massively inefficient, so customs will just sit there and trust that if you have something to declare, you will.

        And a lot of the time people don’t. Like a phone they bought while abroad. That’s technically something you need to pay for, but it’s not that harshly enforced. It just doesn’t matter compared to the import taxes collected for large commercial shipments.

        • Obi@sopuli.xyz
          3·
          2 days ago

          If you’re a professional travelling with expensive equipment you’ll need a carnet which is precisely the “song and dance”. Basically a list of all the stuff, they look at it and at your stuff when you come in, then again when you come out.

      • mbirth@lemmy.mlEnglish
        2·
        2 days ago

        Technically, yes. And you would be able to ask for those taxes back upon returning to your home country (with the same phone). But since this would create huge queues at the airports, nobody actually enforces that.

        However, travelling with e.g. 2 Steam Decks or with one in its original packaging raises suspicion and you could get stopped when going through the green portal at the airport.

    • xkbx@startrek.websiteOP
      1·
      3 days ago

      I haven’t had any issues last time when I brought my OLED Steam Deck into France, and typically I only bring carry-on. Then again, I also really don’t mind traveling light.