Importation of a mobile phone using Borderlinx shipping company

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Hi everyone,

I intend to buy a mobile phone from eBay and use the services of a freight forwarding company, namely Borderlinx. I've already used the calculator from the site to get the total costs to be paid but I wonder if, despite the company claims that no charges need to be paid upon delivery, will our customs in Mauritius oblige me to pay for the regular 15% VAT + Rs1045(fee for the importation of a mobile phone)?

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gices Level 6

Not all companies ship anywhere in the world. So if you see a bargain on the internet and they don't ship to your country, you can use the services of Borderlinx as it gives you a local address in that country.

So if the mobile you're buying is from Germany and they don't ship to Mauritius, Borderlinx will give you a German address managed by Borderlinx. When they receive your phone, you are notified and can then choose a shipping method. Their shipping rates may or may not be cheaper than other couriers and once you go ahead with a shipping method, the parcel is sent to you.

Now once this arrives in Mauritius, it will be subjected to custom charges. Everything that comes to the country has to be checked, otherwise illegal things would be easily introduced.

If the shipping company understands the current legislation around importation of goods, they could then factor that in their costs and waive off those charges from you but I don't think it is the case with Borderlinx.

Therefore not only will you need to pay custom charges but you'll also need a certificate of conformity for the phone.