New Phone Jomrok / Customs duty in Lebanon

TrollFatGuy

Hey guys. I wanted to ask about the new law implemented on imported phones since it involves most re sellers in Lebanon as well. Does anyone know which shops have phones where their Jomrok is not paid? In other words, I'm thinking of getting a phone from Amhaz and second-guessing myself, especially since it is quite an expensive phone, and I am wondering if anyone knows about any bad experiences buying from Amhaz? How about Phonefinity? Or any incident in general that involves buying a phone from within Lebanon (not personally importing a phone)?

Thanks in advance.

xazbrat

Personally I wouldn't touch Amhaz--they have a pages long thread here, especially if you are getting an expensive phone. I think the law implemented on private parties buying was supposed to even the playing field for the resellers, so you shouldn't notice a price hike because the law was put into effect. In any case, if the phone is expensive (I am guessing Iphone), see if you can have someone bring it back with them from Dubai or another gulf state/region. The phones will be cheaper than here, but I am guessing the ones in Europe will be the same price or higher. You can also be more assured that the product will be genuine.

ironman

@TrollFatGuy,

As i understood the "Gomrok" is 16%

A friend of mine wanted to get the iPhone XS 256 GB, and he was willing to get get it from another country (it costs 1230$ there), if you add the 16% you will get 1426$

He got it from here eventually for 1425$ without the whole hassle. Everything is good so far.

Good luck.

TrollFatGuy

Hey xazbrat, the price difference is actually quite significant though... And its the XS Max or whatever the fuck its called nowadays. @ironman, where did your friend get it from?

xazbrat

TrollFatGuy wroteHey xazbrat, the price difference is actually quite significant though... And its the XS Max or whatever the fuck its called nowadays. @ironman, where did your friend get it from?

I meant the difference between importing a phone paying the taxes compared to what is in the stores. The prices are pretty close. Before, when we weren't required to pay the taxes, you're right, there was a significant difference between the two. You could have ordered straight from Amazon and paid shipping and handling here and nothing else--now you have trips to MoT, Libanpost, customs and who knows what else.

As for Iphone xs max, I saw it on phonefinity for $1550 and if you were to find someone to bring to you from Dubai, it is $220 cheaper or more depending if you want facetime (whatever that is with it).

ironman

TrollFatGuy wroteHey xazbrat, the price difference is actually quite significant though... And its the XS Max or whatever the fuck its called nowadays. @ironman, where did your friend get it from?

A friend of mine who is an Amhaz Reseller. Everyone is an Amhaz reseller in the end.

nuclearcat

Just yesterday broke my phone and bought fast replacement at some road store. Guess what... you have 88 days to pay at Libanpost.
Wont argue, as he sold it under retail price even, i might just pay or use it for testing things, it was anyway quick replacement.

NuclearVision

nuclearcat wroteJust yesterday broke my phone and bought fast replacement at some road store. Guess what... you have 88 days to pay at Libanpost.
Wont argue, as he sold it under retail price even, i might just pay or use it for testing things, it was anyway quick replacement.

Not like this wasn't anticipated... I doubt the guy knows about it.

nefe_lpmk

My friend went to Libanpost to pay the fees. They told him, we have no information or tables to tell you what to pay or where to send it.
They advise him to wait till the 90 days expire and then see what happens or if new procedures come out.

chosen2k

nuclearcat wroteJust yesterday broke my phone and bought fast replacement at some road store. Guess what... you have 88 days to pay at Libanpost.
Wont argue, as he sold it under retail price even, i might just pay or use it for testing things, it was anyway quick replacement.

If you have the invoice report the shop && send the "khidmat el moustahlek" up on his ass.

nuclearcat

chosen2k wrote
nuclearcat wroteJust yesterday broke my phone and bought fast replacement at some road store. Guess what... you have 88 days to pay at Libanpost.
Wont argue, as he sold it under retail price even, i might just pay or use it for testing things, it was anyway quick replacement.
If you have the invoice report the shop && send the "khidmat el moustahlek" up on his ass.

This model retail price is 210 Eur, he sold me for $200. He thought i am tourist and wont stay in country. So i guess, at least with me, he is fair.
Most likely sellers like him is trying to get rid from "deadweight" phones that turned out imported illegally, and no one will compensate them costs of such mistake (sometimes they buy phones from some wholesale places, and such "importers" after new law just will disappear and leave such small shops with "deadweight" phones), and now is not the best of times for such small shops in the villages, to punish them.
If i will continue using this phone, i will pay jomrok by myself.

mmk92

Any updates of this? I heard that LibanPost are saying that the jomrok payment has no final decision on it.

I would like to get a phone from abroad but the hidden costs are still unclear.

chosen2k

nuclearcat wrote
chosen2k wrote
nuclearcat wroteJust yesterday broke my phone and bought fast replacement at some road store. Guess what... you have 88 days to pay at Libanpost.
Wont argue, as he sold it under retail price even, i might just pay or use it for testing things, it was anyway quick replacement.
If you have the invoice report the shop && send the "khidmat el moustahlek" up on his ass.
This model retail price is 210 Eur, he sold me for $200. He thought i am tourist and wont stay in country. So i guess, at least with me, he is fair.
Most likely sellers like him is trying to get rid from "deadweight" phones that turned out imported illegally, and no one will compensate them costs of such mistake (sometimes they buy phones from some wholesale places, and such "importers" after new law just will disappear and leave such small shops with "deadweight" phones), and now is not the best of times for such small shops in the villages, to punish them.
If i will continue using this phone, i will pay jomrok by myself.

Imagine you are a regular customer who has no idea about the price in Europe and got sold an item that stopped working. In order to make it work again you need to pay customs.

Additionally, don't think the small shops do not know where their phones are coming from and that big importers just disappear.

In the decree http://www.mpt.gov.lb/images/Minister_Decree/MIRS-Edit.pdf it is clearly mentioned that these shops should directly inform of their "tehrib" phones and pay the VAT.

I am not advocating that you should report this specific guy, however I highly suggest anyone else who gets placed in this situation to get khidmet el moustahlek to fight for them by reporting the seller.

Question: Did he specifically told you that the phone will stop working? Or did he keep his mouth shut? If its the latter, then no one is stopping him from doing the same thing to multiple customers.

nuclearcat

chosen2k wrote Question: Did he specifically told you that the phone will stop working? Or did he keep his mouth shut? If its the latter, then no one is stopping him from doing the same thing to multiple customers.

He didn't talked english, and i can't talk arabic. Probably he tried, but i failed to understand him :)

Kareem

ironman wrote@TrollFatGuy,

As i understood the "Gomrok" is 16%

A friend of mine wanted to get the iPhone XS 256 GB, and he was willing to get get it from another country (it costs 1230$ there), if you add the 16% you will get 1426$

He got it from here eventually for 1425$ without the whole hassle. Everything is good so far.

Good luck.

Are you sure about it ? from what I know and from my experience, anything valued over $1000 will need a " bayen jomrokeh " and " mou3amaleh jomrokiyeh " that alone will cost you on average 250,000 LL

mmk92

Have any of you heard any news regarding this law yet? Do you know anyone who has had to pay?

I would like to order a Pixel but I'm still hesitant

beezer

I turned on my Huawei hot spot the other day and got an SMS about this. I never used it here but had it in my drawer from about a year ago, I use it when I'm traveling. Turned it on here just to update the firmware.

Very strange and ridiculous. How are they going to value an old used device? There is a libanpost near me, just haven't taken the device there. I thought they would put the IMEI and the value would come up. Better not be ridiculous, it's really dumb and more money grabbing.

dsoftware-king

S8+ were valued at 700 and charges were 195,000

dsoftware-king

Iphone 8+ costs 259,000

mmk92

@beezer I have an old LG G2 that I used in Lebanon for over 2 years before switching phones. Had to use it as a spare phone a few months ago and I got the customs message.

@dsoftware.king That's bs! That really agitates me, especially that you probably already paid taxes on those phones or have already been using them.

Did you have to pay those amounts already? Does this mean that the law is in effect?