OK. Just landed arrived home and I realised I left something back in the UK: my mobile phone.

I was thinking of getting this sent over by mail and suspect I will get Switzerlanded for all kinds of duties VAT etc. even though I bought the phone here in Switzerland.

Does anyone know the right way to label, form-fill, chant the right incantations to allow this to be sent to me without being charged a lot of money? Thanks.

Get it sent to one of those German post box services & collect it from there.

Good question!

Personally, I do not know for sure. But would suggest writing something to the effect: Swiss telephone with Swiss telephone number and subscription" on the box/customs form. If they get curious and open the box, they will see a Swiss provider on the SIM card.

If you pickup the box and charged any costs, ask the post office to open the package with you. They can verify the Swiss subscription on the SIM card and (though you may have to pay the charges up front) help you to get a refund.

Please let us know what you do and how it works out for you!
JC

If they send it to you via the Post and mark it as a "gift" and as being under 100 CHF, then you shouldn't be charged a thing. You can also have them write on the customs form that the phone is not new and is being returned to owner.

I shipped 20 boxes to myself (from the U.S.) when I moved here -- marked each one as a gift valued at under 100 CHF and also marked "personal belongings" on the custom forms and never paid anything.

Good luck!

Don't do that if it's clearly worth more than 100 CHF, if it gets checked then they'll charge what they think it's worth plus a fine. And they're less likely to entertain a claim about it being your own phone.

If you do have it sent by post, send it surface.

Most mobile phones contain lithium batteries. They are considered to be dangerous goods. As a result, very few post offices can accept them because of the strict rules set by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Just ask somebody who is coming back from there to bring it (plenty of folks are there right now for hols and will come back shortly)..

I could take it from London to Basel next Monday if that's of help.

Thanks for all the offers, unfortunately, the device is up in sunny manchester. But I hatched a plan.

I'm having the SIM card sent to me and will ask a friend who lives in Germany bordering Basel if he will accept the phone...

They can just send your sim card maybe? And you buy a cheapie here.

I left my phone in the UK once last year, and a friend sent it in a bubble wrap envelope via ordinary post, with battery, with sim card. NO problems and nothing to pay at this end.

Have it sent declared as a personal item forgotten after a trip.

I repatriated a Cartier watch from Canada using this method. It was Fedexed but ordinary mail should be ok.

Sent you a PM

Sorry, there's this strip of water between the two nations and they don't put post onto ships any longer.

If the package contains known "Dangerous Goods" you should declare that at the point of shipment and face the potential frustration of not being able to send it. Do not lie about the contents! Seriously.

forgot mine too in germany (2006), was sent over and no vat charged as i think custom saw it was used already...

It is a used, forgotten item. The sender needs to put this information on the customs declaration form and it should not be a problem.

Pay me an Easy Jet flight, plus drinks, and I'll make a day out of it and bring it back for you. I am sure there is a pub or two worth drowning my holiday debts into.

+1, but...

Long way around, but I will be meeting folks from Manchester in a couple of weeks... if we can pass it around and you can get it to them, they will bring it to me at our meeting and I can bring it back. Long winded, but could be an option.

The American in me can't get past the thread title. It's so...... visually stimulating.

Update!

Well, I've been overwhelmed by the generosity of EF members having received many suggestions and offers to bring my ill-fated blackberry back from the UK.

I just made a round-trip from Zurich to Basel and back again to pick up the device after an EF member kindly brought it back from the UK. The trip may or may not have involved a trip to Pickwicks on the way

Events have reminded me of a couple of things:

- Despite the trolling and robust debate on EF (and I think most of that is good-natured anyway), almost all members I have met have been decent people and EF is really a great community

- Out of a bad situation can come interesting opportunities. So I was without my work phone for a few days (boo hoo ) but I got a chance to meet and have a hearty chat with an EFer who I would have not ordinarily met; and also upped my culture points (read 'taming of the shrew' on the way there and back)

So thanks to all for a good start to 2013!

Phil