Is it cheaper to move household furniture and appliances from USA to Jamaica?

Question

We are moving to Jamaica in a couple of months. We are moving to stay and raise our childen. Does anyone know if it would be cheaper to move all of our household belongings from USA to Jamaica, or to sell our furniture and things here and buy new when we arrive there. I know that you are allowed a housefull of furnishings duty free but would it be cheaper to start fresh there or are furniture, appliances, televisions etc.. expensive there???? Please help, any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

Answer 1

well, i think you should buy furnitures there but with US dollars.

Answer 2

Everyone is correct. ALL your major appliances & furniture will not only cost you MORE to purchase in JA, its of lower quality. So well work the ridiculous duty & imort taxes you'll pay ( you say your exempt, but not sure how ).

Give you an idea: Side by side fridge in the states about $800-$900....in JA it'll cost $1,800 or more. A Rooms To Go opened in MoBay about 3 years ago. Last year they closed their doors ! No one can afford even THAT store IN JAMAICA, as they are forced to pay all the surcharges too and pass it on to you.

Answer 3

ship your stuff and pay the duty, as said earlier, better quality and if you do find it in JA it will cost at least an arm and maybe even a leg to boot!

i have shipped some household items in the past and if you are civil with the duty guy when you go to the holding area at the custom duty dock, which is away from the airport, you can claim a $1000 item for $500 and so on... the shipping food down is some excellent advice as well!

Answer 4

my advice to you is to ship your furniture and other stuff down it is way cheaper

Answer 5

Things are expensive there...You should definately ships your things...the amount you would pay for shipping is nothing compared to what you will have to pay to replace those items in Jamaica....I know you didn't ask but, you might also want to ship down "Barrels" of food...Here is a link that will give you an idea of what I'm talking about if you don't already know.....(just a suggestion)...I suggest that you buy your own groceries from your supermarket ( you can start now by picking things up that are on sale)  and pack them in the barrels yourself...cheaper this way...

http://www.packabarrel.com/food_barrels....

Answer 6

Ok. if you consider some items BY THEMSELVES. the savings are not that great, especially LCD TV's and other items.  

You get the real savings when you can move your items in BULK. When you are importing half of your household equipment as a single shipment for example, you will pay a lower shipping fee (comparable to what the stores pay to ship the same items).  Here are some mroe pointers:

1. You can easily 'mask' (hide) smaller items in the shipment. Customs officers dont have the time to identify EVERY item. Just the one's that they think are the most expensive.

2. When providing an invoice for the shipment, you may put lower than actual figures as the purchase price. You pay less for customs duty as a result. Most people put the 'used goods' price on their invoice.

3. Because duty is based on the total cost+insurance+freight, the fact that you are paying significantly less (per item) for shipping will also reduce customs duty payable.  

4. Be careful about having too many 'duplicate' or 'quantity' items. Bringing 10 TVs, for example, may lead customs to belive you plan to sell them. They will treat you differently.

5. If you are a Jamaican citizen moving back to Jamaica permanently, you can get huge duty waivers. Check with the consulate before shipping.

6. ALWAYS, take the time to discreetly ask the officers to 'work out a thing for you'. It also helps if you are the kind of person who brightens their day a bit. (Friendly, s**y helpless female with a phone number for easy disclosure).

Answer 7

ship di thing dem dung, it cheapa.