Is this Fishy?

[davonz]

I wouldnt do it for someone i dont know. She is just using you, and customs might land you with a 50% tax on it which the landlady might refuse to pay.. Also if you are already bring a laptop its going to be hard to explain why you have another new one.

What i would do however is tell her you are already bring your own laptop, and that you are willing to sell it to her when you leave.. and if you want add a couple of hundred bucks as electronics are really expensive here..

 

[demokritos]

I've brought in 2 laptops many times. One is for work, one is personal. Sometimes they ask you, sometimes not; it has not gotten worse, in my experience, in my recent trips entering Argentina.

However, I agree with the multiple posters advising that it is important you not bring it in the box. It should indeed look used.

And yeah, this is a big favor. She should give you a rent discount.

If you are bringing your own personal laptop, NO way. Bringing two laptops into Argentina could cause problems at customs. It is all a crap shoot at customs. Some days no one cares, next day, forty questions. My way out of this situation is: Would love to help, but already bringing in my own laptop, phones or whatever.
Hate it when some unkown places me in such a situation, "could you bring me......"
Hell no, "you voted for Cristina and all this BS, deal with it."

 

[el_expatriado]

Customs doesn't do anything to foreginers. If they ask you something just shoot them a puzzled look and say "no spañol, only english" and they'll wave you right through.

I think my record was 2 laptops, 2 ipads, 2 iphones, a playstation 3, and 30 blu-ray discs.

No trouble.

 

[iamsillywarm]

Thanks El Expatriado! I'm excellent at looking dazed and confused.

 

[iamsillywarm]

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post. This is a wonderful forum and I was happy to see how quickly you responded. I decided, after reading what everyone had to say, to make it clear to my land lady that I would bring this one laptop to her as long as she was willing to pay any taxes I may incur. She agreed in writing via email. If she doesn't I will report her to the agency that books her studios. I will bring the laptop out of the original packing as well. When I am safely in the apartment I don't plan on doing anymore "Favors" for her as this request was not cool to ask of a stranger. Thanks again!

 

[Napoleon]

I would bring it.

It will be fine.

You might consider turning it on, changes the background, adding some folders onto the desktop just to make it look a little used. Nothing major, just so it give the impression that it has been used. Then the lady can change it in 2 seconds when she gets it.

I have a strict MULE, MULE, and MULE some more policy. I mule for my friends and they mule for me.

 

[Davidglen77]

Not to act paranoid but remember that question they always ask at the airport when you check in - "Have you received anything from anybody that does not belong to you?" Well, things have happened like drugs being hidden in seemingly benign items like children's toys, inside of batteries, and places that you wouldn't and couldn't imagine. That is why I would never and have never carried anything in an airplane that I personally didn't purchase. If that laptop gets scrutinized in any way, it's automatically your problem. Again, just a word of caution.

 

[Iznogud]

Napoleon, the key word in your reply is "friends". Clearly not the case here.

OP, how will you prove you spent some money to "fix" any inconvenience? Your word? If they decide to threaten to keep it and make you return to claim it it's going to cost you extra time and money. They may try that (instead of paying import taxes that they don't pocket themselves) to get a few extra bills
Just consider all the possibilities and how to work them at both ends.
Everyone pretty much agreed that it is the kind of stunt you pull only for friends (and I'll also add or decent profit).
What is the landlady offering in return?

 

[el_expatriado]

Not to act paranoid but remember that question they always ask at the airport when you check in - "Have you received anything from anybody that does not belong to you?" Well, things have happened like drugs being hidden in seemingly benign items like children's toys, inside of batteries, and places that you wouldn't and couldn't imagine. That is why I would never and have never carried anything in an airplane that I personally didn't purchase. If that laptop gets scrutinized in any way, it's automatically your problem. Again, just a word of caution.

Let's see... smuggling drugs FROM the United States TO Argentina... doesn't sound like a good business to me. The whole world wants to smuggle to the USA and the landlady of this expat is going to want to get drugs INTO Argentina? Give me a break. I think this is a paranoid message.

The landlady just wants to save a few bucks on taxes by buying a laptop in the USA. We don't need to make a federal case out of it. Either the OP does the favor or not. If it was me I would do it if I got a $100-200 discount on my rent.

 

[Iznogud]

While I understand your POV, drugs are not the only sensitive stuff to smuggle in or out of a country or into a plane.
You watch too much TV or not enough.

In any case, the trouble is well worth a couple of c-bills.