Oh my gosh, I finally noticed this thread before the deadline! (I’m usually under the wire due to how I read QT3.)
In!!!
I’m in for my first year!
We’ve got critical mass so the game is on! Invite all your QT3 friends. :-)
Signed! The people of Qt3 are great, and I’ve learned a bit more on how to maximize the giftage. Can’t wait to go shopping for my santee :)
I, too, regularly read this thread long after any deadlines have passed. Eager to participate this year.
Absolutely I am in! Love this and one of the ways I feel most connected to the Qt3 community being such a small post count participant.
I am both exhilarated, and deeply frightened to throw my hat into the proverbial ring.
Damn. I almost missed this. This should be pinned to the top. I’m in. Thanks, fire.
Edit: Oh hey, I’m number 16. How about that? An even number.
Oops, I thought it was. I’m apparently still learning the basics in Discourse…
-Tom
In! So in!
I’ve been eyeballing this thread year after year, and always wanted to participate, but was too dirt-poor to do so. Well, now I can afford it, but I have a question before signing up. I’m in the EU, which means that I have to pay a hefty import fee on any deliveries from outside the EU worth more than about $12. I don’t know if the same applies in the US or elsewhere, but I’m sure this must have come up before. :)
Is there some way to communicate this to my santa, so he only sends a low-priced gift, or alternatively, sends it from within the EU (amazon.co.uk, .de, .fr, or similar)? I know I can just choose to be paired with someone from my country (there are a couple of us), or region (a couple more), but I’d rather go ALL IN!!! :D
You can limit who your santee is, and there is a notes section that I’m sure fire would work with you on. I can attest that shipping products from the US to the EU is quite costly, to speak nothing of import duties for the receiver, so I imagine she’ll try and make it work for you.
Shipping costst are indeed something to consider if you don’t want to overspend. But I doubt you’ll have to worry about import fees. I haven’t had to pay any in the Netherlands, and I don’t think my Santees in the USA and Canada had to pay anything either. And isn’t the bar at something like 50 dollars, not 15?
Thanks! I don’t imagine it will be much of a problem either, but thought I’d ask since I’m new to this.
In Denmark it is indeed $12 (80 dkk) and that includes shipping costs (which you’ll also have to pay sales taxes on). The import fee is about $25 on top of the taxes. I’ve been slapped with that a few times, when importing dvds and the like, and it sucks. Usually, they don’t check parcels marked gift, but sometimes they do.
Anyway, I’m in!
Seriously? Man, that sucks…
Anyway: good to read you’re in!
I’m in as well, will sign up later tonight!
Neither reindeer nor sleigh breakdowns nor FedEx delays shall keep this Santa from his making his delivery! Well, maybe that last one, but we’ll sort it out…
Fire. If I get Tom again I’m going to call shenanigans. ;-)
In my experience, import fees really depend on what’s being sent and how, on top of the value of the item.
And of course.on each country’s custom policies (which vary within the EU)
In general, I’ve had import fees on items I bought from abroad, but not on items that where wrapped as a present. If there’s no invoice or a very low value declaration attached, custom offices tend to take that at face value and don’t double check (had a 500 euros package from chine being charge customs on 100 euros only because the slip only I clouded shipping charges).
Amazon seems to have agents at several customs offices and US amazon purchases seem to go through unmolested (sometimes Amazon makes you pay an insurance on import fees, sometimes doesnt).
Fibally, the size of the packet matters. A big box is more likely to be checked the a small one. Games I imported through play Asia have never been charged with fees.
So yeah, small or medium size box, sent through regular mail (couriers seem to be checked more often here), packed with present wrap and a Merry Christmas message has low but non zero probabilities of being checked.