Take an LCD on the plane?

cAPSLOCK · Post by **cAPSLOCK** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:02 pm

I'm currently eyeing the Viewsonic VX2025wm 20" wide-screen format LCD screen. I can easily get it for the equivalent of $588, but at newegg you can get it for $400...

Who thinks it's a good idea to take it back to europe in it's original box, inside my suitcase, dampened with clothing?

Obviously it won't be broken in two, but vibrations and perhaps harsh air pressure and temperature conditions might do some harm...

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 2:00 am

Who thinks it's a good idea to take it back to europe in it's original box, inside my suitcase, dampened with clothing?

I think your main problem will not be getting it back in one piece, but getting it through Customs (Douane); they will almost certainly charge you VAT (or whatever the equivalent tax is in Switzerland) on your purchase.

cAPSLOCK · Post by **cAPSLOCK** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 2:23 am

jaganath wrote:I think your main problem will not be getting it back in one piece, but getting it through Customs (Douane); they will almost certainly charge you VAT (or whatever the equivalent tax is in Switzerland) on your purchase.

Yep, but VAT is 7.6%, so that makes $430, still a lot cheaper!

justblair · Post by **justblair** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 3:56 am

Just flew on a boeing 737 and it had tft screens that popped down for safety instructions and flight info. So I would think that the problem wont be pressurisation. (luggage is pressurised these days AFAIK)

But luggage handlers.... Not the most careful.

stupid · Post by **stupid** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 10:45 pm

justblair wrote:Just flew on a boeing 737 and it had tft screens that popped down for safety instructions and flight info. So I would think that the problem wont be pressurisation. (luggage is pressurised these days AFAIK)

But luggage handlers.... Not the most careful.

If I had to bring an LCD on a plane, I would bring it as a carry on and not bother checking it in. Who knows how it will be handled? Who know if it'll be stolen?

cAPSLOCK · Post by **cAPSLOCK** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 11:27 pm

stupid wrote:If I had to bring an LCD on a plane, I would bring it as a carry on and not bother checking it in. Who knows how it will be handled? Who know if it'll be stolen?

Yes but I think that the box is too big to be hand luggage...

Elixer · Post by **Elixer** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 1:23 am

If you can fit the original box inside your suitcase go for it! The boxes that they ship LCDs in have a ton of padding. Baggage handlers are about as rough as people at UPS and Fedex so I wouldn't worry about damage. The only thing I would worry about it theft, but no one is going to steal it if it's in a suitcase. Other conditions I wouldn't worry about. Pressure isn't going to do anything to it, and they're not going to heat it above 40C which has zero chance of damaging it. If you have the room I don't see any reason not to save yourself $100 or more.

ultrachrome · Post by **ultrachrome** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:52 am

I'd worry about warranty being honored if you had problems once you brought it back.

quikkie · Post by **quikkie** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:16 am

ultrachrome wrote:I'd worry about warranty being honored if you had problems once you brought it back.

that's almost guaranteed - if there are problems with the screen you will have major problems/arguments getting support or returning it.

If you take the risk and it all works out then great, otherwise get ready for a major pain in the bum.

FWIW I'm thinking of doing something similar

cAPSLOCK · Post by **cAPSLOCK** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 10:24 am

quikkie wrote:
ultrachrome wrote:I'd worry about warranty being honored if you had problems once you brought it back.
that's almost guaranteed - if there are problems with the screen you will have major problems/arguments getting support or returning it.

If you take the risk and it all works out then great, otherwise get ready for a major pain in the bum.

FWIW I'm thinking of doing something similar

It's good to know I won't be the only one

For the warranty, I'll check the screen for dead pixels and other problems before going home, then if there is a problem it would be my fault anyway

I think I'm going to try to wait until my summer holiday, the extra savings will go into a better computer at the end of the year

That's if one of my 6+ year old CRT's doesn't explode, and if I can live with the high pitched sound the one has recently started to make

Take an LCD on the plane?

Is taking an LCD in a suitcase on a transatlantic flight a good idea?

Take an LCD on the plane?