I'm having a little spot of "joy" completing the required hoops to be hopped through for customs with a UPS shipment. Sadly the UPS support people online don't know their derrieres from their elbows and didn't even agree with their own website. So I thought I'd ask if anyone has experience in this area.

Essentially I am posting a care-package with a few bits and pieces (magazine, chocolate, valentines card etc) along with a laptop. It's not for sale etc so I know on the FCC form 740 I can enter "see box 7 in part 2" for the FCC ID, and check the corresponding box lower down.

I've been able to bung in the laptop's model identification info, description, and I'm assuming as I'm a private individual the trade name is "n/a". I've got the manufacturer's address in on that field, and the consignee as the recipient (thanks to google defining that for me!).

The rest, I'm assuming I'm the importer as the sender, and not UPS as the carrier, so I've put my info there. But as for the rest, I'm flummoxed.

I can't know the date of entry, the entry number, port of entry (my parcels land in various places from Georgia to Kentucky and Texas). The Harmonized Tariff Number is gobbledigook to me.

UPS just said not to bother and tape the address label and invoice to the parcel, but the FCC form is specific that the form MUST accompany items such as computers. So I'd rather give it my best shot at avoiding having Customs hold onto the package for a fortnight while someone gets around to deciding what to do.

Am I on the right track? Any pointers? Experience?

Thanks in advance!

I have no experience, but I suggest that you are not "importing" it, and the form is not relevant. You are simply mailing personal property.

I may well be wrong. If so, it seems like too much hassle, just carry it with you when you travel.

That's what I'd hoped, but the following bit worried me:

"Anything that is electronic, battery operated, or capable of sending, receiving, or interfering with radio signals may be considered a radiofrequency device.
Examples of such devices include radio and TV receivers, converters, transmitters, transmitting devices, radio frequency amplifiers, microwave ovens, industrial heaters, ultrasonic transceivers, and computers.

"FCC Form 740 provides the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with a declaration that imported radio frequency devices meet with FCC standards or
will be brought into compliance with applicable technical rules. This form must be completed for each radio frequency device, regardless of value, that is imported into
the customs territory of the U.S. If the FCC 740 form is not provided the data elements should be provided on the commercial invoice to support the required FCC.
A separate form must be used for each different radiofrequency
device or component in the shipment."

Sadly, waiting is not an option on this occasion. My lady friend is heading away from home for a while and cannot take her hardware with her, so the laptop is heading out to her earlier than me so that she can stay in contact before my eventual arrival (not for a few months yet). Daft thing is it's already hers and yet it's not a straight-forward process.

Look up "importing". Why would the rules be different for your laptop if you bring it with you or mail it? The only difference is security controls, not customs.

I don't know the answer to this specific question but my personal experience with something similar might be relevant.

I loaned 5 pieces of electrical equipment (accelerometers/posture sensors worth about £1,250 total) to a colleague in the US.

He returned them 6 months later, via UPS or FedEx, can't remember.

Arrived just fine, no problem.

About THREE MONTHS later, our finance office sent me a bill they received for VAT.

Even though these were used goods, returned to owner, and FedEx/UPS had told the sender what forms to fill in and what to say and it clearly stated return of used goods to owner, they treated it as an import of commercial goods ... so, things aren't always treated as you'd expect.

Ironically, the items in question are manufactured one floor below my office!

It all got sorted in the end and I know what to do next time to avoid it (complete a form when mailing them out in the first place, so when they come back there's a record that shows they are being returned). It was a bloody pain dealing with it all, though.

Used to have to do a commercial invoice stating "items for personal use, will be re-imported on or about (insert date) " Never had problems sending loads of electronic stuff to/from the USA.