Old Cell Phones, Can they be used
Replies: 18 - Last Post: Sep 8, 2012 4:48 PM Last Post By: dream_cuba
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Old Cell Phones, Can they be used
Hello - Heading back to Havana next week. Like most Canadians, I and my friends have a few old cell phones in the back of the junk drawer. Do you expect any problems from Aduana if I take 5 or 10 phones in with me? No SIM cards of course. Will the locals be able to get them working? Will they be appreciated as gifts ? Old Nokias, Razrs, a couple of Blackberry's. Thanks.1
My girl told me my old blackberry storm had value in Cuba but I couldn't ever find all the pieces to send to her.When you realize that the things we most applaud the newer phones for are all dependent on having a constant internet connection, and only that feature really differentiates them from some of the older models, it makes sense that the older phones are as valuable in a country without an internet connection.
You can still make calls and send/receive texts and they all have truly cool games.
Unlikely to be an Aduana issue if you scatter them around in your luggage so they don't show up as a "cluster" of some sort.
2
Do you expect any problems from Aduana if I take 5 or 10 phones in with me?If they detect/find them - yes they will be dutiable. Probability of search/detection not great.
Each of the past few trips we've done the 40CUC sim card deal and then given the phones we took to friends/relatives on our departure. It's amazing how that drawer fills up isn't it with such dross?
3
In Cuba, almost everything work, or we make it work :-)regarding aduana, try to put 2 per friend in the luggage, you can say one is for use in cuba and the other your personal one, and of course, cubans will very happy with that
5
Going by their most recent published Customs regs, you can bring in up to 3 phones, without it being considered a commercial shipment which has completely different regulations, forms and approvals.So, I would expect, if found, you'll get to keep 3 cel phones and lose the rest. You may also pay duty on the 2nd and 3rd ones, though. Tariff varies depending on type of phone.
47.Teléfonos celulares gama baja (solo para llamadas y mensajes)
Unidad
20.00
48.Teléfonos celulares gama media (SMS, cámara fotográfica, conexión bluetooth u otra)
Unidad
50.00
49.Teléfonos celulares gama alta (Blackberry, Iphon, y similares)
Unidad
100.00
11
GSM is a given.Quad-band phones include the 850 and 1900 MHz bands - used in the Americas - and 900 / 1800, used in most other parts of the world.
Some tri-band phones support the 900 - 1800 - 1900 bands, a quad-band phone adds support for GSM 850 for full coverage in the Americas.
Some tri-band phones support the 850 / 1800 / 1900 bands, a quad-band phone adds support for GSM 900 for full coverage in Europe and Asia.
900MHz is usually the "off band" for the western hemisphere as I understand it.
I only have only used quad-band phones in Cuba so am unclear what the "orphan" band in Cuba is. In any event, it's somewhat of a moot point, isn't it?
14
Bob je je je je - yeh such opportunites are like hen's teeth for me too so seque into............dream_cuba - whether the phone is single,dual, tri or quad the crucial thing for Cuba is that the phone operates on 900 Mhz.
Personally I still pine for my (more than 10 year! ) old Nokia - which I know is still up and running in Cuba.
Mrs A just bought me for my birthday a Sumsung Galaxy111 which has a zillion more functions than I will EVER understand or want to understand. What's wrong with using a phone just to make phone calls - he asks plaintively?
