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How to order from dell US for non US citizens


Michael

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Hi all.

I currently live in Israel and here, as well as in many other countries that i know of the price difference when buying computers between local Dell and Dell US is huge.

So, i decided to try and by my new M17x from dell US.

I thought i'd share my knowledge since some of the members here asked me to explain how i did it.

There are actually 2 things stopping a person from ordering.

1. Dell US won't ship anywhere except US.

2. You need a US issued credit card to complete your payment through the website. (there's also a paypal payment option, but that does not work either since your credit card that paypal uses has to be us issued too)

I solved the first issue, using a mail forwarding service.

There are lots of them available and shipping rates vary, i used US Mail Forwarding, International Shipping | MyUS.com as they seemed the most reliable company but feel free to do your own research.

Easy shopping in the U.S.A also is worth consideration .

Now for the next part - i was able to pay using my international credit card over the phone.

I tried lots of support numbers but i found that using 1-800-999-3355 (blackhawk team i think) gave me the best results. Their team is very professional and they are actually in the US :).

I created my laptop setup, added it to cart and saved my cart.

Then i called customer support explaining that i am not a US citizen but i have a shipping address inside us and a international credit card that i wish to use to pay for my laptop. That did the trick.

There's also a wire transfer option available, but i can't verify that since i used the credit card path. But i was told this is an option by one of the reps.

I should also note, that Dell will most certainly try and contact you over the phone to confirm your identity since the purchase is made with international card. So you should also have a US phone number and that number should preferably be from the same city as your shipping address otherwise it raises red flags. (shipping address from one state, phone number from another and credit card from another country does look suspicious).

To get a US phone number i used Skype as it is reliable and relatively decently priced.

To have a US phone number call your cellphone using Skype follow those 2 steps:

1. purchasing a US number from Skype that is forwarded to your Skype account

2. Forwarding your Skype account (in case you're not logged in to Skype) to a cellphone - rates apply..

1. go to Free Skype calls and cheap calls to phones - Skype, login or create a user, and get to your Account tab.

From there choose Online Number -> get online Number -> Choose US -> Choose Florida -> Choose Sarasota -> Choose a number and activate it. Now you have a number that when called will redirect you to your skype account.

2. Now all you have to do is set up Call forwarding :

From Account tab : Choose Call Forwarding -> Add number -> follow the on screen instructions to complete the wizard.

Now test, just call the number and watch your cellphone ring ;)

Please note, that i still need to pay forwarding to Israel which is about 200$ with fedex plus i will need to pay import tax when it arrives here.

But i found that it is still marginally cheaper than buying the same configuration here.

One more thing, if you want your warranty to become international you have to buy the complete care (they call it advanced warranty now) for three years. Anything below that will get you US only warranty. (Which is transferable to your country). The difference being, that with complete care, you do not have to transfer your warranty to get service abroad. (with some limitations)

Thought it was worth mentioning too.

Note that HIDevolution.com - Specializing in customized computers, electronics, and mobile devices for gamers and professionals can order the system for international buyers for a small fee and ship it. But if you want to be in control of the whole process, my way is better, and cheaper.

Guys this is pretty important...

I had my first two orders canceled, just because my credit card is not US issued - Dell just classified it as fraud, automatically, without even speaking to me before.

They way to go about it is to demand, at the time of purchase, that your sales rep makes contact with the "credit card order processing" department. Make the rep explain to them the situation (you're abroad, shipping to US address etc) and make them approve the order at the spot.

So, do your math and good luck!

Edited by Michael
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My way is to order from someone in the usa :P

Haha! That's if you have someone willing to shell out that much money and then go through the hassle of sending it to you. Not everybody have that.

Plus Myus shipping rates are waaaaay cheaper than sending it the normal way.

Shipping a 20+ pounds laptop via fedex abroad is very expensive. With myus it's about 60% cheaper.

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Nice guide mfractal! I can see this being very useful for people outside the US, especially those in Europe that have to pay exorbitant prices for computers and other electronics vs the US.

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