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>> Backpack is a company that arbitrages the cost of goods in different countries by using international travelers as a distribution network I don't understand this one - with a world focused on security and import taxes, how does this work out?
I loved it when they started including non-profits, and I'm loving that they're including biotech/medical now. They (Gingko/Glowing Plant/Bikanta) sound insane and very risky, which is exactly the ideas the best incubator in the world should be funding. Casual observation, none of the above describe themselves as "X for Y".
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Uber for massage. Currently in LA operating for a year, expanding across the country over the next few months.
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- Well,I have a partial understanding of this. Its typical for people travelling back to South East Asian countries to buy stuff that are super expensive there ( like mentioned in the original explanation , MacBooks are expensive ; Xbox , Playstations , Premium Watches , Booze (due to local taxes) ; mostly electronics and high end fashion stuff. - With respect to import taxes : You wont be stopped by the customs unle…
you dont know the german BGS ... if you dont have a receipt for anything electronic that doesnt look like its 5 years old you are basically fucked. additional to the tax you have to pay you get a hefty fee because its treated as tax evasion. you can do a lot of stuff ... but not tax evasion.
But thats not the case in developing countries. Products priced at an affordable cost in USA , could be insanely expensive in developing countries.
- If there is a lot of risk involved in carrying stuff through backpack , does it offer a certain insurance policy for the travelers ? What if the product gets seized by customs ? or you are levied a large unexpected fine ? The service doesnt seem to offer any advice on these at all.
You can also be fined, arrested and imprisoned for smuggling. This is what you can expect if you have 4 laptops and 3 iphones in addition to your own and you didn't declare anything to customs.
Foreigners have a higher chance of talking their way out of it as long as there's some plausible reason why you have so much "personal stuff".
Chances are fantastic you'll go to prison if they find you work for a smuggling ring, like if your photo is on backpackbang.com as one of their mules.
>> Backpack is a company that arbitrages the cost of goods in different countries by using international travelers as a distribution network I don't understand this one - with a world focused on security and import taxes, how does this work out?
Many airports only do spot checks on bags and they're specifically looking for their own citizens smuggling locally-expensive luxuries in by the suitcase. This will be a short-lived company because if you have a significant volume of stuff you don't declare you will either be taxed on the spot or arrested. If you have a discrete amount of stuff then you'd need eg, 5 or 6 people to fulfill an order for 10 iphones, and…
- "The way airports works in these destinations" - Customs officials don't stop and question everybody ; in most cases - if you are dressed well and speak respectfully , they let you go.
- I have heard Mumbai and Bangalore Customs officials could be unyielding at times ; they stick to the rule book and levy all taxes if caught . Not the case for other airports in India ;
- I m not sure about airports in Bangladesh ; Thailand ; Nepal ; Sri Lanka ; Malaysia and Indonesia - I guess the founders do have a certain insight into how these airports work.
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Many airports only do spot checks on bags and they're specifically looking for their own citizens smuggling locally-expensive luxuries in by the suitcase. This will be a short-lived company because if you have a significant volume of stuff you don't declare you will either be taxed on the spot or arrested. If you have a discrete amount of stuff then you'd need eg, 5 or 6 people to fulfill an order for 10 iphones, and…
It is encouraging illegal activity, though, correct?
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you dont know the german BGS ... if you dont have a receipt for anything electronic that doesnt look like its 5 years old you are basically fucked. additional to the tax you have to pay you get a hefty fee because its treated as tax evasion. you can do a lot of stuff ... but not tax evasion.
Hmm .. This is expected though! The customs in developed countries are far more stringent . But I m not sure if this is targetted at European customers at all . Is the price difference between USA and Europe big enough for any one to try this service ? But thats not the case in developing countries. Products priced at an affordable cost in USA , could be insanely expensive in developing countries.
I can't figure out the reason why some of these companies got selected into YC. I can see why Bikanta, Helion Energy, Ginkgo Bioworks, BitAccess, and ProductHunt might get in. However, some other companies look like run of the mill startup. I use non-YC companies on https://news.ycombinator.com/show , ProductHunt, and AngelList for comparison. In comparison the quality signal of recent YC companies (the ones not ment…
I guess the top voted HN product/startup either don't choose YC or may be something like that. huh, can't say anything.
YC claim that they put money on founder rather then product,i am sure they have seen something certainly.
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Hmm .. This is expected though! The customs in developed countries are far more stringent . But I m not sure if this is targetted at European customers at all . Is the price difference between USA and Europe big enough for any one to try this service ? But thats not the case in developing countries. Products priced at an affordable cost in USA , could be insanely expensive in developing countries.
MBP Retina 15", top of the line $2,499.00 in the us, 2,499.00€ ($3,327.94) in germany . its exactly the savings range that they are targeting
1. Are these due to local taxes in Germany ? 2. Is this price difference common in other parts of Europe as well ?