about free samples

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Greetings,

I'm thinking of requesting some sample opamps from

Texas Instruments
-- OPA627
-- OPA2134
-- OPA4134
-- TL072
-- TL074

Analog Devices
-- AD797
-- AD8610
-- AD825

National Semiconductor
-- LM3886
-- LM3876
-- LM833

I was wondering how much tax (if any) people had to pay when their orders arrived. I am particularly curious of how much Australians had to pay :)

The end of the school year is 2 months away, so I'm looking forward to building an opamp-based minimalist preamp, active filters (for sub and mains), power amp and preamp with tone controls :D

Thanks in advance!

Isaac
 
US has NTR with Australia

for importation into the US you can find the tarriffs on the State Department website (but you really have to dig) -- I am certain you have a similar functionary in Aussieland.

It is amusing to go through the tariffs and see how the stuff is manipulated by companies and interest groups in the US. for instance, if you are a cell-phone manufacturer there is no duty on the importation of headsets, if you are an audio buff, there is duty on headphones imported from abroad (I think it's 4.9%).
 
f4ier said:
I was wondering how much tax (if any) people had to pay when their orders arrived. I am particularly curious of how much Australians had to pay :)

You have to pay tax and custom fee according to local laws.
The companies send out the packages on original value, only for custom issues.
Check out, how much is the limit in Australia to get the products without tax and custom fees.

At least in Hungary is about 12-15% custom fee + 25% tax is coming, if the package is over 20USD... :xeye:
 
Thanks for your replies!

Good luck looking for information from our government's websites :D I went ahead and requested the samples, let's just see how much duty one has to pay.

A kind lady at AD was kind enough to give me an ETA on the samples -- 7th Oct. -- and she mentioned I didn't have to pay anything as AD pays for everything including duty :cool: Let's hope so :) TI, however, clearly stated I might have to pay extra when the package arrives (on 4th Oct.); I can't recall if National mentioned anything about additional charges.

If memory serves me well, I didn't have to pay any local tax when I ordered nearly 80-AU$ worth of CDs from overseas. I was also interested in making a DSP-based subwoofer equalizer, using samples from TI, but I think I'll wait for my first requests before anything else.

best regards,
Isaac
 
They mark the shipment with "Sample No Comercial Value" so that you can avoid the taxes. That`s one of the reasons that you are not alowed to resale the samples.

I have recived a lot of samples with no taxes, and here in Norway we pay lot`s of taxes (car`s and beer is twice the German prices).

Once (1998) I recived a sample package where they had stated the true value => 20$ tax on two dac`s...
 
Can you give me some extra info?

Hello,

I want to ask a few questions about free samples. I live in Yugoslavia and there's no chance to get them here, but I have a friend in Philadelphia and she doesn't know anything about electronics. Im also interested in AD and TI/BB mostly.

When I want to make a profile on some of those sites what are "the best values" to put in the fields like Company name, job, business, No. of employees, primary purcasing channel... because for Company name I will have to make a fake one:( and also when ordring samples, those like - how many components your company will use on an annual basis etc.

Does it make a difference at all???

Will they ask some more questions, or call my friend on the phone, because she won't have many wise words to tell them :D

Also... what is Job title?

Sorry for so much, maybe stupid, questions, but I really need those answers because it's first time for me to try to order them.

Thank you :)
 
Thanks again everyone! Zero or very small duty means more $$ for miscellaneous parts :) I just received email from all three companies that the samples are on their way.

Rendisha,

If you're not comfortable with giving your personal details, just provide information that is "close enough." It really doesn't matter much as the information you provide is just for survey porposes. Just don't put silly details; after all you are getting free samples in return :) I wouldn't know if they call you after a certain amount of time, this is my first ever request for samples. Perhaps the others can reassure you on this matter.

Job Title is the name of your line of work or position held in a company -- are you an Engineer, Accountant, Student...

Isaac
 
Now I use my workplace as company since i work with electronics production (www.Kitron.com).
Earlier I used my private home address and made up a company name.
Only problem with using my home address was that the parts usually arrives by car during daytime when I`m at work.
Nobody home => no samples delivered... :(

I have gotten a telephone call from BB once regarding a DAC sample and I have ordered lot`s of samples.

Just tell her to say that you are out and that the part`s are for som project you are working on. Worst case you miss out on that sample.
 
Usually Texas is shipping on DDP parity (Delivered, Duty Paid).
So, this is the best one.
But other companies (National, Analog) not, if I remember well.

And yes, I put also the company name on it, and my home address. In the beginning the forwarding company has delivered it to company (because of company name), but later on they just call me before the company entrance, and I got the package in daytime to my hand.
Sometimes we have lucky to work for big electronics company ;)
 
TI have max 8 samples pr week.
AD have max 6 samples pr week.
From AD you can order only 3 different partnr pr week, from TI you kan order up to 8 part nr pr week (only one of each).
I think National have same plicy as AD.
So you can order 3-8 times pr week pr company depending on how many pieces you order of each partnr.
 
My english is`nt 100%...

What I meant was: from AD you can order 1-2 of each part nr and up to 3 different part nr each week.
From TI you can order from 1-3 of each part nr, but total max is 8 pieces pr week.
So if you order one of each you can order 8 different parts, but if you order 3 of each you can "only" order 2 different partnr + 2 pieces of the 3. part nr.

Do you understand my bad Norwegian-English :confused:
 
What are the samples of?

I purchased a program of how to obtain samples of audio and video equipment. But you have to lie about a bunch of details if you want to use the things you get for personal use. Esspecially if you don't own or work for a company. Is that what you people are talking about?

I was told that it's illegal and I would be investigated by the all-mighty FBI. If any one is interested I can post the text file on here describing how to get free samples, it sells on ebay for $5-20. Not sure if it's allowed though.
 
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