I was looking for a gaming laptop with US/international keyboard layout and I have noticed it's basically impossible to find one in Switzerland, so I decided to go for a "build your laptop" service.
I have seen PC Specialist CH offer great prices, but they don't say anything about import taxes or similar.
(I know the company is British, but maybe they have branches in Switzerland)
Did someone order a PC/Laptop from PC Specialist CH?
We sometimes used to buy developer laptops with US keyboards and a replacement CH keyboard - it's easy to swap them on many models.
In principle, rather than going for a full custom build you could do the same in reverse. And you then have a CH keyboard in case you decide to switch or sell it on in CH later.
Plus any other charges such as Swiss VAT if not already included and customs charges
Translated from the .ch website:
"If you order products from our website for delivery outside the UK, they may be subject to import or export taxes and duties which are levied once the shipment reaches the specified destination. The recipient is responsible for paying all import taxes and duties. Please note that we have no control over these charges and cannot predict their amount. Please contact your local customs office for more information before placing your order.
5.8 Please note that shipments to countries outside the UK may be subject to possible controls by your local customs authority."
If I could somehow order a laptop with US layout within Switzerland would be great, but I have seen that besides no shop willing to order it, prices are very high compared to outside.
I have bought a MSI laptop in 2013 from the States, 2300chf import taxes and shipping included.. Same model was selling for ~4000 here...
If it was not for the covid(delayed shippings) I'd have considered doing the same..
Dell.ch do US keyboards on their gaming laptops and they aren't "that" overpriced on the most recent models. It's hard to give advice unless you tell us what your budget is, but be aware that Nvidia will soon release their new generation of Ampere mobile GPU's, so you may regret buying now anyway.
In the end if you have to buy now then why not just buy a Swiss keyboard laptop and get used to it? HP Omen gaming notebooks are the best value overall.
I had my son's gaming desktop computer built by PC Specialist. The import duties are NOT included, and you have to pay them when you receive the package. In my case, the computer cost around Fr. 1600 (excluding accessories, monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc), and I paid around Fr. 150 in import duties and taxes. When I searched for options, it turned out to cost roughly the same, all included, as building it myself (buying a stock computer was not an option).
Edit: I logged in, and it cost exactly Fr. 1633.31...not far from my recollection.
My budget is 2000-2200 max. I need a laptop right now, as mine broke and I am left only with my desktop.
Among the other things, I use the laptop to write technical documentation in English only, so I'd prefer not to change the layout as this is what I am used to.