Can I order an iPhone 5 from the US to the uk?

Okay, So iPhone 5's are like uber cheap in America, Where as over here they are like £500! My friend said he will happily send me one over if I want and once I've received It I give him the money back etc but yeah… Is it legal and how much will the duty be on the item?

It is legal but the duty will be very expensive like £100-£150

Yes, It's legal.
If a phone is blocked to the country. It will still work in another country.
As the other person said, It may cost an extra amount of money, so work it out and if it's still cheaper I don't see why not.

Perfectly legal as long as your friend buys it outright.
If it's on a contract it's not his to sell.

UK Customs will charge VAT on the value at 20% of what it's declared at on the customs form, plus a few quid handling fee from the post office or whatever carrier brings it in.

Make sure it's sent insured, it's a lot to lose if someone is careless or dishonest…

Uk customs will only put a huge customs charge (of money) on it if your friend writes 'brand new iphone' on the package. If he sends it priority mail (insured and with online tracking) but writes gift, electronic, and gives it a lower value, it won't.
Its worth the risk as its unlikely itd get lost, tho if it did he/you would only get a refund on whatever value he had declared on it.
Fed ex or ups would be faster, and tho they cost more than priority, are another option.

If the full value is declared you have to pay 20% of the value of the item and 20% of the price of shipping, i think. If he uses a used jiffy bag, rather than making it look eye catchingly smart, its more likely to get through without being checked.

I buy stuff from the US all the time and i've not had anything caught by customs in ages, so i've wondered if they have been looking less recently.

If you both have paypal accounts, or access to someone elses, you can send him money instntly, without him paying any fee on it, if you just choose send money. Bpaypal usually charges to receive funds, but there are options to send money without it.

Can your friend get me one, ha ha? Id def pay him for the trouble!
Anyway, good luck with it!

The US prices include a contract, the UK prices don't, so it really isn't any cheaper.

Ebay and paypal - no duty

Yes but the customs cost will be £100 minimum

Be careful when you compare prices on Apples' US and UK websites - they're not offering exactly the same product.

The US headline prices for 16, 32, 64 GB versions for $199, $299, and $399 are for versions with a two-year contract with one of the US telecom networks, AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon, so you would be committed to paying the US network provider for 2 years in addition to the headline price.US prices also don't include State sales taxes. You would also be charged 20% VAT by UK Customs.

The UK prices of £529, £599, and £699 are unlocked so you can use a SIM from any UK network, and they include 23% Irish VAT (since their European distribution centre is in Ireland).

I'm not sure about the tax and all dude. In Amazon UK its 645pounds.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/...000E3ZO2C/