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Buying a Mac in the States

C

cake

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Hello.

I've noticed that it's cheaper to buy a Mac in the States. Do you think there'll be a problem using their Mac in the UK? Obviously there is the voltage difference so I would need a voltage converter but is there anything else I should be aware of?

Thanks alot for your help! Any comments however minor would be greatly appreciated!

Cake
 
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A friend of mine took his Powerbook (US spec) to Europe (including the UK) and had no problems. He carried along a power converter kit he bought from an Apple Store.

I honestly don't think you'd have any problems.
 
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There is some sort of royalty tax % you have to pay to import that mac I believe...
 
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C

cake

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Thanks for the info surfwax95 and Graphite.

Graphite, any idea how many % this royalty tax is?
 
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I remember some posts before about importing a Mac and it ended up costing more to order from the States and import it to the UK than to just get it in the UK.

I believe you will be charged a VAT of 17.5%. Maybe other costs, and I don't think Apple US will even ship to the UK.
 
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You'll have to pay import duties if you're stopped by customs and can't show them a UK receipt for the computer.

And as others have noticed, apple (and most other retailers) won't ship macs to the UK.
If you go to the states on a trip and don't bring it back in the retail packaging, you're unlikely to be stopped by customs... but if you are, you'll end up paying more than you would in the UK.

Plus also remember that the US prices don't include VAT. It is less than in the UK (it varies from state to state I think, at something like 7% vs. 17,5 % in blighty), but when you consider it, the price difference isn't that huge anymore.
 
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surfwax95 said:
A friend of mine took his Powerbook (US spec) to Europe (including the UK) and had no problems. He carried along a power converter kit he bought from an Apple Store.

I honestly don't think you'd have any problems.

LOL

its a laptop, they dont use power converters... they are 100-240

whats the point of a laptop if you gotta carry a bigass converter with you :D

the powerbrick (or any other laptop since like the early '90s) come with 100-240 adapters :)
 
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C

cake

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Hi, Thankyou so very much for your answers! Really really helpful I must say. You are right - probably not worth the hassle after all for a miniscule saving! :)
 
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taseal said:
LOL

its a laptop, they dont use power converters... they are 100-240

whats the point of a laptop if you gotta carry a bigass converter with you :D

the powerbrick (or any other laptop since like the early '90s) come with 100-240 adapters :)
He's probably just referring to the socket adapter kit apple sells...

It has different attachments for the different shaped sockets around the world...

LOL Lolercopter!
 
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Aptmunich said:
He's probably just referring to the socket adapter kit apple sells...

It has different attachments for the different shaped sockets around the world...

LOL Lolercopter!

Correct.

ROFLCAKES
 
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Aptmunich said:
You'll have to pay import duties if you're stopped by customs and can't show them a UK receipt for the computer.

And as others have noticed, apple (and most other retailers) won't ship macs to the UK.
If you go to the states on a trip and don't bring it back in the retail packaging, you're unlikely to be stopped by customs... but if you are, you'll end up paying more than you would in the UK.

Plus also remember that the US prices don't include VAT. It is less than in the UK (it varies from state to state I think, at something like 7% vs. 17,5 % in blighty), but when you consider it, the price difference isn't that huge anymore.

Well actually in the states we don't have a VAT :biohazard we do have sales tax, which is 5% for me. some lower in places some higher.
 
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I believe the only other difference between the us and uk versions besides power is the keyboard. The uk keyboard is a little different being that 1 or 2 buttons have different functions and the enter key is a different shape.
 
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You would not get stopped by the UK customs, they have no one on duty most of the time. However they do have phones that you can use to declare yourself, so that you can pay some extra money. And of course they only ask you wait 20 minutes.

The BBC did an investigation and the guy on the phone said:
"If you can wait 40 minutes we will send a customs officer"

Though you might be unlucky....and of course the US customs..


However if you do not have it packaged, then they would just assume its bought. I mean how many people carry reciepts for old items when you travel abroad.
 

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