Would a monitor bought from USA work in UK

Now get this. We here in UK are being leeched. Im gonna buy me a monitor from USA as they are substantially cheaper. I have family there that will be happy to post it to me. Now my question is with the power supply. Will the american monitor run on 240V? thanks

cant u get one of those adaptors that change the type out outlet and voltage, because if u have 240V, then the monitor will blow because in the US and Canada its 110V. ill look for the little converion thing be right back!

How much more is the same screen in the UK? After buying the Monitor in america and then buying the voltage converter the price might be the same if not more be careful.

which monitor are you looking at. maybe we could help you find a cheaper price.

rosso said:

Now get this. We here in UK are being leeched. Im gonna buy me a monitor from USA as they are substantially cheaper. I have family there that will be happy to post it to me. Now my question is with the power supply. Will the american monitor run on 240V? thanks

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From Apple's web page, hardware specs on cinema display ;

Electrical requirements
* Input voltage: 100-240 VAC 50-60H

You need to consider something more important than all of the above if price is an issue and this is the import tax that customs will put on your monitor as it enters the UK. The only goods that will go through customs import tax-free are those whose declared value is equal to or less than £ 36. These too however will get a Royal Mail tax on them which you will have to pay before it gets delivered to you (for something light, small and of little value, this works out at about £ 10). A monitor or any other item that costs a fair bit will cost you hundreds of pounds worth of tax. If the total is still sensibly cheaper than buying the item in the UK, then go for it, no matter how much customs will put on it, but if it isn't, you may as well buy the item here at home. Because you cannot disguise a monitor like you would for example a pair of really expensive Manolos (as in, it is something that will arrive in a large box and that your family will be really hard-pressed to declare as 'prints, total value $ 20), chances are customs will see the parcel, investigate and mark it up with the appropriate tax. Again, if the difference is still in your favour, go for it anyway, but have a look at the customs and excise website which will give you more accurate info on the percentages of the declared value that they use to add tax.

if they are family you can get them to mark it as a gift

if any questions are asked then there easy to answer as you can contact them, this solves the import tax problem

No, it doesn't. Your family will mark the parcel as gift, but even a gift will be taxed if its declared value is over £ 36. Now, unless your family will post you the monitor uninsured, which would be crazy, they will have to declare its value for insurance purposes and this will go on the parcel with the declaration. I get goods sent over from the USA very often both by friends and by stores I purchase from. Everyone puts 'gift' on the parcel but customs work by value and not just by 'gift'. This means that if they see something incospicuous in size AND value they will let it go without tax, bar the Royal Mail handling charge, but if they see a GIFT whose declared value is, say, $ 300 or $ 2000 they WILL tax it. Sending a gift, or non-gift item, that is valuable without insurance is not a good idea and that is where they will know what the value of the item is.

Stephanella I'll have to disagree with u a little there. Im forever buying stuff from the states, and i do spend serious cash! I regularly buy hi end expensive hifi equipment as it sells for silly prices there and the pound is really strong too. I find i get taxed when goods come from UPS all the time. FED Ex isnt as bad. USPS is king! Also i find that they tax the insurance value therefore i seldom insure anything and i know im takin a risk not doing so.

In which case you are absolutely fine by me. The point I am making is that if you do insure your goods, they will know their value (unless you grossly make this one up as being far less than it is, which would make the insurance pointless, wouldn't it?) and will not let it go. I too always prefer to get items sent through USPS because they hardly get a look in but, again, they do if they are insured for their actual value.

For your monitor you will need a converter and an adaptor and it will work absolutely fine. I too buy these sort of items there (I take them home myself when I travel) and I have never had an electicity-compatibility issue.

Stephanella said:

For your monitor you will need a converter and an adaptor and it will work absolutely fine. I too buy these sort of items there (I take them home myself when I travel) and I have never had an electicity-compatibility issue.

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There should be no converter needed for the monitor, since it states that it operates from 110-240v, 50/60hz. An adaptor might be required to plug it in, or if it takes a standard "8" plug or kettle lead, it's easily swapped for a UK one. Even if not, an adapter costs a couple of pounds max.

As to the prices, I've tended not to be charged when importing, but in this case even if there is the standard duty plus VAT, there will STILL be a saving of more than 10% over the UK price. If saving tax and duty as well then it's more than 20% cheaper.

Still, even if paying duty and VAT you can watch the election this week wondering who's going to get to waste your money....

Moadib said:

Still, even if paying duty and VAT you can watch the election this week wondering who's going to get to waste your money....

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Man do you have any idea how much TAX I pay a month?