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Question: Buying a Mac - International Pricing / Buying
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Offline
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Hello all
I've noticed that the price of a new 15" MBP 2GB/160GB is about GBP434/USD844 cheaper on the Apple Store USA compared to the Apple Store UK. This is a significant saving.
1) Does anyone have any experience in buying from another Apple online store? Can it be done? Does buying from the USA store require postage to a USA location, etc?
2) Aside from the obvious keyboard, power supply differences, what else should I look for?
3) On the power supply matter - can US MBP run happily on UK 240v with the requisite plug adaptor?
Cheers
jt
(Last edited by Espresso_; Feb 19, 2007 at 09:48 AM.
(Reason:Typo))
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Actually, its even cheaper in Canada...
Prices (15" MPB C2D 2.33 2/160) for comparison:
Canada: GBP 1,288 (USD 2,506)
USA: GBP 1,335 (USD 2,599)
Australia: GBP 1,670 (USD 3,250)
UK: GBP 1769 (USD 3,443)
jt
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Houston, TX
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The majority of that 32.5% price premium (UK over US) is VAT.
No problem with 2&3, but 1 will be the sticking point. The online Apple Stores only ship to their own country, and even if they shipped abroad you'd get nailed with import tax.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Hrm - this may now become an issue of tax rather than Apple buying...
Does the price on the US Apple Store vary from state to state based on local taxes?
Should I assume the price as specified is sans-state taxes? (I didnt specify my location when pricing the model).
Right now I'm thinking the best method would be to get it shipped to a friend in the USA, and have him mail it to me.
jt
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: The decaying ruins of Old New York
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Originally Posted by Espresso_ 
Hrm - this may now become an issue of tax rather than Apple buying...
Does the price on the US Apple Store vary from state to state based on local taxes?
Should I assume the price as specified is sans-state taxes? (I didnt specify my location when pricing the model).
Right now I'm thinking the best method would be to get it shipped to a friend in the USA, and have him mail it to me.
jt
You'll very, very likely have to pay sales tax in the US. Usually, if an online store has a brick-and-mortar location in the state you're shipping the item to, you'll have to pay tax. The price can vary pretty significantly - I believe that New York is up to like 11% tax, while Indiana is at 7%. That's not so bad for small items, but if you're looking at a $3000 computer, it's a decent enough amount of $$ to be worth taking into consideration.
You may still have to pay VAT or import tax if your friend ships the item - usually import tax is only waived if the item has a low declared value and/or is physically small. A high-end laptop imight tip off the feds that you're trying to avoid import taxes. Your friend could declare it as a gift, but it's just hard to tell what will work with something like this.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2007
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I've just been reading the Customer Care stuff on the Apple Online Store (Canada). It appears that a Canadian credit card may be required to make the purchase in any case. Not insurmountable (I have friends in there) but yet another consideration. Plus I need to take into account Ontario's 14% GST.
Getting complex....but still, the savings are significant.
jt
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