Brazil/South America BTO MB Air Shipping times

Hi,

I've been seeing a lot of posts in this forum in which customers from Europe and Usa are only taking about 1 week to receive theirs built to order macbook airs...

I feel glad for you but, at the same time, very disappointed with Apple's shipping times to my country.

I ordered a BTO MbAir 11/8/256 on 21st June. The problem is that apple's website estimates my laptop will be shipped in about 2 to 3 weeks!! Do you believe that!?

I shall be receiving it, if everything goes right, in a MONTH! I don't understand what is the problem with our shipping times since we have plenty of airports here in Brazil, so they don't need to send things through roads or overseas.

And before you ask, i did order mine through brazilian apple's store site, which, as you may know, was updated simultaneously with all the other apple stores in the world, right after WWDC.

As an Apple fan, I just want to register my insatisfaction!

Bob Coxner said:

I would think you should be complaining much more about the 100% customs duties imposed on Apple products in Brazil.

American Apple fanbois would be shocked by the cost in Brazil. The base 13" MBA, for example, is 4999 Reals or US$2417 when purchased at the local Apple store.

My Brazilian friends buy all their Apple gear in Miami or NYC. Even with the cost of a flight and hotel, they save money and never seem to have a problem with customs when they return.

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Agreed! However, when you buy it here in Brazil, you can travel to other countries without having to worry about the customs.

If you buy it in the US and take it with you to Brazil, whenever you travel internationally, every trip is going to be full of tension, since the customs may catch you and obligate you to pay the unpaid taxes (about 50%) plus a 100% penalty.

Since i travel a lot, I'd rather have peace of mind and pay the full price.

Bob Coxner said:

Buy one in Brasil. Return it unopened but keep a copy of the receipt. Then you can show that receipt if necessary when returning through customs with the one you bought in the US.

My carioca friends have made the US buying trip many, many times and have never had a problem with getting a used computer through customs when they returned. In an unopened box might be risky but outside the box and clearly used should be perfectly safe.

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The idea is ok if we don't consider the fact that they check the serial number.... At least at Recife's AirPort

Bob Coxner said:

If you're really paranoid, Photoshop is your friend.

My friends always fly into SP or Rio and never have a problem there. It must take hours to go through customs in Recife if they're checking serial numbers on everything people bring with them.

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Exactly! Takes hours to pass the customs in Recife... And every bag passes through the X-Ray... Things are really dificult here... The photoshop idea is nice, however, as a lawyer, i wouldn't take that risk, specially because we would be dealing with the federal police, so, if anything goes wrong, we very probably will end up in jail.

Considering all these facts, i prefer to buy it here in Brazil