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Buying a Macbook Pro in NYC

A

AnDi86

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 15, 2007
468
38
Ballymoney N.Ireland
Hey all,

i am a from N.Ireland and i am planning on travelling to NYC in September for a holiday. I am planning to buy a new MacBook Pro whilst there. One of my friends told me today of some new law coming in over there to stop folk coming ver and taking advantage of the weak dollar, that means if i go over there to buy said laptop I will get charged the full British price, unless i can prove i am an American citizen, if you can prove it you get the money back in a rebate?

I tried searching google for this but nothing came up, any of you guys or girls know if this is the case?
 
I don't know where your friend heard that, but it's ridiculous. If you come to the US you can purchase anything you want. Just make sure you have credit cards that the store will take.
 
You might get charged Import Tax but if you dont bring the box back, and carry the laptop in a bag, you should be fine :)

Ah jealousy is bad
 
oh yes i have it all planned out, buying a laptop bag and all over there and saying i brought it with me if anyone asks! I cant wait to see the apple store on 5th ave! supposed to be amazing!
 
You can protect yourself from any surprise changes in the exchange rate by using cash (US$) or US Dollar traveler's checks.

Spend your money here - - our economy needs it badly!
 
i reckon your friend is having you on for a laugh about the Law...

BTW, if you are in NYC long enough i reckon you should order MBP from refurb store coz they are in absolute amazing condition, brand new.. that would make good for a double saving.
 
Unfortunately i going for 3 nights then flying down to florida for the rest of the holiday! So dont think ordering a refrub will an option
 
Unless you order it before leaving and have it delivered to a friends house if you have any in USA and just pick it up...
 
becareful of sales tax that is ontop of the store price online..

I think in NYC its about 8%

That caught me out first time!
 
or just have someone else buy it for you..your friend..or other friend.. and then refund them, then you can claim as a gift.

either way you should have no problem.
 
AnDi86 said:
oh and if i bring my student card from a uni here can i get student discount?
Click to expand...

That's a good question. Try calling one of the Apple stores to see if they will allow it. I am guessing that they will not.

Do you have a friend in the US that's is a student?
 
Ive heard of europeans having problems with applecare when buying in the states. on an item like a mbp it might not be worth it in the long run... just fyi
 
NewYork sales tax is 4%, New York City sales tax is an additional 4%, and there's some other tax they also add on, so the total tax buying over the counter in NYC is going to be something like 8.15%. One way around this is to buy it online, say, at B&H Photo in New York, and have it shipped to your destination in Florida. Or maybe you could buy it over the counter there and have it shipped, or maybe you could order it from B&H from Florida and have it shipped there. This plan imposes some hassle that might not be worth the $175 USD saving to you - and note that this wouldn't work buying it from Apple since they charge sales tax in most or all states, unlike B&H which only charges sales tax on purchases in New York. No question, though, the simplest thing is to walk into the Apple Store and buy it outright, take it with you. Consider getting a bag to carry it back in (I'd hate to check it as luggage), and consider getting a MagSafe airline adapter for your flight back. AFAIK, most of the overseas flights use planes that have seat power - that's something you could check on http://seatguru.com.
 
interesting = problems with applecare...

problems such as? registering applecare for a machine bought in states?
or using it in UK?

curious as when i buy my next MBP it will be all the way from canada and wouldnt want to take any chances as i am going to spec it to the max.
 
Hmac said:
NewYork sales tax is 4%, New York City sales tax is an additional 4%, and there's some other tax they also add on, so the total tax buying over the counter in NYC is going to be something like 8.15%. One way around this is to buy it online, say, at B&H Photo in New York, and have it shipped to your destination in Florida. Or maybe you could buy it over the counter there and have it shipped, or maybe you could order it from B&H from Florida and have it shipped there. This plan imposes some hassle that might not be worth the $175 USD saving to you - and note that this wouldn't work buying it from Apple since they charge sales tax in most or all states, unlike B&H which only charges sales tax on purchases in New York. No question, though, the simplest thing is to walk into the Apple Store and buy it outright, take it with you. Consider getting a bag to carry it back in (I'd hate to check it as luggage), and consider getting a MagSafe airline adapter for your flight back. AFAIK, most of the overseas flights use planes that have seat power - that's something you could check on http://seatguru.com.
Click to expand...

Wow thanks for that but i will agree with you the simplest thing to do is to go in and buy it, which i more than likely will do! I am loving my own Macbook pro but a bit faster and a newer machine with multi touch and the like will be all good, and if i get a bit of a saving on it why the heck not!
 
AnDi86 said:
Wow thanks for that but i will agree with you the simplest thing to do is to go in and buy it, which i more than likely will do! I am loving my own Macbook pro but a bit faster and a newer machine with multi touch and the like will be all good, and if i get a bit of a saving on it why the heck not!
Click to expand...

just remember, if you need applecare service you might have to bring it back to the states to get it fixed. Ive heard this happen to others in Norway for instance... it might not be worth a few hundred in savings...
 
Hmac said:
NewYork sales tax is 4%, New York City sales tax is an additional 4%, and there's some other tax they also add on, so the total tax buying over the counter in NYC is going to be something like 8.15%. One way around this is to buy it online, say, at B&H Photo in New York, and have it shipped to your destination in Florida. Or maybe you could buy it over the counter there and have it shipped, or maybe you could order it from B&H from Florida and have it shipped there. This plan imposes some hassle that might not be worth the $175 USD saving to you - and note that this wouldn't work buying it from Apple since they charge sales tax in most or all states, unlike B&H which only charges sales tax on purchases in New York. No question, though, the simplest thing is to walk into the Apple Store and buy it outright, take it with you. Consider getting a bag to carry it back in (I'd hate to check it as luggage), and consider getting a MagSafe airline adapter for your flight back. AFAIK, most of the overseas flights use planes that have seat power - that's something you could check on http://seatguru.com.
Click to expand...

Sadly, (for US) even with that % of tax it's cheaper to buy here if you're from the UK. The Dollar is pretty weak...I saw it drinking protein shakes trying to bulk up.
 
I'm also planning to but a MBP in NYC, the difference after tax is at least 20% vs. the price in the EU for the 17'' version.

thechidz said:
just remember, if you need applecare service you might have to bring it back to the states to get it fixed.
Click to expand...
What about the standard 1-year guarantee, is that a worldwide guarantee or US only?

I believe you can buy the extra Applecare seperately untill the first year warranty expires. I'll check with a local EU supplier if they also do that for imported machines, extra business for them...

Another question: If I would go for the standard configuration, would I be able to find better deals with resellers vs. Apple Store on the 5th? Any suggestions?
 
Eelko said:
I'm also planning to but a MBP in NYC, the difference after tax is at least 20% vs. the price in the EU for the 17'' version.

What about the standerd 1-year guarantee, is that a worldwide guarantee or US only?

I believe you can buy the extra Applecare seperately untill the first year warranty expires. I'll check with a local EU supplier if they also do that for imported machines, extra business for them...

Another question: If I would go for the standard configuration, would I be able to find better deals with resellers vs. Apple Store on the 5th? Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

If you bringing out of the states,ditch the box,put a couple of apps on it,carry it in a lappy bag, so it looks used otherwise you may get screwed for tax when bringing it threw the airport
 
Don't worry and buy it

I am european and I bought my iBook and my MBP in he US. I haven't brought my MBP to Europe yet, but I have travelled with my iBook many times. I was never asked about it.
It is true that, in theory, they could ask you to pay the difference or the tax difference at least. Obviously, the price difference between my MBP here and the price in some countries in Europe is around 600 euros (900 dollars). You could make some money by buying a bunch of them here and take them to Europe, so law forbids that. If you buy one for your personal use, no questions asked.
I live in NY, and if they were to search for electronic products at the security control point in JFK airport, it would take days for you to get into your flight. Due to the dollar weakness, everybody buys stuff here (computers, clothes, video cameras, etc).
The same applies in your country, at customs control. They are not going to bother you for just a computer. It's assumed that people do that, but it does not affect local Apple business or any other brand because most people will buy the computers at their local store. You wouldn't go on purpose to NYC just to buy your MBP, would you?.
Of course, try to look like you brought it with you. Buy a bag and take it out of the box. They're permissive but not stupid. If you take the whole box with you they will stop you for sure (at least that's what I would expect).
Other than that, enjoy your MBP.
 
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