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Has anyone brought an iMac27 from America to Europe?

Stotka

Stotka

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 29, 2009
139
14
I am going to go to America for the summer and was planing on buying an iMac 27". My question is how did you pack it and what did you do about customs?
I am also thinking about a Mac Pro so if anyone also brought this please tell me. The packing of the Mac Pro is logical but what to do with customs?
 
Coming back through Customs there is no way you can hide that thing down your pants so I would advise having the receipt from the Apple Store on you (and maybe even a copy for them to keep) as well as something with your UK address printed on it such as a Utility bill.

They will apply any appropriate Import Duty (I can't remember the exact %) plus VAT which is currently 20% as you know. If you have your ID and something with an address, they should just let you proceed through Customs with a "Charges to Pay" letter on its way to you. If you turn up without a receipt, ID and an address then it will almost definitely be "We'll just look after this for you until you can pay your Duty and VAT, sir."

In the long run, all you have saved by buying it in the States are any Carriage charges plus or minus any minor currency fluctuations plus you have had to lug it around yourself.
 
Dont do it, as Daniel already said, you wont save any money and it will just cost effort to properly transport it. Buy one here and let it be delivered to your home.
 
Remember it could be Terry and John handling your baggage :D

cfwm.jpg
 
Well here in Serbia prices of Mac-s are bigger than in UK. And i can't get a build to order one, only the base models and there are expensive.
iMac 27" Core i5 2.8GHz (quad-core)/4GB/1TB/Radeon HD 5750/SD costs 2140 euros in comparison with 2k $ in america. So roughly im payng 800$ more. I would pay 20% customs it would cost me less money and only a little more effort. Thats why i asked how to pack it.I can't even choose the i7 option :(
So thats why I want to bring one here. Or a 6core Mac Pro that also can't be bought here :(
Oh and I wanted to ask what if i buy used? How to explain that to customs?
 
Stotka said:
Well here in Serbia prices of Mac-s are bigger than in UK. And i can't get a build to order one, only the base models and there are expensive.
iMac 27" Core i5 2.8GHz (quad-core)/4GB/1TB/Radeon HD 5750/SD costs 2140 euros in comparison with 2k $ in america. So roughly im payng 800$ more. I would pay 20% customs it would cost me less money and only a little more effort. Thats why i asked how to pack it.I can't even choose the i7 option :(
So thats why I want to bring one here. Or a 6core Mac Pro that also can't be bought here :(
Oh and I wanted to ask what if i buy used? How to explain that to customs?
Click to expand...

I live in Hungary, and so face a pretty similar problem (Apple stuff is about that much more here, too) - and have thought of trying to find a similar solution. But from what everyone has said in this and other threads, it's just more trouble than it's worth to try to bring something as big as an iMac back from the States (though some people have suggested that the 21.5" might be small enough to take as a carry-on).

I've done some research, though, and the prices are a fair bit lower in Austria and Germany (and you can do BTO). Especially if you can get an education discount (in Vienna, at least, they seemed willing to take a Hungarian university ID card). Have you thought about taking a trip to Vienna, say, and just bringing it back in your luggage on the train? I know Serbia's not EU like Hungary, so I think in theory you might still have to pay customs, but wouldn't there be a pretty good chance no one would ever check your luggage?;)
 
Stotka said:
Well here in Serbia prices of Mac-s are bigger than in UK. And i can't get a build to order one, only the base models and there are expensive.
iMac 27" Core i5 2.8GHz (quad-core)/4GB/1TB/Radeon HD 5750/SD costs 2140 euros in comparison with 2k $ in america. So roughly im payng 800$ more. I would pay 20% customs it would cost me less money and only a little more effort. Thats why i asked how to pack it.I can't even choose the i7 option :(
So thats why I want to bring one here. Or a 6core Mac Pro that also can't be bought here :(
Oh and I wanted to ask what if i buy used? How to explain that to customs?
Click to expand...

Trinite said:
I live in Hungary, and so face a pretty similar problem (Apple stuff is about that much more here, too) - and have thought of trying to find a similar solution. But from what everyone has said in this and other threads, it's just more trouble than it's worth to try to bring something as big as an iMac back from the States (though some people have suggested that the 21.5" might be small enough to take as a carry-on).

I've done some research, though, and the prices are a fair bit lower in Austria and Germany (and you can do BTO). Especially if you can get an education discount (in Vienna, at least, they seemed willing to take a Hungarian university ID card). Have you thought about taking a trip to Vienna, say, and just bringing it back in your luggage on the train? I know Serbia's not EU like Hungary, so I think in theory you might still have to pay customs, but wouldn't there be a pretty good chance no one would ever check your luggage?;)
Click to expand...

I am from Austria and I was just about to post something like this too. With a University card or some kind of proof you will easily get a discount here and you can get an i5 Quad 27" for less than 1900€. As for customs, there might be a control but the Croatian controls may not be as heavy...
The only problem that I see is that the iMacs Box is huge, and even with a good disguise, it may still be checked because it is such a big thing.
 
By it in the states but take a trip to Delaware to sightsee the nothingness they have down there... It's tax free, you'll save a couple hundred depending on what state you're going to. There's several other states that are tax free. Which one are you going to?

Also, if you know someone in the military you can get about $100 discount if they buy it.
edit: A 27" iMac w/ the core i7 is only $2079 with the military discount. The discount applies to any federal worker, active military or veteran. There's a lot of us out there, make a friend ;)
 
chris98vf said:
By it in the states but take a trip to Delaware to sightsee the nothingness they have down there... It's tax free, you'll save a couple hundred depending on what state you're going to. There's several other states that are tax free. Which one are you going to?

Also, if you know someone in the military you can get about $100 discount if they buy it.
edit: A 27" iMac w/ the core i7 is only $2079 with the military discount. The discount applies to any federal worker, active military or veteran. There's a lot of us out there, make a friend ;)
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter all too much if he gets it tax free or not, he would still have to pay horrendous import taxes in Europe.
And how would he know someone from the US Army to buy it for him?

A: *goes into pub* "Hey you are from the Army?"
B: "Why yes I am, why do you ask?"
A: "Want a beer?"
B: "Sure"
....
A: "So will you help me get an Army discount at the Apple Store?"
B: "WAT"
 
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Lord Appleseed said:
It doesn't matter all too much if he gets it tax free or not, he would still have to pay horrendous import taxes in Europe.
And how would he know someone from the US Army to buy it for him?
Click to expand...

Why pay US taxes on top of the import, just saying. And as far as knowing someone federal, they are already on a message board that is all over the world. I for one can get the discount since I was in the Army and now work for them as a contractor. I'm sure there's more on this forum alone.
 
chris98vf said:
Why pay US taxes on top of the import, just saying. And as far as knowing someone federal, they are already on a message board that is all over the world. I for one can get the discount since I was in the Army and now work for them as a contractor. I'm sure there's more on this forum alone.
Click to expand...

Awesome, i was playing with the thought to buy a 2010 i7 :eek: ;)
 
Lord Appleseed said:
A: *goes into pub* "Hey you are from the Army?"
B: "Why yes I am, why do you ask?"
A: "Want a beer?"
B: "Sure"
....
A: "So will you help me get an Army discount at the Apple Store?"
B: "WAT"
Click to expand...

Add, let me buy you a beer and we'll hit the Apple store... :D
 
only if you're driving, my Apple store is 45 minutes away lol

edit:
Tell ya what, you bring some real Guinness and I'll even drive (before drinking of course)
 
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If I were you, take the advice of what a couple of people said, that is to buy it in a neighboring EU state; Austria, Germany, Switzerland, etc.... Also, hopefully you know someone living in one of those countries to help you purchase the iMac you want (perhaps even a BTO through Apple's website).

Aside from running into customs and paying VAT when you return to Europe, you may run into further issues purchasing the iMac here in the US. First of all, depending on where you purchase the iMac, you will have to pay sales tax here. So essentially you'll be paying some sort of VAT twice, one here and one when you return to the EU. As previously mentioned, there are a few states where you are not charged sales tax but you will have to either hope that the state has an Apple Retail Store in that sate or know someone in that state to purchase it for you online.

Another issue you might face is traveling with the iMac or even a Mac Pro :eek:. If I were to bring around a desktop computer either while I travel here in the US or if you are bringing it back home to Serbia, I would avoid flying as a means of travel. Why you may ask? Because I personally do not trust baggage handlers at any airport to touch my computer, especially if it is checked luggage. So if you're going to travel around the US and back to the EU with the iMac, consider traveling by land and/or sea so you can at least handle your own computer.
 
So it looks like I'm gonna get another laptop :p If only the i7 mobile was quad core. Ill ask around see what I can do.
Thanks for the advice.
 
I just moved to Italy from the US and am a student here. I was hoping to buy an iMac soon back in the US the next time I went back. But I just found out about the whole customs thing when I had an old external hard drive that I had forgotten at home mailed to me and the customs on it was a good 20% of its value to buy brand new...

Do you have to pay 20% or something on any kind of electronic device you bring into the EU from the US. That doesn't seem possible. Would they expect me to pay some fee to bring a 4 year old iMac, for example? Or do they only bother with this when they have the opinion that you computer is brand new? Does anything you bring as carry-on through airport get past without these fees (e.g. laptop).

Darn, I really wanted to get a new iMac when the new ones come out and had been looking forward to it for ages.
 
If you put your external harddrive in your suitcase that goes in the plane or with you, you wouldn't of paid anything.
Basically what they can't see they can't charge you for it...
Does anyone know, do they xray scan luggage that goes in the cargo bay of the plane?
 
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