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Anyone here from the uk ever bought a mbp (or similar) in the usa?

D

DUNCVILLE

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 20, 2009
40
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I'm in vegas in may and am trying to work out just how much i can save by buying a mbp while i'm there.

What i want to ask - has anyone from uk ever bought one in the usa, and have they ever had any problems with voltage or warranty etc?

thanks in advance!
 
Not from the UK but can help you out a bit. Warranty should not matter. Apple's warranty on portable products is worldwide. So if you buy a mac in the US, return to the UK you still have warranty and you can still extend your Applecare etc. What you do need to find out is the chances of you getting 'caught' at the customs and then having to pay for importing your new mac. I do not know how that works in the UK..
edit: oh and as for the voltage. Notebook adapters are designed for worldwide use. So the adapter will give 110- 230 V. Only thing you need is a plug so it fits here.
 
Sanderr said:
Not from the UK but can help you out a bit. Warranty should not matter. Apple's warranty on portable products is worldwide. So if you buy a mac in the US, return to the UK you still have warranty and you can still extend your Applecare etc. What you do need to find out is the chances of you getting 'caught' at the customs and then having to pay for importing your new mac. I do not know how that works in the UK..
edit: oh and as for the voltage. Notebook adapters are designed for worldwide use. So the adapter will give 110- 230 V. Only thing you need is a plug so it fits here.
Click to expand...

thank you so much sander - very comprehensive and helpful!
 
I think it will be the cheapest option in any case.
I live in holland myself, and if I were to import a mac and got 'caught' then I would have to pay 19% taxes and in the worst case scenario a fine half of the 19% tax amount because i did not went to report it myself. So worst case scenario would be around 28% added, which around here is the normal price at Apple stores. So when I walk through customs, lots of money saved. When i get caught, not a dime more expensive than buying it here ;)
 
Plug is easy: portable power adaptors take a standard figure-8 cable. You probably have one lying around already.

The biggest potential problem with this is customs. Technically bringing it back into the country without declaring it is illegal. The current allowance for bringing goods from outside the EU into the country is £390. Clearly this is way over that. If you are going to risk it you need to not have the box/manual/anything you would not normally have if you took your laptop with you (restore DVDs even). Mail the box with all this in it back to yourself. If you are caught you may have to pay import duties +VAT on the whole lot. As I said: you are technically breaking the law. Be sure you want to do that...
 
Yes I've done it,brought in no tax state so saved a bit more.Only thing you need to do is chop off the U.S. plug top and wack a U.K. one on.You'd be extremely unlucky to get caught for VAT, there is no import duty.Obviously ditch the packaging etc.
 
I bought a black MacBook in LA back in 2007, and brought it back to the UK. I ditched the box in the US and put the restore discs etc. in my hold luggage. The MacBook went into a shoulder bag, and I'd been using it for a week before I got on the return plane. Nobody cared.

When back in the UK I simply swapped the plug over and job done. AppleCare covered it in the UK, even to the extent of replacing the keyboard with another US model.
 
Don't try and get past customs, it's illegal, and you shouldn't do it.

You're allowed to bring in something like £350 worth of goods back with you, but as a MBP is for example valued at £1500 here in the UK, you'd be charged 17.5% VAT and ~8% Customs duty when you bring it in, so it will end up being practically the same price.

Just buy it in the UK.
 
JoelKelly said:
Don't try and get past customs, it's illegal, and you shouldn't do it.

You're allowed to bring in something like £350 worth of goods back with you, but as a MBP is for example valued at £1500 here in the UK, you'd be charged 17.5% VAT and ~8% Customs duty when you bring it in, so it will end up being practically the same price.

Just buy it in the UK.
Click to expand...

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channels...ent&id=HMCE_PROD_009989&propertyType=document
There is no duty payable on computers or laptops.
 
why don't you just buy it, then when you get to the airport, just use it as if it was something you had brought with you in the first place
 
i dont see it being a problem, they are going to have a really hard time proving that you bought the computer in the states, unless you have the box with you.

As long as you mail the box home, you should me ok... Good Luck
 
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