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Dubai Apple Store prices way too high
- Thread starter Macdeez
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No I left the stock hard drive since I have 2 new 512GB Samsung 8 series SSD's to install in it, and the new ThinkPad T 520 so I could benchmark the two of them with identical configurations.
By approaching it this way the _only_ different between the two laptops will be the OS's. A fun and interesting comparison.
Hong Kong is indeed the best place to buy Apple hardware, or any sort of product be they electronic or otherwise.
Hong Kong is a port city where capitalism is at its purest form. It is truly cut-throat over there. What's more, is that there are no taxes.
It is a shoppers paradise and has always been so.
Hong Kong is a port city where capitalism is at its purest form. It is truly cut-throat over there. What's more, is that there are no taxes.
It is a shoppers paradise and has always been so.
Personally, I wish it was easier to get a foreign MBP. I live in the US but I would like to have a new macbook pro with either a hebrew, italian, greek, or german layout. I know that sounds strange but I would ALMOST pay extra just for that fact if I could. That might be one thing that drives prices up a bit more unless they have standard english qwerty keyboards over there like we have here.
Regarding Apple products yes, even slightly cheaper than in the U.S.
Regarding most other goods, even electronics, no. Not anymore. Prices have gone up só much the last few years that sometimes you can even buy your Nikon DSLR cheaper in the EU. I did and I live in Hong Kong.
Qatar was the same when I was there all Apple products were priced well and truly over the top. Malaysia Apple is priced attractively; $1745 for a base model 15" my 2.4 i7 cost $2158 which is a great price, given that if walked into an Apple store in the US, I would be paying a fair bit more with taxes 
That's what I was getting at.
In the USA how much does a $1,499.00 Macbook Pro cost?
Maryland - $1,588.94
New York ( NYC ) - $1,632.04
Delaware - $1,499.00
California - $1,607.68
Individual States/Municipalities add on Sales Tax to the purchase price.
In the above 4 examples, the purchase price is always $1,499.00
If you live in NYC and drive to Delaware to purchase you save $133.04
If you live in Maryland and drive to Delaware to purchase you save $89.94
That might explain why the Apple Store in Christiana, Delaware is soooo busy!
that if walked into an Apple store in the US, I would be paying a fair bit more with taxes
Unless you bought in a state that has no sales tax like Delaware!
.
There are many reasons for different prices for Apple products outside of the US.
- sales tax. This is around 20% in many countries and factored into the advertised prices, while the prices listed on apples US website are without tax.
- currency conversion. Apple operates mostly from the US, and has contracts with suppliers in US$. For sales in countries with a different currency, they a) have some extra cost to convert and transfer the money and b) have to protect themselves from fluctuations in the exchange rate, either by buying insurance or by adding a little premium to the local price
- small market effects: Localization of products (keyboard, language), also they have to hire a lawyer to make sure the product doesn't violate any local regulations.
- customs fees: These are mostly gone now, but maybe not everywhere
and finally:
It is customary to adjust the price of a product to how much customers in a given country are willing to pay. For example, German cars are more expensive in Germany than e.g. in Spain, Italy or the US. Germans are happy to pay more for what they think is a better product, while people in Spain just buy a French car if the German one is too expensive.
It's probably too easy to ship computers for this to have a big effect, but one shouldn't forget it.
Some companies are really ruthless. US branded jeans are a good example... the sales price in Europe is often three times the US price.
- sales tax. This is around 20% in many countries and factored into the advertised prices, while the prices listed on apples US website are without tax.
- currency conversion. Apple operates mostly from the US, and has contracts with suppliers in US$. For sales in countries with a different currency, they a) have some extra cost to convert and transfer the money and b) have to protect themselves from fluctuations in the exchange rate, either by buying insurance or by adding a little premium to the local price
- small market effects: Localization of products (keyboard, language), also they have to hire a lawyer to make sure the product doesn't violate any local regulations.
- customs fees: These are mostly gone now, but maybe not everywhere
and finally:
It is customary to adjust the price of a product to how much customers in a given country are willing to pay. For example, German cars are more expensive in Germany than e.g. in Spain, Italy or the US. Germans are happy to pay more for what they think is a better product, while people in Spain just buy a French car if the German one is too expensive.
It's probably too easy to ship computers for this to have a big effect, but one shouldn't forget it.
Some companies are really ruthless. US branded jeans are a good example... the sales price in Europe is often three times the US price.
Forget about Apple products costing more in Canada. What I still can't grasp my head around is why I just saw this weekend a cheaply made Santa Hat in Washington State with a price tag $2.99USD and $4.99CAN when the dollar to dollar exchange rate is and has been almost equal for awhile.
It just boggles the mind.
It just boggles the mind.
Forget about Apple products costing more in Canada. What I still can't grasp my head around is why I just saw this weekend a cheaply made Santa Hat in Washington State with a price tag $2.99USD and $4.99CAN when the dollar to dollar exchange rate is and has been almost equal for awhile.
It just boggles the mind.
A gallon of milk cost $5 and some changes in Canada. It only cost $2 and some changes in Washington State!
Unless you bought in a state that has no sales tax like Delaware!
I would never drive to another state to save money on taxes. My car gets about 15 mpg. With the current price for premium, that about $80 to fill up.
That doesn't take account the wear and tear on my car which is probably another $80.
I would not save much going to Delaware to buy a MacBook Pro if I lived in NY.
In some cases it would not make sense, but for many it might. We tend to make multiple purchases, live closer to the Apple Store in Delaware than the one in Maryland. ( 40 mins to DE - 45 mins to MD ) We don't wide up just to buy one MBP, though we did for our last one. It was a $2799 17" unit and that tax saved on that one alone was $167, not to mention other purchases made while there. We are so close to the Delaware line it makes sense.
I also get 16 MPG with my Jeeps ( we own 4 ) so it is a 4 gallon trip for us.
