Live in Europe but want to buy From US Mac is cheaper in US!!

[pechar]

Hi Everyone,

First of all I am convinced I want to get a mac. I will still use PC for games and development since I program on .NET framework... otherwise I cant stand the current OS I'm using (everyone know what it is )

Anyway I was searching on the official U.S. Mac site and found that I can't make orders to Europe (even if I pay for delivery... actually no choice to do so). So I decided to check the UK, German and Czech apple sites and was put off. The pricing is outrageous. From any European country getting a mac costs too much compared to the US price.

For example the low end imac is $999 from UK while its £679.00 (~$1358). The same is with other countries. Thats ~$360 more. I'm sure it wouldn't cost me more than that to deliver the iMac to Europe (Malta) from the U.S. Please anyone... is there any online mall I could order anything mac related for decent prices. I'm ready to switch to mac but not for the prices here in Europe.

Please help. Don't tell me to come up to the US since I could buy 4 iMacs at European price, with the money I'd spend to get to the US.

Thanks again
Luke

 

[robbieduncan]

Have you factored in that the US price is excluding Tax? If you buy from the US you might (and legally must) get charged VAT at 17.5% on that price then import duties (difficult to calculate) on top of the new total? In addition your machine will have a US keyboard and plug, and if it's a desktop may have a 110V power supply that will not work without a voltage converter in the UK/Europe.

Still want to order from the US?

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

Even more...I *think* I recall that the warranty for desktops is only good for the country they were purchased in, while laptops are good around the world. Someone else will be able to confirm this.

 

[sinza]

I had the same idea when I saw prices for MacBook in USA, but...
Shipment costs for MacBook is about 150-200$ + tax + duty
In the end you could multiply US price with factor 1.4 to get how much it will cost you, at least...

 

[bourdieu]

Since I live in Sweden I had the same idea a year and a half ago.

But there are several issues to keep in mind:

(1) The warranty on desktops bought in the US are not valid in Europe. Its a different story with the laptops.

(2) European VAT is usually higher then in the US and (usually) included in Apples online prices (which they are not in the US).

(3) You must pay customs which can be rather high.


I still ended up buying a PowerBook G4 12" from the states. A friend of mine was in the US and brought it home and into the country without paying customs or VAT. That way I got my PB for less than an iBook would have cost me at the local Apple store.

It was a sweet deal

 

[pechar]

Oh... I didn't know the bit of the power supplies. Well I was planning to get a MacBook Pro anyway will that have the same problem with PSU (power supply)? And I didn't even know the Tax bit. Here in EU prices are all (and must be) already including TAX i.e on display.

I guess I'll have to save up some more cash then. Still a student. Even with the student offers its still a little too much for me. Apart from the fact in my country there aren't any student offers. Anyway thanks a lot for the info.

I hope that maybe the prices will go down a little. With Vista coming soon. (im not gonna use some MacOS Copycat OS)

Thanks for the quick feedback I appreciate it

Luke

 

[robbieduncan]

Oh... I didn't know the bit of the power supplies. Well I was planning to get a MacBook Pro anyway will that have the same problem with PSU (power supply)?

You'll be OK with the PSU on a portable: they all ship with 100-250V autoswitching world wide power adaptors and worldwide warranty. You'd still be stuck with the US keyboard, tax and import duties.

If you are flying anywhere you may get a better price at the airport. At Heathrow for example Dixons have a shop after security (so you have to be flying) that sell everything tax free (so 17.5% cheaper than UK list). They will sell at that price no matter where you are flying. You can even phone them and see if they will have what you want in stock and get them to hold it for you...

 

[Umbongo]

Aside from the Tax issues, you also need to bare in mind that just because the dollar is doing poorly that doesn't mean Apple's costs of doing business got reduced in Europe.

 

[AlBDamned]

You'll be OK with the PSU on a portable: they all ship with 100-250V autoswitching world wide power adaptors and worldwide warranty. You'd still be stuck with the US keyboard, tax and import duties.

If you are flying anywhere you may get a better price at the airport. At Heathrow for example Dixons have a shop after security (so you have to be flying) that sell everything tax free (so 17.5% cheaper than UK list). They will sell at that price no matter where you are flying. You can even phone them and see if they will have what you want in stock and get them to hold it for you...

Just a word of warning on Dixons Heathrow's "Tax Free" prices. I bought a pair of Senheiser CX300 earphones to replace my busted iPod ones there just before flying to Australia. Paid £34.99 "Tax Free." Then saw them brand new on Amazon.co.uk for £20 direct (from Amazon) or even less from third party stores listed on the site.

If you have time to research (i.e. not at an airport) I'd seriously advise against buying anything any Dixons as you can usually get a better deal online - be it Amazon or wherever - and that includes iPods, laptops, cameras. Seriously.

 

[robbieduncan]

If you have time to research (i.e. not at an airport) I'd seriously advise against buying anything any Dixons as you can usually get a better deal online - be it Amazon or wherever - and that includes iPods, laptops, cameras. Seriously.

Due to Apple's price "fixing" policy their base price for iPods and Mac laptops tends to be the same as Apples. I've bought an iPod from them before and it was exactly 17.5% cheaper than Apples website.

 

[combatcolin]

Buy an Apple laptop, ship the box + manuals back to yourself and then take the laptop through customs.

Save loads of money and it makes you look like you brought the laptop out with you.

Of course you may get caught...

 

[AlBDamned]

Due to Apple's price "fixing" policy their base price for iPods and Mac laptops tends to be the same as Apples. I've bought an iPod from them before and it was exactly 17.5% cheaper than Apples website.

iPods are available at Amazon for less than at Apple - £154.40 is close to 20% off the fixed price, although including shipping it's about £158.40 so that's 16.5%.

I'd still rather buy through there than any Dixons store or Currys.digital as they're so snappily called. Those shops are just appalling.

 

[The General]

Okay, send me the money via PayPal, and I'll order it for you and ship it out.

 

[jonharris200]

If you are flying anywhere you may get a better price at the airport. At Heathrow for example Dixons have a shop after security (so you have to be flying) that sell everything tax free (so 17.5% cheaper than UK list). They will sell at that price no matter where you are flying. You can even phone them and see if they will have what you want in stock and get them to hold it for you...

Dixons at Heathrow. Now that is a handy hint. Thanks for your comments on US/UK buying scenarios on this and other threads, rd.

 

[pechar]

Hi again guys,

Thanks for the detailed info. But I was wondering since my country is also part of EU I don't think I can do any tax free shopping... we (EU countries) don't have any import tax anymore but that is, as long as I purchase anything including Tax from the country I'm currently visiting. I don't know maybe I'm wrong and its different with airport tax free shopping I've never done any tax free shopping since we entered the EU

As regards to keyboard thats the last thing on my mind I use the us keyboard and would in fact prefer having it US. I can't stand the @ location on UK keyboards

Oh general I like your sense of humour and combatcolin not such a bad idea either!!! As you say its dangerous but there are a couple of tricks of the trade

 

[robbieduncan]

Thanks for the detailed info. But I was wondering since my country is also part of EU I don't think I can do any tax free shopping... we (EU countries) don't have any import tax anymore but that is, as long as I purchase anything including Tax from the country I'm currently visiting. I don't know maybe I'm wrong and its different with airport tax free shopping I've never done any tax free shopping since we entered the EU

I thought the same as you: tax free prices were only if you were flying outside the EU. At Heathrow at least this is not the case: you get tax free prices on internal flights as well.