plummeting dollar = cheap G5s from abroad?

[swamp_cabbage]

after reading this weeks guardian Online, i was wondering, have any folks from the UK pondered buying cheap apple hardware overseas as the the dollar is continually weakening?

I know you're not SUPPOSED to get it overseas, but if you used a service like toship.com, do you still have to negotiate the Import Duty hurdle?

Or is it a waste of time even thinking about getting goods from the states and just (winces) make do with the prices we have to endure in the UK?

 

[evil_santa]

I know a few people who have got ibooks/powerbooks in the the US when they were on holiday. One got a 15"PB and had worked out that flights + US powerbook = UK powerbook price.
You then got to work out howmuch to pay duty on it, ie a ibook you might get away with it hidden in your luggage but a G5 is a bit Big & how much is it going to cost to ship!
The thing that puts me off is the warrenty will be with Apple US not Apple UK, so if its dead on arival you my have to pay for it to repaired. or send it back to the US.

I would go for a refurb machine at the apple store or jigsaw24.com have refurbs & a few exdemo machines. Or wait until a new model comes out and you will be able to pick up "last years model" for less. You can still get a new 1.25 G4, for about £935.

 

[caveman_uk]

I think laptops have a worldwide warranty so get repaired wherever. Desktops may be a problem.

I contacted a couple of US resellers and they said they'd love to sell me a new powerbook but Apple won't allow them to ship out of the US.

 

[MillieWales]

Tell these resellers that if they don't tell Apple you certainly won't! And there are many of us on here who would jump at the chance to get these products shipped over.

I intend to go to NY for a weekend and come back with a G5 PB, if Apple ever release one, and if I can get away with the import duty, I will only have spent a tiny amount more in total including accomodation. Got to be tried, if I get hit with import duties, oh well, at least I had fun buying it!

Marc

 

[jxyama]

Originally posted by marccarter
Got to be tried, if I get hit with import duties, oh well, at least I had fun buying it!

i've said this before... but unless you declare it right from the beginning, you pay both import duty and fine, if caught. and fine can be a lot more than the duty itself.

you don't get a "free" try to smuggle - if you don't declare, you've smuggled and you pay a hefty fine.

 

[Mantat]

How to bring a laptop: just make sure to bring a used laptop bag and you will be set. Also, ship to your house (by mail) all the official docs and CD.

For G5: you can pretend that you are a pro gamer for the macgamer league and that you are carrying your gaming machine with you. Just make sure, as above, to not bring back any specific documentation with you, just the box (safer for transport), computer and keyboard/mouse. I know someone who is a pro gamer and he always carry his computer with him this way and never had any problem.

Oh.. and if you buy it, pay cash! Dont use credit card because they will see it on your bill!!!

If you are really paranoid, you could also bring a box about as big and heavy as a full G5 box with you on the trip to the US. Let say a old PC tower. You declare it as a 'computer' (ya right) when you leave the UK and ask them to handle it with care. So on your way back, you will have a 'proof' that you came in with it.

Its very a fame that you have to do all that crap just to get a computer at a decent price! Apple should change its international pricing strategy and use a floating exchange rate set the first of every month.