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Question for British Mac users...

macmama

macmama

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 26, 2006
213
0
New Jersey
Hi friends, and Happy New Year!

A friend of mine in England is contemplating making The Switch, and has been thinking of buying a MacBook in the US while she's on holiday in the spring. She feels it will be less expensive that way.

Granted, our sticker price seems to be about $200 lower, but I'm wondering if there will be tariffs/taxes she'll need to pay upon re-entry to the UK, or how expensive power converstion kits are. Also, do we have a few different symbols keyboards (for example, I doublt you need "$" over your 4 key)? I'm tending to think she'd be better off just getting one in her country.

So, what I'm asking is: if you're British, what was the best way you found to buy your mac?

Thanks!
 
You can buy in the US, and you will only need to buy a US to UK plug adapter for about £2-£3, however when you come through customs you'll probably have to pay 17.5% VAT, unless you put the thing in an old laptop case and ship the box back separately (or throw it away).

British keyboards do have a $ sign though ;).
 
macmama said:
Hi friends, and Happy New Year!

A friend of mine in England is contemplating making The Switch, and has been thinking of buying a MacBook in the US while she's on holiday in the spring. She feels it will be less expensive that way.

Granted, our sticker price seems to be about $200 lower, but I'm wondering if there will be tariffs/taxes she'll need to pay upon re-entry to the UK, or how expensive power converstion kits are. Also, do we have a few different symbols keyboards (for example, I doublt you need "$" over your 4 key)? I'm tending to think she'd be better off just getting one in her country.

So, what I'm asking is: if you're British, what was the best way you found to buy your mac?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The easiest way is to buy it from Apple.com/uk.

If she bought one in the US she would have to put up with a US keyboard (but can set it as UK) and would have to get a UK plug to fit the charger.

Upon entering the UK with the MB if she has it unpackaged and acts as though shes had it for a while then they will not likely even think about checking it for import tax etc. If its still boxed and brand new then they will notice it.
 
And is the warranty valid? What happens if it stops working properly after 3 or 4 months?

US prices are deceptive, they don't include local sales tax. At least with John Lewis, you get a two-year warranty, which is where I bought my home machine from.
 
What the other guys said, but with the addition that the actual socket on the Mac power adapter is a normal IEC type so you can stick a regular 'figure of 8' mains cable in it so you don't have to start hunting for a UK plug straight away.

The warranty is I think valid worldwide for Macbook/Pros. And I'm fairly certain you can tack on UK Applecare on a US-sourced machine. Correct me if I'm wrong there anyone.
 
What happens if your MBP goes tits up when on an important business trip to Mogadishu? You need to get it fixed right? My guess is the warranty is International ;)
 
The best way is to be a student, and buy through the Apple Higher Education Store. Perhaps you could get a friend who's a student to buy it for you if you're not? Not only will you get a reduction but there are other offers as well to take advantage of (such as rebates on buying a printer, an iPod or suchlike). Also, if you purchase in the UK, make sure you have a Nectar Card. If you purchase through the Apple Store using the link on the Nectar website you'll gain a bucketload of points (probably enough for £15 worth of vouchers for Sainsbury's or Argos).
I think these two offers are mutually-exclusive. The Nectar website link only goes to the normal Apple UK store.
HTH,
SiR G.
PS Though it's been alluded to, no-one's actually mentioned that the PSU with Apple laptops is rated for 50-60Hz and 100-240V - so no transnational concerns there, as others have pointed out.
 
SiR GadaBout said:
The best way is to be a student, and buy through the Apple Higher Education Store.
Click to expand...

The best is to be a Student Developer. Buy the computer from the developer store and buy the warrenty seperately from the Higher Ed store. $200's savings at the very least.

even better, work for Apple.
 
I've checked this in the past. I emailed HM Customs and they told me that you must pay VAT on re-entry to the UK but you can pay for it tax-free in the US though, since you are a British (foreign) citizen
 
buckyballs said:
I've checked this in the past. I emailed HM Customs and they told me that you must pay VAT on re-entry to the UK but you can pay for it tax-free in the US though, since you are a British (foreign) citizen
Click to expand...

Only if customs think it's new. Unpack it when you buy it, throw the box away, load some photos and music onto it and take it into the country in a regular laptop bag.
 
uk prices inc. tax at 17.5% but I notice that in the US with amazon and others that you do not pay any tax at all in certain circumstances and also they do discounts/rebates on the list price. You never get a discount on apple list price here in the motherland.

cheapest place has gotta be in dixons/currys/comet when you get airside at Heathrow/Gatwick or wherever. There is no VAT so prices are much lower. Got iPods and other stuff that way. Just call to make sure they have one in stock for you.

when you take taxes out of the equation Mr Jobs exchange rate is almost in our favour.

Anyhow hope to be back over the pond soon for some real shopping. Vegas or New York? decisions...decisions... :)
 
Well thats what im doing but in july im gunna put the box in the suitcase and put stuff in it and use the MacBook Pro when i there and be like ye i have had it for a while and i wont need to pay taxes and stuff.
 
jordygreen said:
Well thats what im doing but in july im gunna put the box in the suitcase and put stuff in it and use the MacBook Pro when i there and be like ye i have had it for a while and i wont need to pay taxes and stuff.
Click to expand...

oh? well better ditch the box then.....most likely they wont stop you at all as you go through customs, but if they do, then they're most likely going to look in all of your luggage and as soon as they see that box, they'll understand exactly what you're up to. Unfortunately for you, they can demand that you prove you bought it in the UK and they can impound it until you do.....if you cant prove wherer you purchased it, then you'll pay the tax plus a penalty to get back your brand new laptop

and try not to look nervous as you walk through customs because that's what they're trained to look for!!
 
macmama said:
A friend of mine in England is contemplating making The Switch, and has been thinking of buying a MacBook in the US while she's on holiday in the spring. She feels it will be less expensive that way.
Click to expand...

You have to pay VAT when bringing it into the UK, unless you hide it from customs, which is of course illegal. Her choice. I think there is little difference between the keyboards, mostly that the pound and euro symbol (shift-3 and option-2) are not printed on the keyboard; the should work if you select British keyboard in "International" preferences. You need an adapter for the power plug; I think Apple handles the 110V/230V difference but you better find someone who has tried it without frying their Macbook; any Americans who brought their MacBook to Europe should know. Modem plugs used to be different, but nobody has them anymore. Better read warranty conditions on the US store carefully to check what happens if you need a repair in Europe. Resale value will be bad if she wants to buy another Mac in a few years time.

If she is going to pay the VAT, I'd say the money is not worth the bother.
 
Sesshi said:
....The warranty is I think valid worldwide for Macbook/Pros. And I'm fairly certain you can tack on UK Applecare on a US-sourced machine. Correct me if I'm wrong there anyone.
Click to expand...

Eraserhead said:
I believe Apple's laptop warranties are international.
Click to expand...

StealthRider said:
Laptop and Mac mini warranties are international.
Click to expand...

daneoni said:
All Apple computers sport international warranties.
Click to expand...

Nermal said:
Used to be, but it's only laptops (and apparently minis) now.
Click to expand...

I called the Apple store today....called three times actually, and all three people told me that NONE of Apples' computer have an international warranty as part of their basic warranty....you have to buy the Applecare warranty extension to get global coverage and even then it may not be available for imacs and mac pros

I've always heard that laptops had a gobal warranty as part of the basic coverage so when the first person told me that wasn't true, I called back to talk to somebody different. As I said, I called three times and all three people told me there's no international warranty for laptops under the basic coverage.

So to the OP, your friend's Macbook purchase would have to be shipped back to the USA to get warranty repairs should it need it, unless she also buys Applecare

this was news to me
 
Macky-Mac said:
oh? well better ditch the box then.....most likely they wont stop you at all as you go through customs, but if they do, then they're most likely going to look in all of your luggage and as soon as they see that box, they'll understand exactly what you're up to. Unfortunately for you, they can demand that you prove you bought it in the UK and they can impound it until you do.....if you cant prove wherer you purchased it, then you'll pay the tax plus a penalty to get back your brand new laptop

and try not to look nervous as you walk through customs because that's what they're trained to look for!!
Click to expand...

Ohh ye i know i have had plenty of practice going through customs, just i want to keep the box for warranty and such when i come back to UK because ill need the box.
 
Interesting, I was just going by the information on apple.co.nz/support (prior to them redesigning the site, I haven't found it on the new site yet).
 
daneoni said:
Not to my knowledge and i doubt Apple would change their mind in less than 12 months
Click to expand...

that may be what appleinsider says, but that's not what Apple itself will tell you

appleinsider is confusing what's available under the Applecarre warranty extension with what's covered by the basic warranty
 
Macky-Mac said:
that may be what appleinsider says, but that's not what Apple itself will tell you

appleinsider is confusing what's available under the Applecarre warranty extension with what's covered by the basic warranty
Click to expand...

......i dunno its very open to interpretation. The word word 'may' is very powerfull and vague. Anyway here's a screenshot of the standard 1 year warranty. I'll leave it to your discernment.
 

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