http://www.myus.com/ may come in handy, they forward mail for you so you can get stuff sent from America. I've never used them before, but I just read about them in the paper...d'oh...just realised someone has linked to the Times' article. 
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Sorry if this has been asked a lot before BUT (American Import issues)
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I'm actually possibly looking at doing the same thing also im going to NYC in july so i could buy a MBP from the 6th street store and then bring it home and just try and say i already had it or keep the box and eveyrthing declare it, is there any exact way of finding how much this will cost???
But i also can claim for education discounts and then purchase either the 20" iMac or MBP.
If i were to buy from NYC the MBP it would be roughly about 2139 with the tax already added on i said about 7% which is then about £1,070.59, but then i would have to add the HM import taxes and what not. I could get an english MBP from education discount for £1,146.80 which has english insurance and keyboard which is alot better.
Both even out at about the same but i dunno depends on the exchange at the moment.
But i also can claim for education discounts and then purchase either the 20" iMac or MBP.
If i were to buy from NYC the MBP it would be roughly about 2139 with the tax already added on i said about 7% which is then about £1,070.59, but then i would have to add the HM import taxes and what not. I could get an english MBP from education discount for £1,146.80 which has english insurance and keyboard which is alot better.
Both even out at about the same but i dunno depends on the exchange at the moment.
As it is with the MBP, however there are two earth contacts that press on the stud.
plugs etc
I'm in a similar boat-an American friend of mine is bring me back a macbook in three weeks time- when I get the plug and remove the american two pin can i add a three pin (from my apple ipod charger) and charge the battery. I've asked this on another thread but reading this i just want to be sure!
I'm in a similar boat-an American friend of mine is bring me back a macbook in three weeks time- when I get the plug and remove the american two pin can i add a three pin (from my apple ipod charger) and charge the battery. I've asked this on another thread but reading this i just want to be sure!
That UK price does include VAT. Fair point you raised about the sales tax in the US and Canada - of course, why UK prices seem so high currently is because the pound is so strong against the dollar.
However, as far as I'm aware the UK HE store only gives the standard one year warranty but it does offer marginally cheaper applecare. For a Macbook via the Education Store is £160 ($320) as opposed to £200 ($400), if memory serves me right.
I think, if you buy online with HE, you get 3 years free warranty. (applecare for free I think).
Apple cut a special deal for HE sales in the UK, every HE machine has 3 years warranty (I don't know if it extends to 3 years of Applecare phone support or not). So any eligable HE purchaser in the UK would have to be mad to try to import their own, pay VAT and customs and try to come out ahead. The $300 worth of warranty trumps.
The 3 year hardware warranty is still going on but Apple have stopped doing the contract uplift where students could for a third of the price buy Applecare to get the full package and the telephone support. Students are now expected to pay full student price if they want Applecare cover.
I don't think that you can pass on a hardware warranty like this and also some people may like to see some kind of physical proof that they are covered. The hardware warranty i believe does not show up as extended warranty cover through Apple's website.
I don't think that you can pass on a hardware warranty like this and also some people may like to see some kind of physical proof that they are covered. The hardware warranty i believe does not show up as extended warranty cover through Apple's website.
Yeah, it does seem rather a lot of effort importing!
If you buy through the regular Education Store, I'm sure you don't get any extra warrantry - but if you buy via http://www.apple.com/uk/education/hed/nationalcontract/ , you do. Applecare is an extra eitherway.
Didn't know about the latter option, so cheers! On holiday at the moment, but when I get back to the university I work at, I'll be having a look....