UK CC on US Apple Store?

[olisones]

Hi all,

This probably has a simple answer, but...

I'm heading to the US next month for a few weeks, and was thinking of purchasing a Refurb MBP from the Refurb Store (the price of a $999 MBP is about £650 at the moment). I just wondered whether you're able to either purchase on the US site with a UK card, or set up a US address to deliver to? I'll be staying with a friend for the 3 weeks so delivery is possible.

Failing that, are there options for buying refurb models in the New York area other than the website?

Cheers!

 

[Hellhammer]

Why don't you ask your friend to order it with his card and then pay him with cash or bank transfer? It''s not possible to buy something from US store with other than US CC, I think.

 

[bcburrows]

purchase

Bear in mind

1) I dont think you can use a CC on the online store but you can in-store. I find nationwide quite good as they do not charge exchange fees, but I am certain other banks etc offer this as well. (check out www.xe.com for exchange rates)

2) The American mac keyboard is different

3) You will pay tax on it, and you would have to declare the purchase and pay vat and import on it on bringing it back to the UK, as you would if you purchased it in duty free on your way out.

 

[star-fish]

Also, the warranty on it will only be valid for US repairs.

 

[Pixellated]

Also, the warranty on it will only be valid for US repairs.

Untrue - The warranty is worldwide.

 

[allmIne]

Bear in mind

3) You will pay tax on it, and you would have to declare the purchase and pay vat and import on it on bringing it back to the UK, as you would if you purchased it in duty free on your way out.

You mean if he brings it back through the airport with him?

Start a thread polling members who've bought their machines in the US and brought them back, and ask how many have paid tax of any sort - except sales tax at POS in the US - and you'll find that few, if any, have declared, or indeed paid for, anything beyond the cost of their machine in the US.

Including myself.

 

[aristobrat]

Also, the warranty on it will only be valid for US repairs.

That's only true with iMacs and Mac Pros. The warranty for minis and notebooks is worldwide.

 

[feelthefire]

You mean if he brings it back through the airport with him?

Start a thread polling members who've bought their machines in the US and brought them back, and ask how many have paid tax of any sort - except sales tax at POS in the US - and you'll find that few, if any, have declared, or indeed paid for, anything beyond the cost of their machine in the US.

Including myself.

Ditch the box and MAIL the receipts home. If you have nothing on your person stating you bought it here, the chances are high that it will not matter to the customs person.

I had heard they were cracking down on this and making you declare and produce your computer on entry, but the plural of anecdote is not data so I don't know if it's true.

 

[olisones]

Thanks for your replies.

Having looked into it, I've figured that I could go to the Apple Store in NY whilst I'm there, buy some Apple Gift Cards to the amount I need, then use them on the online store to get the Refurb.

Is this a completely crazy idea or might it work?!

This is just so I can use my own CC and not worry about transfers etc.

Any more thoughts?

Oli

 

[olisones]

Bear in mind

2) The American mac keyboard is different

Can someone clarify how this is different!?

 

[roboleg]

Can someone clarify how this is different!?

Images taken from Wikipedia (US on left, UK on right). While they say "Win Key" and whatnot, I'm assuming the layouts are more or less the same as those from Apple.

 

[TheBritishBloke]

Can someone clarify how this is different!?

The keyboard basically has writing on all the keys, RETURN and SHIFT keys etc. all have the writing on them. But apart from that, that's about it. The " and @ are backwards even on the UK keyboard, I presume it's generic for english-speaking countries. The RETURN key is smaller yet longer on the US keyboard. That's about it.

In the UK, you can use a credit card from ANY country on the UK Apple Store. Apparently, all it checks is the first line of your address and your full name. I know this as my friend bought himself a Mac Mini on the Further Education discount under my name, but with his card, it worked fine. I don't know if the verification process in the US is the same.

If you've got friends over there, why don't you just pay him the money and use his card to purchase it?

EDIT :

Picture

That one on the right ISN'T the UK keyboard. We don't have the accents on our keyboards, and we don't have the writing on there, at all (Apart from esc etc.) And that's a generic WINDOWS keyboard.

--
Also, I'm with HSBC and I am usually using my card throughout europe, and when I'm in the US (instore/ATM's) and I've never been charged any kind of commission or exchange fees. Just depends how they feel with their exchange rates at the time

Theres a photo of my UK keyboard on the left. Sorry if it's a little blurred, couldn't stay still on a sofa, lol. The one on the right is the US one, it's the MacbookAir, but it's the same keyboard. Best I could find thanks to google.

 

[alphaod]

Yes you can buy with a UK card; my friend just did that. Of course you'd need a US shipping address. Really for billing you can put in whatever US shipping address you plan to use. Apple won't ship to a hotel either or a post office box. Just note that your card may charge you exchange fees (from dollar to sterling).

 

[Macky-Mac]

That's only true with iMacs and Mac Pros. The warranty for minis and notebooks is worldwide.

several years ago Apple extended the warranty for the imac and mac pro so now they have worldwide warranties as well

And to the OP.....as others have said, don't forget to add sales tax to the price you see advertised for the US

 

[olisones]

Yes you can buy with a UK card; my friend just did that. Of course you'd need a US shipping address. Really for billing you can put in whatever US shipping address you plan to use. Apple won't ship to a hotel either or a post office box. Just note that your card may charge you exchange fees (from dollar to sterling).

So you're saying you CAN use a UK credit card on the US Store?!

 

[olisones]

If you've got friends over there, why don't you just pay him the money and use his card to purchase it?

Those differences aren't too difficult to live with I don't think.

I would rather use my card as it would save getting out a whole ton of cash to give to my mate.

 

[omarjk]

I think most people could live with the minor keyboard differences. French to English is a different story where, as many of you will know, you have to press 'shift' to type in numerals, and to insert full-stops. Absurd!

I was sent a MB Air by an MR member and I though I was getting a really cool saving with it, until HMRC stuck their oar in and landed me with a £150 bill for VAT. I still need to go about reclaiming it but it's a time-consuming hassle. Moral is to beware the tax man and prepare yourself for a bill and see it as a bonus when you get away with it.

 

[omarjk]

Oh yes, and as far as bank fees go make sure you find out by asking them yourself. When I was a student in Sweden I must have blown over £100 in shoddy exchange rates and 1.5% commission applied to each transaction (good old Barclays Bank).

 

[shaquk]

I just bought an ipad 2 with a UK CC

Yes you can buy with a UK card; my friend just did that. Of course you'd need a US shipping address. Really for billing you can put in whatever US shipping address you plan to use. Apple won't ship to a hotel either or a post office box. Just note that your card may charge you exchange fees (from dollar to sterling).

Hi, i just bought an ipad 2 on the Apple US store site, and i used my UK CC for it. However, i called up my CC Company and told them the amount and the address I was getting it delivered to in the US (a friend is coming in a few weeks) and they just added it as a note on my account. So if Apple tries to confirm, they will geta confirmation that the billing address is correct. I have an AmEx but i am sure otehr CC companies do it too. Worth a try.