Shopping in the USA

[SizEzE]

I'm off to NY in April with the lady and want to buy an iBook & PBook. What disadvantages are there in purchasing abroad, bearing in mind the substantial saving. Anyone care to share their experiences of buying in the US.

[CocoPops]

I bought a pBook when I went to Los Angeles.

Ditch all of the packaging, even tho it's so nice to keep. That way it's easier to blag customs if you say you took it with you.

I bought the proper backpack for the powerbook so bought everything back in that.

Other than that, there's nothing else to worry about. PowerSupplies are auto switching, warranties are worldwide on apple portables.

[SizEzE]

Thanks, good to know that the Power supplies will work and I wont need to buy a step down or the like. I was going to fedex the packaging to a friends address, although in all honestly I dont know if it will be worth it.

[artaxerxes]

£ key!

[Aaron]

As CocoPops said, plus make sure you don't keep the receipt in your wallet. If they find a shiny new laptop in your bag, your wallet will be the first place they check to find out where you bought it.

[Nemeliza]

jesus are customs that bad. cant they just take your word for it.

[Seal]

Hey i live in uk, im currently in New York at the moment with my 4 day old Apple Powerbook 12". I bought it with cover for just over $1700 and saved over £500 from buying it in england. I got it with an airport extreme wireless card and 3 year applecare. Applecare is global and i can register it in my name/address in england. As for import tax at customs if you walk through with a brand new powerbook box you'll get taxed, they wont be so bad as to go through your wallet! Its easy to get round though, i just shipped all my boxes and manuals over to england in a box so instead of ditching the boxes ill have them when i get back. The laptop is coming with me on the plane. The shipping costed me about £10 which isnt too bad.

Also for the £ sign... thats easy, just hit the alt+3 and youll get a £ sign. Im so happy with my cool little pwoerbook, i might try and pick up some ram here for it as its cheap... might as well . Also you get free wireless hotspots here everywhere! Starbucks, alot of parks etc... so if you get a wireless card you can be online really easily!

Seal

[Seal]

Oh yeah and if you know anyone in NY thats a registered student in a US 'college' or what we call university. Then you can save yourself about $300 more because US students get prices for even cheaper. My cousin here is registered in a college so i got alot more money off.

[këö¬t]

i heard somewhere that customs were checking the serial numbers on apple goods that people bring in from america.
could be true, could be false...

[gss03]

How could customs tie a serial code to where the lappy was shipped to?
Surely they all come out of the same factory in Taipei? <sp?>

[Seal]

lol you guys are getting paranoid, they will not do ANYTHING like that at all, do you think that for every single electrical item like laptops theyll check the serial number with each manufacturer to check where it was purchased??? no chance.

i bought my powerbook back with me through customs 4 days ago and my hand luggage was checked at london heathrow, yes he did come across the laptop, no he didnt say a thing...

my boxes were shipped through seamail and theyll arrive in england next week.

[zhenboy]

i bought my powerbook from hongkong...no tax applied...they r so cheap over there...
n when i got back the customs ppl were still sleeping at home (*proabably*)
my flight landed at heathrow at 6:30 in the morning......
but as far as i know, most of the times, heathrow customs r checking if u bring too much cigarette...

[Soneji]

I work for HM Customs. Don't be silly, we just sit there picking our noses. We couldn't care less if you've bought a laptop to be honest, as for checking serial numbers - get a grip lol. Only things we take any interest in checking on our computers terminals is the Aircrafts passenger manifest.