If I were to buy an iPad in the USA would it work in Britain, anyone know please?
I don't think a 3G one would though.
Steve
I don't think a 3G one would though.
Steve
Buying an iPad in USA
Even if it did work:
US sales tax (not included in stated prices).
UK import duty.
Concerns over whether the guarantee would be valid.
Not worth bothering IMHO.
US sales tax (not included in stated prices).
UK import duty.
Concerns over whether the guarantee would be valid.
Not worth bothering IMHO.
Originally Posted by John259:
“Even if it did work:
US sales tax (not included in stated prices).
UK import duty.
Concerns over whether the guarantee would be valid.
Not worth bothering IMHO.”
“Even if it did work:
US sales tax (not included in stated prices).
UK import duty.
Concerns over whether the guarantee would be valid.
Not worth bothering IMHO.”
Op doesnt say if he there on holiday but if he was it could be worth it as there would be no import duty, and US sales tax ammount depends on what state your visiting.
Originally Posted by paulj48:
“Op doesnt say if he there on holiday but if he was it could be worth it as there would be no import duty”
“Op doesnt say if he there on holiday but if he was it could be worth it as there would be no import duty”
The duty free allowance from non-EU countries is only £390, so if the cost of the iPad exceeded the equivalent of that in US$ then the full duty on the whole amount would be payable even if no other items were bought back.
"If you bring in any single item worth more than your allowance, you must pay duty and/or tax on the full item value, not just the value above the allowance. You also cannot group individual allowances together to bring in an item worth more than the limit."
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriv...ivingnoneu.htm
Quote:
“US sales tax amount depends on what state your visiting.”
“US sales tax amount depends on what state your visiting.”
Agreed, and there's a list here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_...#Summary_table
Originally Posted by John259:
“The duty free allowance from non-EU countries is only £390, so if the cost of the iPad exceeded the equivalent of that in US$ then the full duty on the whole amount would be payable even if no other items were bought back.
"If you bring in any single item worth more than your allowance, you must pay duty and/or tax on the full item value, not just the value above the allowance. You also cannot group individual allowances together to bring in an item worth more than the limit."”
“The duty free allowance from non-EU countries is only £390, so if the cost of the iPad exceeded the equivalent of that in US$ then the full duty on the whole amount would be payable even if no other items were bought back.
"If you bring in any single item worth more than your allowance, you must pay duty and/or tax on the full item value, not just the value above the allowance. You also cannot group individual allowances together to bring in an item worth more than the limit."”
But the average person who wanted to save money and buy whilst on holiday would not declare it to customs would they?
Just put it in your hand luggage with your holiday snaps on and as most tourist travel with 'tech' these days I dont think customs are going to bat an eyelid.
Originally Posted by paulj48:
“But the average person who wanted to save money and buy whilst on holiday would not declare it to customs would they?”
“But the average person who wanted to save money and buy whilst on holiday would not declare it to customs would they?”
Hmmm.... I just tried to discover what would happen if someone got caught smuggling but all I could find was the vague phrase "severe penalties". I guess at the very least the item would be confiscated.
Originally Posted by John259:
“Concerns over whether the guarantee would be valid.”
“Concerns over whether the guarantee would be valid.”
The Warranty on Apple portable products is worldwide!
Originally Posted by John259:
“Hmmm.... I just tried to discover what would happen if someone got caught smuggling but all I could find was the vague phrase "severe penalties". I guess at the very least the item would be confiscated.”
“Hmmm.... I just tried to discover what would happen if someone got caught smuggling but all I could find was the vague phrase "severe penalties". I guess at the very least the item would be confiscated.”
Customs are generally not that interested in a single device for personal use! You would be very unlucky to even be charged VAT on a device which had been opened and had some use abroad!
Technically as has been said you must declare it, wether you do is up to you, and no one is going to tell you to break the law. The Apple guarantee is world wide, so your covered there. If you buy in an Apple shop they will set it up for you with an existing apple id, if you have one. Haven't checked recently but are you saving any money, a few years back when you were getting $2 to the pound it was worth it, but nowadays not sure.
Another benefit (although I'm not sure if it effects Ipads) is the US devices are not crippled by the stupid EU law on sound output.
Originally Posted by Philip Wales:
“ Haven't checked recently but are you saving any money, a few years back when you were getting $2 to the pound it was worth it, but nowadays not sure.”
“ Haven't checked recently but are you saving any money, a few years back when you were getting $2 to the pound it was worth it, but nowadays not sure.”
As a quick comparison
http://store.apple.com/us/ipad $329 (approx £205) + sales taxes
or
http://store.apple.com/uk/ipad £269
Not a lot in it and the conversion rate is the bank rate - so reckon on $329 is nearer £215 at tourist rates (plus, if used, other credit card charges)
Originally Posted by paulj48:
“Another benefit (although I'm not sure if it effects Ipads) is the US devices are not crippled by the stupid EU law on sound output.”
“Another benefit (although I'm not sure if it effects Ipads) is the US devices are not crippled by the stupid EU law on sound output.”
Yep, it does. The American version is very loud, like the iPhone and iPods.
Originally Posted by paulj48:
“But the average person who wanted to save money and buy whilst on holiday would not declare it to customs would they?
Just put it in your hand luggage with your holiday snaps on and as most tourist travel with 'tech' these days I dont think customs are going to bat an eyelid.”
“But the average person who wanted to save money and buy whilst on holiday would not declare it to customs would they?
Just put it in your hand luggage with your holiday snaps on and as most tourist travel with 'tech' these days I dont think customs are going to bat an eyelid.”
They wouldn't know you purchased it in the USA. People take that sort of thing on holiday, just discard the box and make sure you've got photos etc. on it.
People buy cameras, phones and all sorts. Clearly if you had 10 iPads in your bag you'd have a hard job explaining that away but there's no way customs are going to take any notice of a camera, iPad, iPod etc.
Originally Posted by paulj48:
“Op doesnt say if he there on holiday but if he was it could be worth it as there would be no import duty, and US sales tax ammount depends on what state your visiting.”
“Op doesnt say if he there on holiday but if he was it could be worth it as there would be no import duty, and US sales tax ammount depends on what state your visiting.”
My cousin was in the US on holiday, and bought an iPad, much cheaper than over here, and didn't incur any extra costs.
Originally Posted by Rodney McKay:
“They wouldn't know you purchased it in the USA. People take that sort of thing on holiday, just discard the box and make sure you've got photos etc. on it.
People buy cameras, phones and all sorts. Clearly if you had 10 iPads in your bag you'd have a hard job explaining that away but there's no way customs are going to take any notice of a camera, iPad, iPod etc.”
“They wouldn't know you purchased it in the USA. People take that sort of thing on holiday, just discard the box and make sure you've got photos etc. on it.
People buy cameras, phones and all sorts. Clearly if you had 10 iPads in your bag you'd have a hard job explaining that away but there's no way customs are going to take any notice of a camera, iPad, iPod etc.”
You do realise customs have access to the serial number batches for most consumer products likely to be brought into the country, and can quite easily check to see where an item was brought.
Originally Posted by Philip Wales:
“You do realise customs have access to the serial number batches for most consumer products likely to be brought into the country, and can quite easily check to see where an item was brought.”
“You do realise customs have access to the serial number batches for most consumer products likely to be brought into the country, and can quite easily check to see where an item was brought.”
Yes they have and, in theory, could - IF they wanted!! This question has come up from the days when cameras were vastly cheaper in the USA.
In practice I have never found a customs officer yet with the slightest interest in single items for personal use - if you had a bag crammed with 50 of them then yes!
Originally Posted by Philip Wales:
“You do realise customs have access to the serial number batches for most consumer products likely to be brought into the country, and can quite easily check to see where an item was brought.”
“You do realise customs have access to the serial number batches for most consumer products likely to be brought into the country, and can quite easily check to see where an item was brought.”
Sure, because you see customs doing that all the time don't you?
Yes you're right, every time I've been to America they've run the serial numbers of my laptop, camera and phone because that's all they have to do
