Buying imac in USA

aidankk

I'm goin to the US in next few weeks and thinking of bringing home an iMac because of price difference. Would this be advisable?

Red Alert

It could get some rough handling at airports and I don't know how customs might view it. The newer larger models might be too big to carry on.

CoxswainLovalot

I certainly wouldn't put it under the plane and in its packaging it would be too big for carry on. You could investigate the cost of shipping it back to Ireland but I fear the difference in price would be swiftly absorbed by that and any duty you would have to pay.

Ham'nd'egger

aidankk wrote: »

I'm goin to the US in next few weeks and thinking of bringing home an iMac because of price difference. Would this be advisable?

An iMac is actually quite heavy inspite of it's sleek looks so it will eat into your baggage allowance (20" is 9.1KG excluding box, 24" is 11.5KG). You will not put an iMac into a suitcase unless it's a jumbo one so you may as well bring a spare maxi case and travel empty on the outbound leg. If you get stopped by customs, there is no way you can explain away a desktop computer so be warned; 12.5% duty and 21% VAT, with carriage added as part of the costings on same.

Simon201

Did exactly this 3 weeks ago in Vegas. iMac 2.4ghz 20" cost me €1175. Initially had decided to take it out the box, wrap it in bubble wrap and padded edges etc. Figured it would be no bigger than some of the stuff being brought as hand luggage, and it would have fitted through the x-ray machine at the boarding security gate. However after seeing what the situation was like on the trip over, ie laptops and computers had all to be taken out of bags etc and put through separately, I was imagining having to unwrap my careful packaging, show them I didn't have pictures of Bin Laden in my iPhoto library and then wrap it all again after the security check. Luckily I had the opportunity to borrow a large samsonite plastic suitcase which, after modifying some corners of the polystyrene packaging from the iMac box and then wrapping the iMac in a somewhat massive Abercrombie & Fitch order from my daughter did quite nicely! Then there was only 24 hours or so of anxiety until the my iMac was successfully unpacked back home. Oh and of course customs at Dublin airport, yes, could be a problem if one does get stopped.
Without wanting to diss the baggage handling staff I did feel somewhat lucky that everything did arrive in one piece!

mikemac

Simon201 wrote: »

Without wanting to diss the baggage handling staff I did feel somewhat lucky that everything did arrive in one piece!

You just dodged customs duty and you're accusing baggage staff of thieving?
Even if a lot of baggage staff in Dublin are from Ballymun and even if a lot of baggage goes missing, the only thief I see on this thread is you.

Bluefoam

Simon201 wrote: »

Did exactly this 3 weeks ago in Vegas. iMac 2.4ghz 20" cost me €1175. Initially had decided to take it out the box, wrap it in bubble wrap and padded edges etc. Figured it would be no bigger than some of the stuff being brought as hand luggage, and it would have fitted through the x-ray machine at the boarding security gate. However after seeing what the situation was like on the trip over, ie laptops and computers had all to be taken out of bags etc and put through separately, I was imagining having to unwrap my careful packaging, show them I didn't have pictures of Bin Laden in my iPhoto library and then wrap it all again after the security check. Luckily I had the opportunity to borrow a large samsonite plastic suitcase which, after modifying some corners of the polystyrene packaging from the iMac box and then wrapping the iMac in a somewhat massive Abercrombie & Fitch order from my daughter did quite nicely! Then there was only 24 hours or so of anxiety until the my iMac was successfully unpacked back home. Oh and of course customs at Dublin airport, yes, could be a problem if one does get stopped.
Without wanting to diss the baggage handling staff I did feel somewhat lucky that everything did arrive in one piece!

Sounds like a huge amount of hassle. I'd prefer to spend the extra €274 and have peice of mind and a warranty.

Simon201

micmclo wrote: »

accusing baggage staff of thieving

Who said anything about thieving? My nephew worked as a baggage handler at Dublin Airport for a number of months (he's not from Ballymun and he also told me that missing luggage is a relatively rare occurance!). He only informed me that the staff treat the luggage like there are only clothes inside..

Bluefoam wrote: »

Sounds like a huge amount of hassle. I'd prefer to spend the extra €274 and have peice of mind and a warranty.

Well it wasn't really a huge amount of hassle, but you gotta try and make a story interesting haven't ye!
Also, warranty is worldwide now for iMacs.

kevmac

micmclo,

Relax, he didn't rob a bank.

... and you've never bought anything, ever, on foreign soil that should have been declared - although the Ballymun thing was unfair.

mikemac

kevmac wrote: »

micmclo,

Relax, he didn't rob a bank.

Agreed, apologies all

im...LOST

Bluefoam wrote: »

Sounds like a huge amount of hassle. I'd prefer to spend the extra €274 and have peice of mind and a warranty.

But Apple's warranty is worldwide so it doesn't matter where you buy it. Well, it is for laptops anyway, I might be wrong

uncle_sam_ie

Simon201 wrote: »

Well it wasn't really a huge amount of hassle, but you gotta try and make a story interesting haven't ye!
Also, warranty is worldwide now for iMacs.

From what I understand you won't get a world wide warranty on an iMac. It's only on portables and Mac Minis that you'll get a WW warranty.

440Hz

Guys, we all know prices here are a rip off, but im not so happy about threads encouraging people to cheat the system and buy in the states. It has its risks, that most of us know about, and the choice to buy or not is then down to the individual. Buy here or over there and take the risk, simple as that really.

Now, im not saying ive never dodged the system, but threads about why we should or shouldnt do it are prob not the best idea, IMO. Also, im saying that with my mod cap off, im just giving my personal opinion that we'd be better off not debating the why/why nots of it.

With my mod hat on however... isn't this technically illegal and we shouldn't be talking about it?

Ham'nd'egger

440Hz wrote: »

Guys, we all know prices here are a rip off, but im not so happy about threads encouraging people to cheat the system and buy in the states. It has its risks, that most of us know about, and the choice to buy or not is then down to the individual. Buy here or over there and take the risk, simple as that really.

Now, im not saying ive never dodged the system, but threads about why we should or shouldnt do it are prob not the best idea, IMO. Also, im saying that with my mod cap off, im just giving my personal opinion that we'd be better off not debating the why/why nots of it.

With my mod hat on however... isn't this technically illegal and we shouldn't be talking about it?

Perhaps it is time you made a Stickie regards buying abroad? This topic comes up every few weeks and it is the same answers to the same questions each time, by and large ie risks, duty and tax, legality, warranty etc.

440Hz

Well discussion of illegal topics is against the new charter, which is a sticky...

I have edited the charter to make this point clearer.

Ham'nd'egger

440Hz wrote: »

Well discussion of illegal topics is against the new charter, which is a sticky...

I have edited the charter to make this point clearer.

I don't think most one off posters will bother to read it, TBH. I was thinking of a 1-2 line stickie thread called "importing" or something that gives you the pitfalls and legalities.

440Hz

Hamndegger wrote: »

I don't think most one off posters will bother to read it, TBH.

Posters should not be posting here unless they have bothered to read the charter, that is a given across the board. Anyone who breaks the charter, without reading it will be warned/banned/receive an infraction. That's just the way it goes. So if someone has not read the charter and is unsure about whether a discussion is appropriate they should read before they post.

This case is slightly different as the OP is asking for advice on whether to buy in the states. For all I know he/she is intending to declare the machine at customs on the way home. If there was some discussion relating to evading this, then that would be a problem.

@Simon201, boards.ie does not condone evading customs. Any further discussion about not declaring items will be deleted. Its up the poster to choose the legal/illegal route themselves, just dont post here about the latter option please.

Cabaal

Hamndegger wrote: »

I don't think most one off posters will bother to read it, TBH. I was thinking of a 1-2 line stickie thread called "importing" or something that gives you the pitfalls and legalities.

Then the user shouldn't be posting in this forum, or atleast they can but its pointless if they complain when they get banned for asking about stuff thats against the charter.

If a person wants to import stuff then its upto them to contact customs with any questions regarding any custom fee's that may or may not apply,

Ham'nd'egger

Cabaal wrote: »

Then the user shouldn't be posting in this forum, or atleast they can but its pointless if they complain when they get banned for asking about stuff thats against the charter.

I know I know but I'm thinking of the ignorant here