Buying MacBook in the States

marko_polo1234

Hi there,
I am thinking about buyin a MacBook air or pro from the apple online american refurb store. I have an uncle living in the states who is coming home for Christmas and I was just wondering if it wud be possible for him to order it and bring it back home for me (and I pay him back). Wud he incur any taxes by customs if he was to put it in his suitcase or cud it be confiscated by them? Or cud he post the laptop package? Any suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated

Overheal

When the laptop incurs taxes (and its likely it would, especially if posted) then I've already played with the numbers before: in that case you don't save, nor do you lose any money off the irish prices on the apple store. This might vary marginally by conversion rate since I last checked (2 years ago?)

Torqay

Discussions re dodging import duty and VAT should be equally frowned upon as upon discussions regarding pirated content or the circumvention of regional restrictions... just saying.

It's rather unlikely that customs will seize a Macbook Air from an American tourist (i.e. your uncle). But why would you want to buy a refurbished old clunker or a lemon with limited warranty (if any in Ireland)? Any Starbucks nearby where you can show off?

marko_polo1234

Sorry but a refurbished MBA from the apple store isn't 'cluncky' as its tested to very high standards and also no Starbucks nearby :'P But back on topic, wud a refurb MBA (in its full unopened packaging) be seized from my uncles luggage and/or be taxed?

randombar

Basically take it out of the box and you're fine, to customs it looks like his laptop and won't/can't be stopped (for the laptop anyway)

Torqay

marko_polo1234 wrote: »

Sorry but a refurbished MBA from the apple store isn't 'cluncky' as its tested to very high standards

And what are they? Any reference?

Computers (Apple or otherwise) only end up in refurb sales because someone else wasn't happy with it. You'll always buy the cat in the bag, albeit tested to very high standards.

marko_polo1234

Here they are; http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/apple_certified.html

marko_polo1234

GaryCocs wrote: »

Basically take it out of the box and you're fine, to customs it looks like his laptop and won't/can't be stopped (for the laptop anyway)

Cheers, but can he still have the box with its charger, manuals etc if he puts the MacBook into his hand luggage and the box into a suitcase or vice versa?

Torqay

marko_polo1234 wrote: »

Cheers, but can he still have the box with its charger, manuals etc if he puts the MacBook into his hand luggage and the box into a suitcase or vice versa?

He wouldn't want to be caught with the original Apple packaging. Would be a bit too obvious, no?

PSU no problem, have him mail the documentation and invoice to be on the safe side.

And tell him not to forget the certificate for Apple's premiere quality standards, might be worth framing...

marko_polo1234

So should he bring the MacBook (on its own) back to Ireland and mail the invoice/documentation and apple packaging to me?

Torqay

marko_polo1234 wrote: »

So should he bring the MacBook (on its own) back to Ireland and mail the invoice/documentation and apple packaging to me?

Well, to the best of my knowledge (IANAL) there is no law against bringing your laptop into the country. But if you're caught with the box and invoice, I'd say, you'll have some explaining to do.

marko_polo1234

But is it legal to post the box (without MacBook in it) and the invoice in one package to Ireland ?

WillyFXP

There will be no issue if your Uncle brings the laptop in its full packaging as a gift for you. The paperwork is your Uncles, up to him if he wants to leave it with you.

marko_polo1234

WillyFXP wrote: »

There will be no issue if your Uncle brings the laptop in its full packaging as a gift for you. The paperwork is your Uncles, up to him if he wants to leave it with you.

Would he say it's a gift at customs or just pack it in his suitcase and say nothing?

Torqay

marko_polo1234 wrote: »

Would he say it's a gift at customs

This would defy the purpose of this exercise. If a gift exceeds the value of €430, he'd be liable for import duty.

sweetie

say nothing. put the documentation in his checked luggage, the macbook in his carry on. dont give him any money for it, he owes you for moving away to the states from the bosom of the family.

marko_polo1234

Torqay wrote: »

marko_polo1234 wrote: »

Would he say it's a gift at customs

This would defy the purpose of this exercise. If a gift exceeds the value of €430, he'd be liable for import duty.

I see your point torqay, but WillyFXP, do you have any sources to say that a person can bring over a gift worth around $900/1000

DominicKid

just pretend that it's his own laptop, carry it around with him on the plane. documentation the carriage?

WillyFXP

Torqay wrote: »

This would defy the purpose of this exercise. If a gift exceeds the value of €430, he'd be liable for import duty.

Didn't actually know that

WillyFXP

http://www.revenue.ie/en/customs/leaflets/pn1878a.html#duty-free
Read section 4
It appears there is no legal way to avoid the import duty on something as expensive as a MBP. Thanks for that info Torqay.

Torqay

WillyFXP wrote: »

It appears there is no legal way to avoid the import duty on something as expensive as a MBP.

My point all along, hence my surprise that this thread has been allowed to continue while others get locked when folks ask how to watch BBC iPlayer, for example.

yer man!

You do not want the box that comes with a refurb, it's a plain white box with foam on the inside, tell him to dump that. The laptop doesn't even come with discs anymore, you get the laptop, charger and a polishing cloth and a warrenty booklet I think (2 years since i got mine). post the booklet to ireland if you really want it, i think i threw mine away it just explains the warrenty in every language, it's explained online anyway. Tell him to bring the laptop to Ireland in carry on, plastic covers on the laptop can arouse suspicion with customs, he may need to turn it one also so to save himself time at the airport tell him to turn it on at home and to do a basic set up, they be changed later. Your Uncle will then be grand bringing "his" laptop through both airports to Ireland, it could then possibly happen that he forgets to bring the laptop home with him.....;)