Apple prices in Europe?

xypexype
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Is it me or are the Apple computers a bit more expensive in Europe than in the US? I calculated the prices with the current dollar/euro rating and the US prices are still "a bit higher than expected".



For example the 733G4 powermac starts at $ 2,137 here versus the $ 1,699 in the US.



Is it the shipping? I can't imagine Apple shipping to USA and from there to EU though.. Someone enlighten me!



Oh and in Germany the powermac goes at 2,319 EUR whereas Austria is 2,399 EUR and Belgium is 2,419 EUR. The high end machines differ as much as 210 EUR. Would it make sense to buy my stuff in Germany then? Hmm..



edit: germany thing added



[ 01-10-2002: Message edited by: xype ]</p>

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    zoranszorans Posts: 187member
    Try this..



    iMac/Superdrive US$1799



    same unit in Australia AUS$4195...



    Now we know that AUS$1 = US$0.52...



    converting roughly back to US$ 2100 !!!!WTF!!!!
  • Reply 2 of 12
    eat@meeat@me Posts: 321member
    [quote]Originally posted by tonton:

    <strong>You guys are all forgetting that the European and Australian prices all contain tax.



    In Hong Kong, where we have no Sales tax, VST or MWST, the new high-end iMac is US$50 more than the no-tax US price. Big deal.



    For most Apple items the price is even closer. That makes HK one of the best places in the world to buy Apple hardware.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    In UK, they ADD VAT of 18% PLUS extra overhead. the result is that prices are about 30-40% higher here. Answer, fly to states, pick one up, fly home and get a free ticket. $250 to fly r/t to NY from UK.
  • Reply 3 of 12
    zoranszorans Posts: 187member
    Hmmm, I might buy it from Hong Kong then and have it sent to Australia along with an iPod. As long as customs see that its a gift&lt;from me to myself, heheh&gt;, I should be sweet. Weight should be like less than 12-13Kg packaged if its claimed weight is anything to go by....



    I'll look into this
  • Reply 4 of 12
    xypexype Posts: 672member
    I can buy one trough my company to the MWST (VAT) falls off, but I get that back only at the end of the year, plus I have to stick 3 years with it then. But since neither germany, switzerland nor italy are more than a 1 hour drive away from me, I am asking myself if it's worth to make a picnic someplace and buy a mac there ...
  • Reply 5 of 12
    katekate Posts: 172member
    [quote]Originally posted by xype:

    <strong>I can buy one trough my company to the MWST (VAT) falls off, but I get that back only at the end of the year, plus I have to stick 3 years with it then. But since neither germany, switzerland nor italy are more than a 1 hour drive away from me, I am asking myself if it's worth to make a picnic someplace and buy a mac there ...</strong><hr></blockquote>



    In fact the German Apple Store has the best prices in Europe so far when the tax is included. So Austrian people can have an advantage buying in Germany, but the rest will have the hassle with different keyboards!



    However, Macs come directly from Taiwan or China or are set up in Ireland, it is Apple that makes prices in Europe higher than the US prices.



    Hongkong seems a good place, but if you must have a non US-international keyboard you're stuck.
  • Reply 6 of 12
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    I will also buy my next mac in Germany just like I did with my Pismo. In the beginning it was a problem with the english keyboard w/o æøå on the keys. But now I am used to it. I even consider buying a set of the blank keys to improve my typing skills even more.



    If i buy the new SD iMac at sendamac.com it costs $2100. If I buy it at apple.dk/store it costs almost $2400. And they just sent it to me without any tax or VAT added as long as I am inside EU.
  • Reply 7 of 12
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    So how much does it cost to ship to Europe? Do you have to pay extra to ship electronics through customs?



    I live in New Hampshire which has No Sales Tax. I can go to the Apple Store in Salem, NH (Rockingham), and buy a Mac for the actual price. Are the Macs in Europe that much different then the ones sold here? I know they have different keyboards and power adapters, but is there anything else? Are you unable to get the machine fixed if you buy it in the US?
  • Reply 8 of 12
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    [quote]Originally posted by Fran441:

    <strong>So how much does it cost to ship to Europe? Do you have to pay extra to ship electronics through customs?



    I live in New Hampshire which has No Sales Tax. I can go to the Apple Store in Salem, NH (Rockingham), and buy a Mac for the actual price. Are the Macs in Europe that much different then the ones sold here? I know they have different keyboards and power adapters, but is there anything else? Are you unable to get the machine fixed if you buy it in the US?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Customs is the problem here. In my experience FedEX, UPS and other will without exceptions put your package through customs except if it say "gift" on the outside AND is smaller than a video tape. I would have to pay UPS for doing the custom work (Like I want to pay for that service ), 1% in tax and 25% of computer, shipping and tax in VAT. The only chance you have to get it in here w/o custom getting their hands on it is strangely enough by sending it with USPS.



    No problems at all with `books. They have international service and the power adaptor can handle 100-240 V. But desk tops is a nono from the States.



    If anyone want a cheap holiday here in Europe should buy the next PowerBook just when it is released, go over here with it and sell it it at full danish price (cheapest model $3000). Someone will want to buy it since it take a couple of month before we get the new models here. Then you have the difference ($700) to travel around with. And it could actually be completly legal if it was out of its package when arriving here.



    __________________







    [ 01-10-2002: Message edited by: Anders ]</p>
  • Reply 9 of 12
    xypexype Posts: 672member
    [quote]Originally posted by Anders:

    <strong>If i buy the new SD iMac at sendamac.com it costs $2100. If I buy it at apple.dk/store it costs almost $2400. And they just sent it to me without any tax or VAT added as long as I am inside EU.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    So if I buy y mac there trough my company does it mean the price is without VAT? That's be cool, since I don't think I can walk out of a shop here without leaving VAT change there. Which I only get back end of the year then
  • Reply 10 of 12
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    [quote]Originally posted by xype:

    <strong>



    So if I buy y mac there trough my company does it mean the price is without VAT? That's be cool, since I don't think I can walk out of a shop here without leaving VAT change there. Which I only get back end of the year then </strong><hr></blockquote>



    No sorry. You will pay german VAT but its only 18% compared to 25% in Denmark. The end result for you will probably be the same because you can withdraw the VAT at the end of the year. I think the price in ? is almost the same all over Europe, at least in the online Apple Stores, before the VAT is added



    Perhaps the VAT is lower in other parts of EU.
  • Reply 11 of 12
    :-):-) Posts: 110member
    What actually bothers me is that exchange rates vary when there's a discount. For instance the exchange rate is 1$=9.3dkr on the display deal and 1$=11,1dkr on the iMac both ratios include VAT

    OK granted the difference isn't big, but why is it there, I think it sucks



    EDIT: the actual rate is 1$=8,3dkr



    [ 01-10-2002: Message edited by: :-) ]</p>
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