V-Flyer

Am I right in thinking someone here (more than one person, I think) said that buying an ipad in the US meant an international guarantee? Himself asked about this today in PCWorld and the guy said, quite categorically, that one bought in the US would not be covered by guarantee outside the US. Which I'm sure isn't what O heard from this forum??? He might have been covering his backside, but I'd have thought he had no axe to grind as they had none in stock and no real prospect of getting any!

He also mentioned there'd be a need to re-configure to be able to get to the UK apps store. Sounds like a nonsense to me, but I knwo you guys will know! Please....

As usual PCWorld are talking nonsense.

Most Apple equipment carries a worldwide guarantee including iPads.

Buy cheaper in the US with confidence and stop frequenting places of evil.

Miopyk

PC World have got it wrong.

I moved to NY some 5 months ago and had many visitors since. I have regularly been buying iPad 2's (when in stock) at the request of family and friends who want to take them back to the UK. You save roughly GBP100.

Nobody has had a problem setting them up to a UK configuration, I even set up my Dad's iPad for him and registered his iTunes in the US. No problems from anybody.

As for the guarantee/warrantee question, they are covered outside of the US and if anything goes wrong, you can take it into an Apple store. In fact, my brother my dropped his when he got back to the UK and went into an Apple Store in London to see how much a repair cost. They said that because he had been such a good customer (I think they were referring to the number I had bought!!) they did a one-off replacement right there for free!

Hope this helps.

catsilversword wrote:Am I right in thinking someone here (more than one person, I think) said that buying an ipad in the US meant an international guarantee? Himself asked about this today in PCWorld and the guy said, quite categorically, that one bought in the US would not be covered by guarantee outside the US. Which I'm sure isn't what O heard from this forum??? He might have been covering his backside, but I'd have thought he had no axe to grind as they had none in stock and no real prospect of getting any!

He also mentioned there'd be a need to re-configure to be able to get to the UK apps store. Sounds like a nonsense to me, but I knwo you guys will know! Please....

Sounds like a load of Salesmans B S to me.
All Apple products carry a Worldwide warranty.
I bought mine in UK and had a problem with it in South Africa. The Apple store in Durban just called up my account and ..presto..actually replaced under warranty..it ws only 2 weeks old.
Just make sure that if you get one in the US it is not locked to a carrier like A T & T as it might prove diffcult to unlock. "Unlocked" ipads can be bought direct from the any Apple Store, or stores such as Best Buy etc..just make sure they aren't locked to a carrier.

Good luck ...enjoy your i PAD.

As already mentioned PC World are indeed talking BS.

All Apple products (excluding iPhones) come with a Worldwide guarantee.

The only iPads that are locked to a mobile network in the UK are the ones bought direct from those networks (and this also includes iPads that only come with a 30 day contract not just the 24 month subsidised ones)

Avoid buying from a UK mobile network.

Apple UK also have no plans to offer iPad unlocking either unlike iPhones.

Thanks everyone! Exactly what I thought I remembered from on here.... I guess I'll probably try and get one in the US in a couple of months' time but I wish I could be more hopeful of being able to get my hands on one!

If I do get one, I'll be sure to askk for an unlocked one - though as I'd only be using on wifi and not on contract, would it be an issue anyway????

If you're going to buy the wifi model, then locking is not an issue. Only with the 3G/Wifi version, you need to buy an unlocked one.

There's no issues what so ever using a US WiFi iPad in the UK. My iPad1 was purchased in the US.

You just enter your UK iTunes account info and you will have full access to all the UK iTunes store irrespective of where the iPad was purchased.

You can even have multiple iTunes accounts. I have a UK and a US one here which I just top up using US iTunes vouchers (there's always more free stuff available with US iTunes accounts than in the UK one)

Wifi models are not locked. Anyone will work.

The locking issues arise with buying a model with 3G - i.e. if you want to use it through a mobile network when WiFi not available. I understood that the AT&T model when bought from an Apple Store would work on a mobile network in the UK but I haven't personally tested it...

I too bought mine in the US, and have a UK and a US iTunes account.

Enjoy going back to PCW and telling them ...

I bought my wife one in tekserve in nyc as they always tend to have stock, brilliant service and the stores aren't as half as busy as the mac stores. They're also covered as if you'd bought it in any mac store. I'm forever banging on about them on here, so I'll shut up now.

The 3G models bought in US Apple stores will work fine over here too, they come fully unlocked! (Make sure you buy the AT&T one though, not the Verizon one as that won't!)

I love this site

I'll be on Phoenix/LA - anyone know of somewhere around there I may have a better than average chance of scoring one?

catsilversword wrote:I'll be on Phoenix/LA - anyone know of somewhere around there I may have a better than average chance of scoring one?

css,
I don't think there will be a problem- I got back from the USA this week and every Apple/ Best Buy /Walmart store I entered had adequate stock of the ipad 2 (over 4 US states) including the 3G AT+T in 2 Apple stoes (which seems to be the hardest to acquire ) in all the memory permetations .
I still didn't buy one
DL

slinky09 wrote:I too bought mine in the US, and have a UK and a US iTunes account.

Enjoy going back to PCW and telling them ...

Wouldn't waste my energy lol - in fact, I almost opened my mouth at the time to tell the guy I thought was wrong, but he was just so superior that I couldn't be bothered

DragonLady wrote:

catsilversword wrote:I'll be on Phoenix/LA - anyone know of somewhere around there I may have a better than average chance of scoring one?

css,
I don't think there will be a problem- I got back from the USA this week and every Apple/ Best Buy /Walmart store I entered had adequate stock of the ipad 2 (over 4 US states) including the 3G AT+T in 2 Apple stoes (which seems to be the hardest to acquire ) in all the memory permetations
DL

Thanks DL. I'm surprised though, I kind of gathered they were as difficult to get hold of there as here. Apparently not

They are quite easy to get hold of in the US - I saw people buying them late in the afternoon in one of the Apple Stores last week.

I thought I'd resurrect this discussion as I'm seriously thinking about getting an ipad for myself when I go over to NY in a couple of weeks. Out of curiousity though, what's the VAT/Duty position on this, given that's it's for my own use?

Do I even really want to know the answer to that one?!

ratechaser wrote:I thought I'd resurrect this discussion as I'm seriously thinking about getting an ipad for myself when I go over to NY in a couple of weeks. Out of curiousity though, what's the VAT/Duty position on this, given that's it's for my own use?

Do I even really want to know the answer to that one?!

A 16g wifi including sales tax works out about £340. Depends on exchange rate of course.

A32g model is going to be about £400.


Just over the uk limit for personal goods brought into the uk.

ratechaser wrote:I thought I'd resurrect this discussion as I'm seriously thinking about getting an ipad for myself when I go over to NY in a couple of weeks. Out of curiousity though, what's the VAT/Duty position on this, given that's it's for my own use?

Do I even really want to know the answer to that one?!

I can't comment on that one !


Can you believe that I was so stressed because of long queues at passport control, I forgot that I had mine in my laptop bag when I returned to the UK with one.

ratechaser wrote:I thought I'd resurrect this discussion as I'm seriously thinking about getting an ipad for myself when I go over to NY in a couple of weeks. Out of curiousity though, what's the VAT/Duty position on this, given that's it's for my own use?

Do I even really want to know the answer to that one?!

As per HMRC the Duty / Tax Free limit from a non-EU country is £ 390 (approx $600 depending on the exchange rate).

Sounds like it might be a better option for me to go to John Lewis then given that I'm looking at the 64Gb 3G model so well over the limit (and I never seem to get amnesia at the right time). It may come out a bit more expensive, but you do get the extra year guarantee...

Thanks for the info...

RC

ratechaser wrote:Sounds like it might be a better option for me to go to John Lewis then given that I'm looking at the 64Gb 3G model so well over the limit (and I never seem to get amnesia at the right time). It may come out a bit more expensive, but you do get the extra year guarantee...

Thanks for the info...

RC

If you do want to buy in the UK then go to Apple's referb section in the on line Apple Store. Currently offering all iPad 2s at £40 off so not as good as the USofA but better than UKPLC and you still get the full Apple warranty.

I've bought loads of things here and they really are as good as new. Link here: http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad

Miopyk

miopyk wrote:

ratechaser wrote:Sounds like it might be a better option for me to go to John Lewis then given that I'm looking at the 64Gb 3G model so well over the limit (and I never seem to get amnesia at the right time). It may come out a bit more expensive, but you do get the extra year guarantee...

Thanks for the info...

RC

If you do want to buy in the UK then go to Apple's referb section in the on line Apple Store. Currently offering all iPad 2s at £40 off so not as good as the USofA but better than UKPLC and you still get the full Apple warranty.

I've bought loads of things here and they really are as good as new. Link here: http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad

Miopyk

And access via Quidco for another 2%.