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Getting A Laptop With The Low U.S. Dollar
An anonymous reader submits "I am heading to the U.S. pretty soon and am keen to take advantage of the low US$ to buy a laptop. The differences in prices are astounding - on dell.com (US) you pay $2049 for a Precision M60 - in the UK this costs 1620.33UKP, or $2999. That is a fair difference! It makes it cheaper for me to fly to the US to buy it and carry it home than it is for me to buy it in the UK. Now, that said, it isn't particularly easy to find a place to buy a laptop from, since most of the places don't ship to the UK (or it takes weeks) and it is difficult to get stuff delivered to your hotel ... any suggestions of how I can get a good laptop in the New York area when I am only there for 4 days?"
Order laptop in advance via credit card. Have the laptop shipped to a trusted friend or colleague. Pick up when you are in town.
Many retail establishments can offer mechandise on the spot here, thought not always the same level of customization that Dell offers.
Maybe Best Buy or Fry's? You know, small little niche shops like that.
Seriously, unless you're hung up on Dell, any computer store will fall over themselves selling you a laptop.
Or am I missing a US/UK difference here? Does the UK just not have these kind of "walk in and buy it" type shops?
You wouldn't have to worry about customs/taxes if you open it and carry it with you, right? (Just like what you should do with jewelry)
There are a huge number of yeast infections in this county. Probably because we're downriver from the bread factory.
BUT remember NY's friendly 8.25% sales tax. When possible, it's best to buy via mail-order from a company that doesn't have a NY presence. And remember to ask about the return policy.
Here's what I do: Bitty Browser & Andromeda
Or you could just declare it, still make a saving, and sleep soundly in the knowledge that you're not a dishonest, tight-arsed little toerag.
But you don't! I found visiting the US highly confusing because I'd expect to pay the price on the tag, instead of the quoted price plus some awkward percentage that varied from place to place... You never know quite what you're going to have to pay.
Instead, here in the UK everyone quotes the price you actually pay, including VAT! (They have to, by law.) After all, that's the most important thing at the checkout. You can work out how much of that goes to the government if you want to, but that's hardly a major concern when you make a purchase.
VAT is hardly exploitation. It's not as if we don't know it's happening. Look on it as a public contribution to ensuring our country is run reasonably well and that it looks after its people. After all, you generally get what you pay for -- if you don't pay much, then you get a country that doesn't look after its people very well, as the US has found...
(Oh, and please don't call all other governments 'socialistic'. It doesn't do much either for international relations, or for your image here.)
Ceterum censeo subscriptionem esse delendam.
Seriously, I'm not trolling here. How could they tell by a cursory examination whether you had this with you when you left home?
You don't want to tease an American customs or immigration officer as a foreigner. They can and will throw you out of the country if they get pissed on you, no appeal, no coming back for at least six months and you have to explain every time you do come back why you were thrown out that one time ("Well sir, I was teasing this customs officer and he took it badly...").
No, I haven't done it, but I read what it says just above where you sign on the entry cards.