[PIGMI] apple extortion.

[David Cake]

At 2:25 PM +0800 1/3/11, Brendan Ragan wrote:
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>AFAIK applecare warranties on laptops are world wide. Use a remailer.
>
>Warning: Shipping items from overseas over $1000 will likely attract 
>a GST charge.
>
>Apple power cables come in two parts so splitting them apart is pretty easy.
>
>Australian pricing on electronics is higher for three main reasons:
>1. Size of market
>2. GST (in the US, you can advertise WITHOUT state sales taxes, so 
>while here RRP is higher than what you pay, in the US RRP is 
>generally lower)
>3. Statutory Warranty - the US doesn't have them, Australia mandates 
>a minimum of 1 year.

	Which means the premium Apple is hitting you for isn't that big.
	Off that $1000 price difference, $385 would be GST. And Apple 
values that free year of AppleCare at at least $225 or so (that being 
half what they charge you for extending it by two years).
	So call it at least $610 or so of that $1000 is justifiable, 
and represents increases in price due to Australian law. Which still 
means Apple is screwing us a bit, but not by anywhere near as much.
	Which means it is probably only really worth the hassle and 
delay, once you take into account at least $200 in shipping/remailer 
fees, because you are not paying GST. Which you might be able to 
claim back anyway.
	Cheers
		David