hi there,

i was wondering if anyone has bought a mac from the states and has any issues with warranty? i've checked a couple of mac stores and they're much cheaper with better specs. when i calculated cost plus fedex shipping it still turned out 100 ringgits cheaper than buying a lesser specced macbook in kl. plus shops around here are lousy when it comes to sales and service. for example macmall.com has great deals. my sis lives in the states and she can ship to me.

mirage3d

mac is intranational warranty if im not mistaken

Have you include the Tax charges upon reaching Malaysia shore?

called customs and told me there are no duties or taxes if it's for personal use. i'm planning to get only one macbook. don't think anyone can do business with 1 macbook

This post has been edited by mirage3d: Mar 19 2007, 03:12 PM

is this really the case, in which case i wonder if the Macbook Pro will be cheaper too

keantan,

everything is around 20% cheaper. google for online apple stores and resellers. you'd be surprised. better specs, cheaper prices. the catch is that many of them don;t ship outside the US. but if you know someone who can ship it to you or 'bring' it to you then i say it's not worth buying it over here. many stores also offer you many configurations. shops over here wanna charge me 800 rm's to upgrade a 1.8 macbook to 1gb ram. they say they have to take out the 2x256 and install new 2x512 mb'. meanwhile, i guess, i can put the swapped out 2x256 on a shelf and admire the the pins. doesn't make sense at all!

u better be doubly triply sure...sometimes this customs officers are abit misinformed about they clauses that they have especially when it comes to items shipped in..

This post has been edited by jceh83: Mar 19 2007, 03:33 PM

well this is why i'm posting this topic. wanna know if anyone has had any issues with warranty or anything else. customs told me that computers intended for personal use are duty-free. anyway, the best people to ask would also be the courrier co's, since they would be handling the customs clearance.

This post has been edited by mirage3d: Mar 19 2007, 03:44 PM

interesting, if there are no problems. Indeed cheaper.

There shouldn't be any problem except on how secure is the shipping.
Best if you have someone coming back from US and hand delivered it for you.
For all reason, I don't trust local courier services.

@mirage3d...

the MacBook is normally 2x 256 or 2x 512 or 2x 1GB. when you saidthat's the wrong way to do it. if you want to order a customised unit, do let me know. I'll do some paperwork and find out how long exactly it will take.

The thread starter has factored in FedEx shipping, if I'm not mistaken.

Is a savings of RM100 really worth the time required for transit along with the possibility that local customs will tax you? Consider it :\

have you seen those Fedex or UPS fella "handle" the parcels???

This post has been edited by wei: Mar 19 2007, 07:16 PM

a saving of 100 rm's is not really that much of an issue as you will see below. the risk of being taxed by customs can be either confirmed or dispelled by asking the courier co's. i have asked on several occasions for different items and they were quite informative and helpful. if anyone knows what really goes on, it would be them since they are the ones who will be doing the customs clearing.

as for the handling, i have received 6 dell machines over 3 years - all couriered. no complaints or damages so far. and the choice of courier eventually will be cost and handling safety.

having mentioned dell, i wish apple is like dell. allow customizations online and customer service is A+. i have no experience with the local apple rep, but their site is disappointing to say the least. it looks like a copy of apple inc's site but when you choose to 'get a mac', you're directed to 'where to buy' which only offers a 'pdf' list of distributors and resellers. and the list doesn't even have links to their sites - you have to call them or google for them. no mention of prices either. ok, apple malaysia clearly wants us to buy through their resellers, but at least make it easier for us to find them and give us the chance to contemplate how deep we have to get into our pockets by publishing some prices. the prices are clearly controlled by apple malaysia so what's wrong with publishing them? there's no competition to hurt.

and why do prices have to be controlled? ideally, resellers would offer better prices than apple and would be offering also many custom packages and bundles. that's the whole idea of having resellers. to make it easier for people to get this wonderful machine. more competition means more sales. if all the resellers sell the same packages, at the same price, what's the point of having resellers? it's probably best to operate an apple malaysia franchise. the current system means i don't have to go low yat or damansara or bangsar or ikano or pj for a mac. i just have to go to the nearest mac dealer because it'd be just like walking into a macdonald's. has anyone checked the flyers and leaflets that mac shops offer? they're identical!

i don't mind paying extra if the service is ok and makes sense over here. i walked into 3 different mac stores and all i got was blank looks to some of my questions and answers that make no sense. the salespeople were coached to give certain answers to certain questions. but if you ask something else they just give you the blank look or the 'i'm sorry, that's what we have. there's no other way around it'. so the 100 or so rm's i save are not just for the better specs, or coming in 4 days. it's for the freedom of choice and the fact that i got what i want the way i want it, not the way a shop tells me to have it.

and for those interested in my calculation. here's the deal...
apple inc (USA) macbook black - $1499
macmall (USA) macbook black - $1394 (after $100 rebate) link: macmall - macbook
macshop (MY) macbook black - $1709
courier - $190

the difference (in RM) between buying from macmall with shipping and buying it locally is RM443.
now if i were in the states, i can get the same black macbook with 2gigs of ram instead of 1, plus parallels, a free hp printer, a 512 thumbdrive and a carrying case at $1594 after the rebates - compare this to the local price of the black 1gig macbook above. and i don't have to pay anything - if i'm too broke - for the first 6 months. wow! now that's what i call service. i sure wish i'm over there now.

check out the macbook pro prices. you'll weep.

mirage3d

This post has been edited by mirage3d: Mar 19 2007, 08:22 PM

The prices on MacMall don't look bad, but do they charge tax on purchases in the state that you'll be sending them to? AppleInsider links to a couple of URLs on Amazon that have the same rebates on offer at MacMall that you might want to consider if MacMall will charge tax.

http://www.appleinsider.com/

wei, I've gotten packages through FedEx from Newegg and they've arrived in acceptable condition, probably because Newegg packages things nicely. Shipping generally pans out without complications.

thanks yetieater. i'll check that out.

it is worth it if you dont get taxed and item arrived as delivered...

for your info although this is out of topic, but still apart of the warranty issue, the handling and custom tax are the problems here.

yes, if it is for personal use, especially as USED HOUSEHOLD EFFECT, the item will not be taxed, but if the custom open your package, decide to tax you because of it is a new item, not applicable to that used household effect, then you will be charged, no argument for you to said someone in custom told you personal use stuff is not taxable. once they claimed it shud be taxed, then you either hv to pay the tax or the item confiscated, or sent back to poster (rarely)!

This post has been edited by youngkies: Mar 19 2007, 09:56 PM

Computer product will not be tax-ed, i believe many IT product trader here can verify that.

I also believe that notebook falls in the same category as computer product, no?
So thats means tax free?

This post has been edited by ed0gawa: Mar 19 2007, 09:58 PM

the reason why Apple Malaysia has fixed prices, is because they don't want the chaos that will happen if the prices aren't fixed.

Imagine BSC charging a different price from 1U and Sunway or Ikano charging a different price from KLCC. It wouldn't be funny to buy the same product for a different price just because the rent is different, now would it?

mirage3d, I can answer some of your questions, but not in a public forum. please email me at the address I PM-ed to you.

mirage,i had d same problem with u too b4 i purchased my macbook c2d last december.i had a friend willing to help me get it from US.but then,if u think about the risk(tax,courier) u ll c dat dat amount of money dat u save isnt worth d stress u encounter 4 all d worries.believe me in dat.

but then,if u can takde d risk,go ahead...

imagine dis...

1.u ll b waiting n waiting.tracking ur courier now n then.
2,hoping that nothing happens.hoping dat d package u receive has no damages.
3.hoping dat u do not hav to pay tax or something.eventually if u do,u need to go all d way to d customs n settle it with them.then u hav to take leave.stress..
4.IMHO buying at d store,d ppl there(my personal experience) they ll help u in any way they could.

in d end,its ur money n if u hav made ur decision,go for it..

today its been nearly 4 months since i received my macbook.n believe me,i havent even thought about the cash dat i could save if i bought it in US....

i bought a refurbished black macbook core duo from apple.com i couldnt pay with my malaysian credit card and had my friend living in texas pay for it with his US credit card instead.

and being in texas there is a 8.25% sales tax attached to it. so, depending on the location you are buying from / having it sent to sales tax apply.

i have to say it was a relatively painless affair apart from the credit card thing.

oh and for some strange reason, apple tacked on another 512mb of RAM in that refurbished unit.

8.25% tax of a macbook is veri expensive!

youngkies,

i know what you mean, but i was also refering to what ed0gawa mentioned about computers and IT products not being taxed. that's what i heard and that's what the customs also mentioned to me. IT is encouraged and you won't be taxed as long as you're not making money selling it.

@ xaw5126 : Does this mean that if I want to upgrade my RAM/hdd (if possible), I have to tell them few weeks before hand?

This post has been edited by goliath: Mar 20 2007, 11:53 AM

pukarix,

i would not have considered ordering from the states if i was satisfied. it's like going to an expensive restaurant. you kow the food might be twice as good as anywhere else but paying 4 times as much as anywhere else still makes you feel good because you were satisifed. what i didn't like is:

1. i'm getting below average service - salespeople don't care what you think of them or the prices.
2. uninformed salespeople who have to run back to their supers to ask for answers to my questions.
3. clearly much higher prices for no added value. why am i asked to pay that much more when i'm not satisfied?
4. why doesn't anyone care to satisfy customer? they don't have to. the current fixed price policy encourages no competition and hence no need to compete.

imagine walking into a normal fast food outlet and pay as much as you would pay in a gourmet restaurant? when the waiters don't even bother smiling at you when they serve you. you wouldn't take your girlfriend there or be smiling while you pay the bill.

---

Added on March 20, 2007, 11:55 amxaw5126,

that still doesn't make sense to me. if it works in the states why can't it work here? competition is not always in price. competition is in service. i'm a person that wouldn't go for cheaper. but i also wouldn't go for most expensive if i feel that i'm not getting my money's worth. if the rent rule applies, that means that apple malaysia bumped the price so high to accommodate for the most expensive malls.
and if that's the case, then it would be much smarter to open a shop in a shop lot, and invest the money you were going to pay for a mall rental in a really nice decor and you would make a bigger margin.
fixing price is no protection against chaos. competition is very good for both ends - consumer and vendor. price competition applies only if the service is the same all over. if i'm gettign the same service all around then i would go for cheapest, since it doesn't make sense to pay more when someone offers me the same service for a cheaper price.
competition is in service and added values. like the restaurant example above, people wouldn't mind paying more if they get satisfied. imagine one of my scenarios...

"if i want to upgrade this macbook to 1 gig, how much would that be?"
"you can either add a 512 and take out 256 and get 750 mb's or take out the two 256 and put in 2 512 to get a 1 gig or put one 1 gig and get 1.2 gigs of ram"
"if i want two 512 how mcuh would that be ?"
"that would cost you around 800 more"
"so for an additional 512 i need to pay 800"
"no. that's for an additional 1 gig"
[i'm sure you can tell already what's going on in my mind by now]
"so 512 costs 400"
"yes"
"and what do i do with the two 256 ?"
[i get the silence treatment]
[swallow my ego and disappointment and ask for a demo for my wife]
"do you have a machine here with keynote? i would like to see a demo"
"yeah we do, let me look for it"
[browse a few folders to install the try-out version on the macbook]
"here's a list of how some templates look like"
"are there any examples that show how nice keynote is ?"
[i know how amazing keynote is but i wanted to show my wife since we're thinking of getting her a macbook]
"uhmm, no i'm sorry"
[ok let's choose one good looking template to show my wife]
"this is only a blank template. you have to neter something in there"
"ok thanks, let's try"
[wife fiddles with it while he's standing there watching. looks like he's learning while my wife is trying to learn as well]
[of course wife is not impressed trying to fiddle with a system she never tried before]
[now why would i wanna give business to this shop?]
[of course by this time the whole shop was taken out of my list and probably the idea of buying a mac in malaysia since this was the 3rd sop i walk into]
[and of course now's the time to seriously consider buying from the states since i end up servicing myself anyway and i get to pay less in the process]

the issue is bigger than price chaos here. fixing prices doesn't address issues such as customer service. since this thread showed a few positive experiences and answers, then it's just a matter of time before more people will discover that getting it from the states makes more sense.

mirage3d


This post has been edited by mirage3d: Mar 20 2007, 11:55 AM

mirage3d I understand your frustration with the typical Mac salespeople in Malaysia. I've bought $$$$$ worth of Macs in Malaysia and I've lowered my standards for some of those places out there. Many times the only reason I bought the Macs from them were because they're the only ones who have stock. In fact, a few of the guys at the 2nd floor LYP stores know more about Macs than your typical Mac sales person.

I suggest you hang around mymug.org and talk to some of the retail people there or go to a Macfest. They know more and can help better than the average salespeople since they're actual Mac users.

I've personally bought several items from the US and had them shipped here. Books, computer stuff, etc but not as big as the Macbook. Some have been taxed, but most haven't.

tishaban,

thanks. i've read a few posts praising apple malaysia quite a bit. and a few posts that confirm that some mac shops around here give bad reputation to the others. i wish apple malaysia would do something to make things better.

mirage3d

i think you've just had the misfortune of meeting bad sales people.. unfortunately common. I can recommend you to a few who truly know their stuff and love the mac. I used to be one of them, but now moved to corporate... better pay

Apple Malaysia is a very small group of people. I've met some of them and they are pretty damn good but they don't have much control over the individual stores the way it is now.

But seriously, talk to CHiQ or xaw5126 or others who have offered, they will point you in the right direction.

If you get a chance to go to somewhere in the US or Europe with a real Apple Store, drop by for a visit

ok mirage.now i realy understand d dilemma u r having.yerp its true,d sales person at those mac shops are abit so so...u know wat i mean...we pay alot n wat do we get apart from d hardware..lemme say dat (for me personally) around 10 visits,only at 2 visits dat i feel i was being treated with good service.the other 8 was like...

1.they dunno shit about macs dat they r selling.even a guy tried to sell me a core duo imac at a core2duo price.wat if i was a normal housewife who didnt know shit bout macs?
2.they sometimes treat u like u dunt hav money at all..(but this things happens everywhere
3.wat i can say they are not as good as other mac shops worlwide in promoting their product.(i ve been to a mac shop in south africa,germany n UK).seriously d ones in malaysia needs to do something...



nway here r some links which made my life easier switching to a mac...

http://pixelspread.com/archive

http://theappleblog.com/

there r alot more out there...

thread sent from heaven!
am leaving for US for few months and been thinking of buying here (before i leave) or there.

The con of buying in US is of course, the transition. i need to bring my old notebook along with me to US together with all my installation CDs, so that i can move my files and also install all the programs. Coming back to Malaysia with 2 notebook will be tricky, and not sure if Custom will stop me...But i dont think this is a problem....I plan to
-ask my wife to carry my old notebook
-i carry the new one (which is not really new anyway, should be about few months old of use already)
-i courier the box back. Box is important as 2nd hand buyer look for box and packing ..



The pro of course is the pricing. Apple Malaysia is selling the higher spec 15 inch, at 9699. Just browsed the Mac Mall, web and its USD 2344. This is probably about RM8300. If i bundle with 3 year Apple warranty, its additional USD 350, making total cost of a MBP with Apple Care at RM 9500!
So, i still pay about 200 ringgit less, but with additional 3 year Apple Care, which covers worldwide...


also, looking at the rumours, buying it slightly later maybe better.
-Free Leopard. am quite sure this will be out very soon
-maybe an new line of model, according to Mac Rumours..but i doubt this will be so soon. OR the upgrade will be minimal.


any thing i left out? Thanks for your comments!

This post has been edited by nando: Mar 20 2007, 06:20 PM

Try the one on 5th Avenue in New York!

Open 24 hours a day, on Friday nights they turn the lights down and bring in a DJ to spin dance music.

At least a hundred Macs of every type, with high speed internet connections, all kinds of software and peripherals, you can sit there and play all day long and nobody will complain you.

i had experiance buying a console in us but it is ot advised because of the taking back!when i took the console back it was cracked n i was crying
last saturday i even saw a girl bringing back a mac n a wii 2 get it fix because she brough it back from us

I bought my Aluminum PowerBook at the Short Hills Apple Store in Newark New Jersey. It was two days after it was launched in MacWorld Paris. I saw it in the window and gave in to the buying impulse.

It was NOT a problem walking though customs with two PowerBooks - I had my Titanium one with me. I brought the (empty) box as hand luggage in addition to my laptop backpack which contained both PowerBooks. No tax. Malaysian customs don't tax computers.

The price in Malaysia however when the Aluminum PowerBook eventually reached here SIX WEEKS later was cheaper by a few hundred. FYI you incur a salestax in New Jersey which is NOT redeemable even by non residents. Different states have different tax laws. When I went to New Orleans, Louisiana had a tax rebate counter at the airport and major department stores so you might need to read up before you go.

Personally I'd be reluctant to purchase a fragile item like a notebook online. Too many things can go wrong in transit and RMA while definately do-able takes such a long time. I'd rather deal with a brick-and-mortar store.

thanks bro. MacDa for your feedback..

so the price different between your New Jersey purchase and local prices but due to the sale tax incurred in New Jersey?

Can't remember how much the tax ammounted to. IIANM it was 8% but this was five years ago and so please forgive the inability to recall exactly how much it was. The total price however was cheaper here.

In addition there were "early adopter" costs to bear: namely some white spots on the first-gen Aluminum powerbook screens which were later fixed. Point to note: Apple's warranty is truly worldwide.

If you're talking about Apple equipment, that's where you're wrong. Walk in to any Apple Store, have the Genius diagnose the problem and they'll get a replacement with 1-2 days tops. Mine was replaced on the spot, originally purchased online from an authorized Apple place.

About sales tax, you'll pay sales tax in most states except Oregon and maybe one other. These states do not impose sales tax for retail purchases. If you're buying online/mail order from an establishment and shipping it within the same state, you still pay sales tax. Apple has a presence in all the states so if you buy direct from Apple (eg. the refurb stuff) you'll be charged sales tax. NYC I think is 8.75%. NJ is slightly less.


This post has been edited by tishaban: Mar 20 2007, 10:01 PM

Unfortunately finding a "genius" in a Malaysian Apple Store is going to be a rather difficult task....

I was referring to buying onlline from the USA and shipping to Malaysia.

I would of course have no such hesitation buying online WITHIN the USA.

Would like to let you know that there's a student discount in US, which makes it even cheaper! as in muchhhh cheaper! it costs about rm6k for macbookpro only.

The student discounts at least where I stayed were still taxable, so the difference between student discount + tax was very little compared to mail order.

For example the base MBP is $1799 but after 8.75% NYC tax it comes up to almost $1960. Macmall's price is slightly more but they have lots of freebies.

well, as what i know, there is no tax if you buy it online(ebay, etc)
correct me if wrong