Pros and Cons of buying I-Pad in China

UnionGirl

Apart from watching out for fakes, are there any other cons to buying an I-Pad in China and using it in the UK?


TIA

lr1277

Not sure where you intend buying from, but are you aware of the fake Apple shops in China?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14503724
Unclear whether these shops are selling fakes or ipads sourced from the grey market.

Laz123

I would never buy anything from China or Hongkong. There's too many fakes and scams.

arrallas

There are 10 official Apple retail stores in China, so if you are going to China (rather than buying online), there is no reason not to buy if they are cheaper. Savings could be wiped out by duty paid on your return of course. The power adapter would have the wrong plug, but that is easily fixed.

Gloomendoom

Power adapters from Hong Kong should be OK for UK sockets.

paddyrg

Also check the warranty - return to base gets very expensive.

Apple prices globally are pretty consistent, and duty/VAT will probably set you about level. If customs find the iPad and note it's a Chinese serial number (if you try to take it in through the green channel) you'll likely have a fine as well, so best to go legit and declare it.

RumRat

Your Duty Free allowance is £390 so if you have goods at less than that amount for personal use then you have no need to declare it. So it would depend on how much you pay for it in China.
Anything over your allowance up to £630 is charged at a flat rate of 2.5%. (£15.75 for the full £630).
As others have said check that the Store you buy from is an official Apple store in China. You can ask for recommendations from embassy staff if you are stuck. As the iPad is made in China anyway I doubt you will have any more problems with it than a home purchased one.
the Warranty is not International so you will be at the mercy of Apple stores generosity back here, it anything does go wrong. That said, most of them are fairly accommodating.

lr1277

When I bought my iphone a few years ago from an Apple store, I was told I needn't be in England to go to an Apple store for somebody to look at it. Funnily enough, the assistant did say if I went to an Apple store in China, they would try and resolve any problems.


So if you do buy over there, make sure it is a genuine ipad from a genuine Apple store.

UnionGirl

Thanks everyone.


So having looked on the Apple website, there are 9 Apple Stores listed in China that (I am assuming) will be legitimate?


As long as I stick to these stores, I should be ok for warranties, etc?

RumRat

Nope. The Guarantee is not International and if anything went wrong Apple UK could refuse to help under warranty. Some stores are better than others at helping out but it's purely up to them. So you pays your money and takes your chances as far as warranty is concerned. They will of course fix anything, but may charge.
But it will be fine to buy if you stick to those genuine apple stores.

Handsome90

As stated I doubt the warranty is covered worldwide. But AppleCare might be. Best to speak to Apple about this.

I'm curious whether customs officers will be able to tell if I bought a tablet from overseas if I open it and claim I bought it from the UK.