Arguments in favour of waiting and buying a laptop in the UK?

We looked into the free netbook option with Orange while I was visiting, and when you read the fine print, it's really not as free as it looks.  At least, the one Tim and I looked at required something like a 3-yr agreement with a £24/mo calling plan, plus then you had to add on the dongle/net fee at I think £5/mo. Sure, you got the laptop and would use the plan provided, but when we did the math on it it really wound up being overpriced.

My package with T Mobile and for £25 per month I get the notebook, dongle and broadband, no addditional charges but yes, it's a 24 month contract.  I'm not 100% happy with the customer service and sometimes the broadband speed is pathetic but it's not a bad deal overall. Annoyingly I see they have now dropped the price of this packcage to £20 per month for new customers! In the UK you would normally expect to pay that much for a static broadband line alone.

At today's exchange rate though, that's $609.  I don't know the full specs on your laptop, but you can get some decent laptops that aren't netbooks for less than $500 in the US if you watch sales. 

To the OP: Electronics seem to be going way down in price in the US....especially if you buy a computer now and take advantage of the back-to-school sales.  so if you CAN swing it, you might want to consider getting your laptop in the US before you head over.

That's not much of a difference in what it's costing the OP, dollar or pound.

Plus the hassle of wondering if your warranty is covered for settling in another country and having it need servicing/go wrong in the first year or so.

You have your opinion, I have mine. In my opinion, buy here.

Electronics are going down in price here too. And once a person has settled, is earning their income in pounds not dollars, and the exchange rate isn't actually a factor in their outlook on prices in their daily life, the value is actually the same.

Thus rendering these prices "as cheap as" the US dollar prices.

And by the way, I'm not trying to plug the packages I mention. I myself chose not to be tied down to a contract, and as I've stated, I bought only a laptop, because that's all I was shopping for.

Although when I signed up with MSN in the US many years ago, they held me to the same kind of deal for one ONE service: dial up internet. Wow, that's a bargain....

I'm not interested in discussing the packages.

I was JUST saying.....you can get very affordable, high spec FULL size laptops here. It's not a Third World country and it's not as OMG expensive as some people luurve to whinge it is....

At today's exchange rate though, that's $609.  I don't know the full specs on your laptop, but you can get some decent laptops that aren't netbooks for less than $500 in the US if you watch sales. 

To the OP: Electronics seem to be going way down in price in the US....especially if you buy a computer now and take advantage of the back-to-school sales.  so if you CAN swing it, you might want to consider getting your laptop in the US before you head over.

I agree - laptops have gone way down here.  I've been advised by my friends who look at them all the time that this is a good time as you can get a decent setup for $399 or so.  I'd buy in the US!

It also depends on what you're buying.  Looking at the US vs the UK version of the Apple Store, it makes far more sense to buy in the US as Apple isn't changing their prices to reflect exchange rates.  I priced out the same computer on both sites, and after the exchange rate, the UK Apple Store price was about £250 more.

Hi all,

I've said it previously in similar threads - the trick here is to compare 'EXACT' like for like. Same model numbers, same spec. If you deviate from that, then pricing varies and you don't get a true comparison.

We all love a deal, we all love to buy as cheaply as possible - on this forum, it just so happens comparing prices is commonplace with the USA and UK for many items.

I agree, the prices of electronics has come down in the UK, and similarly they have in the USA. Many laptop manufacturers are nowadays including international warranties, so that helps with peace of mind. However, as ever there is more to it than just that. A plus point for purchasing in the UK is that you'll have more rights as a consumer than if purchased from abroad. Statutory rights indicate a 2 year period for an item for it to be fully functional, any failures which are inherent in the product is covered. Many people believe its one year - it's actually two. If you're a consumer that likes that peace of mind, fair enough go for it. However on the other hand, you WILL pay for that peace of mind in the retail price. And yes, the UK is always higher, sometimes quite substantially for the EXACT same product.

As it's very very popular, and alot of people like them lets take a quick look at Apple. Their stores are in the UK and in the USA. They sell the same products.

UK Apple store - the Apple Macbook Air is 'from £1149' GBP

USA Apple store - the Apple Macbook Air is 'from $1499' USD

£1149 GBP is 'currently' $1904 USD (£1= $1.65 USD) - thats quite a substantial $400 extra, for the EXACT same item.

'Value' is perception - If a consumer 'values' peace of mind in buying from the UK so that in case anything goes wrong with it they can take it back quite easily and invoke consumer rights - fine, to have that ease, it has to be paid for, and you can see part of where that $400 increase in the price goes to. If you compare your rights for buying the same product in the USA, knowing in case of issues you 'may' need to send it back at your cost, then you can make up your own mind if the saving in retail price is 'worth' it in case you ever do need to send it back.

Things get more blurred, when you buy say a discounted item of the same model in either country but compare it to a normal outlet in either country. Always compare like for like - if you look on a UK discount site, compare to a USA discount site and vice versa.

To the OP - your choice as in to what you'd like to do! my own personal vote is Buy in the USA!

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!

UK Apple store - the Apple Macbook Air is 'from £1149' GBP

USA Apple store - the Apple Macbook Air is 'from $1499' USD

£1149 GBP is 'currently' $1904 USD (£1= $1.65 USD) - thats quite a substantial $400 extra, for the EXACT same item.

I'll point out though that the UK price most likely includes VAT, and the US price does not include sales tax.  Granted, your sales tax won't be $400, but if you want a true comparison of prices you should probably calculate how much sales tax you'll be paying in the US. 

I'll point out though that the UK price most likely includes VAT

Remember also that if you are running your own business and are VAT-registered you'll be able to claim back the VAT.

I'll point out though that the UK price most likely includes VAT, and the US price does not include sales tax.  Granted, your sales tax won't be $400, but if you want a true comparison of prices you should probably calculate how much sales tax you'll be paying in the US. 

Also, you can get around the US tax on the various tax-free weekends (which are happening around this time of year to push back-to-school-stuff).  But yes, the US price does not include tax, which is ~$135 (for the particular computer I'd picked).