Core pricing vs Apple Stores in US, UK and Australia

[[)roi(]]

Whilst researching pricing for some new MAC things I put together this sheet so that I could make an informed decision on the best channel to source these.

No big surprises except it's clear Core is always more expensive than the US store including conversion + tax + shipping. Except this doesn't always hold true when comparing against purchases made from Apple stores in other countries e.g. UK and Australia.

The US store still appears to be where Core is sourcing their goods (re cheaper prices than UK and AUS) and it's also clear that Core have implemented higher margins on the more popular products.

http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11841&cat=500
(apologies for the quality re 150Kb limit on the photos; exchange rates are current, and 14% tax was included, price difference should allow you to determine if this is still affordable after shipping is included)

Well from this I have concluded my next Macbook Pro will be bought directly from the US including shipping this appears the most economical route. I will however be purchasing the 1Tb Time Capsule through the local channel (these prices are definitely more appealing since the 2Tb option was launched).

Anyway hope this helps any pending decisions you might have.

 

[GreGorGy]

The US store still appears to be where Core is sourcing their goods (re cheaper prices than UK and AUS) and it's also clear that Core have implemented higher margins on the more popular products.

Where do you get that from? I have been working on Macs since 95 and every new box we get is Ireland assembly, meaning its Euro Apple not US Apple.

 

[adsl3g]

Doesn't make sense - $13999 from ZA store is not right for Macbook Pro 13 inch compared to $1199 ffrom US store
You should convert it all to USD to make a comparison?

 

[simp]

Local prices are listed corectly but with wrong currency symbol - snafu in the spreadsheet.

 

[Fuzzbox]

And when there is a problem with it the first people that you will contact is Core.
Or send it back to the states and lets see what you do without your MAC for this
period of time. Its always easy to look over the fence and compare.

 

[Moklet Kcuf]

Looks like you've had a busy weekend! It's an interesting snapshot but with deviations in currency and fluctuations in pricing, this chart wont stay accurate for long.

At the end of the day, if you're looking for the cheapest Apple products, the USA is the only country you need to compare. Unless you are physically travelling overseas, to say Australia, where you can claim 10% Duty Free back, and possibly avoid import tax re-entering SA.

Other things to consider are:
*life cycle of the product - if it's towards the end, best to wait until an updated model is released. You can either be sure to have the latest model, or save money (possibly locally) on a superceded model.
*customizing- if you plan to factory upspec your mac, Core prices are usually much higher compared to the US. Or they simply don't import some specifications. Compare quotes to a maxed out MBP and you'll see what I mean.
*risk and warranty- Sourcing locally may save some grief in some cases. All portable Mac products have an international warranty, but desktops, time machine, monitors, etc dont. Shipping via a mail-forwarder - the only legal way to ship from the US - has risks and extra costs you need to consider too.

That all said, any reason not to buy off Core is a good reason.

 

[phiber]

You should check out the Hong Kong store. It was cheaper than the US store last time I checked.