Ipad from Hong Kong?

Cookee

Cookee

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I am passing through HK airport next week and was thinking aobut picking up an Ipad - according to the Apple HK shop they are over £100 cheaper but will the 3G one work in the UK? It says Vodafone on the website but is it the same as the UK Vodafone?

Help please!
 
Cookee said:
I am passing through HK airport next week and was thinking aobut picking up an Ipad - according to the Apple HK shop they are over £100 cheaper but will the 3G one work in the UK? It says Vodafone on the website but is it the same as the UK Vodafone?

Help please!
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I'm surprised it is cheaper in Hong Kong - my experience (and I am married to a lady from Hong Kong) is that consumer electronics and computers are usually dearer in Hong Kong than in the UK. At least, that's the case if you buy from a reputable supplier so you can be sure you aren't getting a fake. However, HK Apple Store should be OK.

Apple might impose restrictions, but if it is for sale in the airport, I'd expect it to be OK world-wide. But, Caveat Emptor is the rule in Hong Kong!

I don't know specifically about the iPad, but my smart phone (HTC HD2) happily works in Hong Kong with a Hong Kong SIM card in it and in the UK with a UK Vodafone SIM.
 
AntarcticPilot said:
consumer electronics and computers are usually dearer in Hong Kong than in the UK.
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I got the prices from the Apple webstores from HK and the UK, so I guess it must be the exchange rate at the moment? My Iphone says 100 HK$ is £8.24 or US$12.85.

Thanks for the rest of the information - I'll see what they are going for in the airport.
 
Cookee said:
I got the prices from the Apple webstores from HK and the UK, so I guess it must be the exchange rate at the moment? My Iphone says 100 HK$ is £8.24 or US$12.85.

Thanks for the rest of the information - I'll see what they are going for in the airport.
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I'd expect the real saving to be not having to pay VAT, that will be the best part of £100.
 
longjohnsilver said:
I'd expect the real saving to be not having to pay VAT, that will be the best part of £100.
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Of course, theoretically you should declare it on arrival in the UK - the value exceeds the personal limit.:rolleyes:

Actually, I was enormously surprised to notice that for definitely genuine goods, the ticket price for consumer electronics in Hong Kong usually exceeds the equivalent price (including VAT) in the UK. For example, my wife and I have equivalent Acer netbook computers (Acer Aspire One). Mine cost quite a lot less in the UK than hers did in Hong Kong.

However, the iPad is not priced according to normal rules; the price vastly exceeds the cost of components and manufacture (to see what it really costs to build a very similar bit of kit, see the price of Amazon's latest Kindle device). So, there is a good deal of room for different pricing policies in different parts of the world.
 
Who do you take it back to when it goes wrong? Always a risk when you buy high value goods abroad. You need to check whether Apple shops over here will take it in under warranty or tell you to take it back where you bought it.
 
When I was commuting to HK regularly I used to buy a lot of my electronics there, including mobile phones and I never had a problem, it may be worth taking a micro sim with you and trying it out if you are not sure. Occassionally I used to put my mobile phone SIM in to a new phone just to make sure never had a problem but can't guarantee that you won't
 
Phone systems are compatible.

When I was last in Hong Kong (coincidentally running a 3G training course for CSL) I bought an HP netbook ... by the time I returned to the UK a week later PC World were selling the same machine for less.

Be very sure of the price if you decide to buy, and what the exchange rate will be if you are paying by credit card or taking the money from an ATM.
 
pvb said:
How much do gweilos sell for?
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It means "White Ghost", and is a common Cantonese term for a westerner. Opinions vary as to whether it is derogatory or not! My father-in-law certainly thought it was - he told my mother-in-law off for referring to me as "gweilo". However, others say that although originally derogatory, it has now become a semi-affectionate term. Others suggest that it is a form of institutional racism! It doesn't bother me, but I think that I am on the tolerant end of the spectrum.

PS, to get a Hong Kong ID card requires a residence qualification; I don't have one and probably can't get one.
 
Cookee, if you get an Orange Business Account in the UK they are currently doing iPad 2 16gb for £199 inc VAT and a 24 month contract @ £22.50 + VAT per month. 32gb's are £249.
 
Giblets said:
Cookee, if you get an Orange Business Account in the UK they are currently doing iPad 2 16gb for £199 inc VAT and a 24 month contract @ £22.50 + VAT per month. 32gb's are £249.
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I bet they are at £22.50 a month! 32GB from Vodafone is £279 and from £12.50 per month all for two years. I won't be using it via 3G as it's awful where I am and my Iphone won't get anything without full 3G - I'll gett he top of the range 3G one for the GPS but I'll start without a card and tether it to the Iphone for the odd occasion I need it - presume I can do that?
 
It turns out that at Hong Kong airport they won't do a deal and the prices are higher than the UK! I showed them how much they were at the Apple store in town and both shops told me to go and buy it there!

I ended up buying one in Auckland and I reckon I probably saved about 5% in the end - and it's great!
 
Cookee said:
- I'll gett he top of the range 3G one for the GPS but I'll start without a card and tether it to the Iphone for the odd occasion I need it - presume I can do that?
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Tethering requires additional payment on your iPhone contract, usually £5 per month :mad:

They are great though.
 
Applecare Plan is worldwide and extends the warranty from 1 to 3 years. Available for computers and I assume for iPads. I think it is a rip off as the chances of it going wrong are probably very low.
 
The Lazy Kipper said:
Tethering requires additional payment on your iPhone contract, usually £5 per month :mad:

They are great though.
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I have an Iphone contract from Vodafone which must include that as they aren't charging me!

I called to complain about the lousy battery life on my Iphone 4 after the IOS 5 update and they told me shut up because I was out of contract despite only having the phone less than 12 months of an 18 month contract - they are sending me a new one so I thought I would give the 4S a go :D Iphone 4 in good nick for sale soon on Vodaphone!
 
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