US & UK Versions - Whats The Difference

Hi Ed,

The US version will work fine in the UK and vice versa.

Only differences are the European iPods have a volume limiter and the price is cheaper in the US though by the time you add on cost of international shipping and possible VAT duty charges the saving will be minimal.

As the newer iPods don't come with a charger you can just buy one from Apple (or charge from your computer). There isn't a voltage problem.

Hi Ed

That's a great saving and the new iPods are amazing.

I bet you can't wait!!

pam

My Dad is going to California soon & by getting it (the 60gb Video in black) there I can save about £70 / $120.

I doubt that's possible. US Price is $399. If you buy in California you will HAVE to pay a sales tax of around 8% or more (I believe). That would make the final price about $430.92. The current dollar/pound rate is about $1.75=£1. So, that would make £246 for the UK version. But unless your dad trades foreign currency, he won't get that rate - credit card companies take a lot of it. So there goes another 5%. Your saving is now about £30 on the UK street price. Then just hope your Dad doesn't have to pay VAT and duty on it when he brings it through customs and declares it (as he should!). Then it will be more expensive!

And you won't have the same warranty you get in Europe, and may find it harder to deal with if there are problems.

Sorry to spoil the party, but these days the differences aren't much - it's basically down to UK VAT (17.5%). When you accept this is INCLUDED in the UK price, whereas Sales tax is EXCLUDED on the US prices, it's a lot closer.

"And you won't have the same warranty you get in Europe"

Beg to differ. The warranty applies worldwide. I've obtained warranty service for an iPod purchased in the USA, here in the UK.

When you get the iPod back to the UK, register it, and if you should ever need service, when filling out the request, choose UK as the country.

Well Jeff
Fair enough, the warranty applies worldwide, but the terms of the warranties may be different based on the country you purchase a product in. For instance, in the US, a warranty period of just 3 months is quite common. In Apple's case, to be fair, their warranty appears to be 1 year. But local laws mean your rights as a consumer CAN be different.
Furthermore, if you buy from a UK dealer, you may find it easier to enlist help if/when things go wrong (eg John Lewis here offers 2 year warranties for no extra).
It may not be a big deal in this case, but when you add all these little differences into the equation (sales tax, credit card conversion rates, vat/customs, service etc) then the difference in price is nothing like the £70 the OP mentioned and may in fact be negative!
Ian

But local laws mean your rights as a consumer CAN be different.

Yes, but still, its a 12 month warranty in the UK.

*nathan

While it's true that the cost of buying in the US and transporting to the UK may not be as attractive in reality as it appears at first sight, as far as the warranty is concerned it applies globally, meaning that an iPod can be serviced under the warranty for 12 months in any location regardless of where purchased or the terms of local statutes. It's a minimum warranty standard that Apple give assurance is available to all users in all locations.

It's also worth noting that it is indeed true that local laws may provide additional consumer protection, but typically only for items bought within the jurisdiction of that law. UK law, for example, would not confer any greater rights to warranty service on an iPod bought in the US than Apple offier because while the sale of goods act defines minimum standards of consumer rights, it can't extend those rights out of the jurisdiction of the law or to out-of-jurisdiction purchases. Not only that, but of course under UK law the sale of goods act makes the retailer responsible for consumer care, thus at best it could only point to the original source in the US if the warranty didn't provide direct cover.

Ian,
just a minor point but John Lewis don't offer a 2 year warranty as standard on iPods in the UK. They come with a 12 month guarantee like (I think) everywhere else.

I've had a couple of iPods shipped from the US in the past, registered them with Apple in the UK and had no warranty issues.

AndyO
Thanks for your excellent summary of the differences a consumer might expect (and the similarities).
Ian