Q: Can i receive official Apple Customer Service if i'm currently living in Romania and we don't have any Genius Stores or Apple Retail Stores in here?

iPhone Support in Romania is provided by the network provider or authorised Apple reseller you purchased from.

A phone support number is also listed here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57#R

• Julian, unfortunately Apple's inc. official presence is not that well represented in my country, as you might think. therefore, i consider your answer to this particular question too general, and also far for being a solution in successfully addressing this very important aspect of the customer service department's mission and task.

offtopic, if things were on the right track for example, i am quite sure that they would have regulated by now the enormous price difference the so-called romanian authorized retailers apply to these american exported tech goods.

why, in the name of Jobs, would an entry-level macbook pro cost $1300 in States and in my poor country the price shows 400usd more for the same item? do the americans really want to sell their notebooks or not? well, considering the very romanian market local prohibitive price politics, guess what! the selling rate vector is continuously going down, as it should be for that matter. it seems the apple comes in line this year after almost all the other IT&C brands well known already here in my country, like samsung, asus, sony, philips, acer.

what a shame, Apple, what a shame...

<Link Edited by Host>

It is the unfortunate reality that you must consider the dynamics of your local economy. International business means dealing with a number of factors, including variations in business law, taxes, import fees etc. Apple, like many American tech companies, has little presence in eastern-Europe. As such, many elements of Apple's business may be entrusted to third-party contractors that already have a considerable presence in your area. Third party contracting makes the most economic sense for Apple's customers, and Apple's own interests, and is not a practice unique to Apple. For instance, When SEGA first sold the Master System in the U.S. in the mid 1980s, they partnered with Tonka, an established U.S. toy manufacturer and distributor. SEGA partnered with Tonka because at the time all of SEGA's resources were in Japan, and it would have raised the cost of their product considerably if they were to try and localize their distribution and services as related to the Master System.

As for pricing, that will always be regional, and determined by currency exchange values as well as tax rates. American prices are ALWAYS listed by their pre-tax amount. European prices often reflect the amount including tax. There is also the issue of VAT, which does not exist in America, but is common in the EU. VAT is 15% at a minimum and 25% at maximum. Romania in particular has a VAT rate of 19%. Apple has NO control over things such as taxation, how prices must legally be displayed, the cost of import fees for a given region etc.

Lastly, Sony, ASUS, Philips, and Acer are all low-cost consumer brands. Apple is a luxury brand. The prices of their products are always going to come at a premium compared to other consumer electronics companies. This is akin to asking why a Ferrari is not as inexpensive as a Honda or Toyota. If you are truly upset about the prices in your region, I suggest that you write to the elected officials of your legislative body in order to voice your concerns about taxes and import fees. Best of luck.

Good, well thought out answer.