Buying an MBP in the US? Need to know how it would work out!

Hello!

In mid-august I'll go to San Diego to study, which means I'll need to buy a laptop. The MBP seems to be the perfect fit for me, even though I'm new to Mac OS (I'd really like to give it a try).

Anyway, I'm considering holding off my purchase for when I get to the US, mainly because it's ~25% cheaper there (and you get a free iPod). Before I decide on this, I'd need to know a few things though, and I thought someone here might be able to provide me with answers to the following:

1. Is there an e-mail address I can use to contact the US Apple Store? I searched around on their site but all I can find is a telephone number to contact them. Calling them from Sweden seems a lot harder than just sending them a mail with my questions

2. In case I don't get in touch with them, what proof is required to be able to use the educational discount? At the moment I have my letter confirming my admittance to the university I'll be attending, but I wonder if I would need to wait for anything else before I can use the educational discount (in Sweden we get "student cards" which we pretty much have to use to get student discounts).

3. Would it be possible to use the educational discount when buying directly from an Apple Store? I wouldn't want to wait too long before I get my laptop, and since I'm not sure I'll have a permanent address the first week or two ordering online could be troublesome.

4. Ignoring the extra time this would take, do you think it would be possible to order an MBP with a swedish keyboard in the US? Here we can choose between swedish or english(UK?) keyboards, and I think all MBPs are assembled and shipped from the same location, which *should* make this possible if the customer service is good enough. Getting a swedish keyboard isn't really top priority, since I would be able to get it switched in an Apple Store for a fee when I get back to Sweden. Would be much more convenient to get the right one from the start though.

5. How long does it take for the mail-in rebate on the iPod to process? Would the money be transferred back to my account, or would I need an american bank account or something to get the money back?

6. Finally, would there be sales tax added to the price of the MBP? How much would this tax be in California? Would I have to pay the tax even if I order online?

Answers to these questions would help me decide if the extra trouble is worth the money I'd save. The extra money would be well spent on new furniture and other stuff I'll need when I get back since I'll be moving

I appreciate all comments and answers!

 

I will try and answer these questions to the best of my knowledge.

1. I can't seem to find one. lol

2. The letter of acceptance should be enough, but a student ID would be better.

3. Yes you can get the Edu Discount when buying directly from an Apple store.

4. I don't think it's possible to get a non-US keyboard from an Apple store directly. You would have to buy one separately.

5. It depends, mail in rebates can take a few weeks to a couple of months. All depends on the rebate house. And no they won't credit your account. Most likely you will get a cheque in the mail from the rebate house that apple uses, Unless Apple does thing differently than everyone else.

Personally I think it's kinda silly that you have to send in a rebate form even if you order the IPOD directly from Apple, as they should be just able to credit your account on the spot for it. I guess they are betting that a lot of people will just not bother to send it in. Just all other mail-in rebates that companies give out.

6. Tax is determined by where it's being shipped to, or in the case of an Apple store, the tax is determined by the local tax where the store in located. Currently Cali sales tax is 7.25% if I remember right.

 

Thanks a lot for those answers!

Seems like it would be possible to get an MBP (and an iPod) from an Apple Store within the first days or so when I arrive, and then apply for the mail-in rebate as soon as I get a permanent address... Awesome!

7,25% sales tax is amazing, too bad Apple have to charge a premium compared to the US on top of the crazy-high tax we have here (25%).

One more question as well, is the basic 1 year manufacturer warranty you get when you buy an MBP an international one?

 

Holy---25%?? Some places taxes are as low as 3%...

 

Welcome to the world outside the US I work in Germany (VAT 19%) and my home is in India (VAT 12.5%).