Moving country - buying new workstation before move?

[ALim]

Apologies for the clumsy thread title and if this isn't the correct forum.
I am relocating from the US to UK and it's coinciding with the right time to upgrade my set up (I am in post production doing VFX, animation and editing). I am looking to get a Mac Pro 5,1 and a Mac Pro 7,1, and especially with the 7,1 it's a big saving to buy here in the US so that's an obvious choice(?) as we can put it on the container to ship with everything else. However, I'm sure I'm missing something that would make this not recommended.
For example is there an issue with power, or is it as simple as picking up a UK power cord and we good? That goes for both Mac Pros plus a couple of iMacs I have. I'm trying to avoid running too many converters or running out of sockets on a step down transformer. Anyone have experience with this?
Or is it better just to spend the big mark up in the UK and have peace of mind?
Any suggestions and warnings appreciated!

 

[kamrulhasanr94]

i think its very diffrent

 

[TiggrToo]

Apologies for the clumsy thread title and if this isn't the correct forum.
I am relocating from the US to UK and it's coinciding with the right time to upgrade my set up (I am in post production doing VFX, animation and editing). I am looking to get a Mac Pro 5,1 and a Mac Pro 7,1, and especially with the 7,1 it's a big saving to buy here in the US so that's an obvious choice(?) as we can put it on the container to ship with everything else. However, I'm sure I'm missing something that would make this not recommended.
For example is there an issue with power, or is it as simple as picking up a UK power cord and we good? That goes for both Mac Pros plus a couple of iMacs I have. I'm trying to avoid running too many converters or running out of sockets on a step down transformer. Anyone have experience with this?
Or is it better just to spend the big mark up in the UK and have peace of mind?
Any suggestions and warnings appreciated!

Personally I'd wait until you get there.

Nothing to do with power - of that you'll be fine. Sure it's 220-240 volts and yes you'll need some new cables, but the power blocks will adjust accordingly. And it'll be safer with the British three pronged fused plugs (which I miss horribly).

No, what you want is the gurantees you get by virtue of the oh so much stronger consumer laws. It's a world apart comparing consumer rights here and in the UK.

If you buy your kit here then you're stuck with whatever Apple give you. Over there it's a consumer paradise in comparison.

Downside is going to be the tax. 20% as opposed whatever state, county and municipal taxes you get here.

That said, if you buy your Mac devices then emigrate you may get hit with custom import taxes.

But you'll get used to taxes when you buy your first petrol fill up and realize that of the £1.10 per litre you're putting in, 58p goes straight in fuel taxes, and another 20p in VAT!

TL;DR - you'll be fine - power bricks adjust. You'll just be poor...
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i think its very diffrent

You're the sort of person who replies to Amazon questions with "Sorry, I don't know", aren't you!

 

[ALim]

Personally I'd wait until you get there.

Nothing to do with power - of that you'll be fine. Sure it's 220-240 volts and yes you'll need some new cables, but the power blocks will adjust accordingly. And it'll be safer with the British three pronged fused plugs (which I miss horribly).

No, what you want is the gurantees you get by virtue of the oh so much stronger consumer laws. It's a world apart comparing consumer rights here and in the UK.

If you buy your kit here then you're stuck with whatever Apple give you. Over there it's a consumer paradise in comparison.

Downside is going to be the tax. 20% as opposed whatever state, county and municipal taxes you get here.

That said, if you buy your Mac devices then emigrate you may get hit with custom import taxes.

But you'll get used to taxes when you buy your first petrol fill up and realize that of the £1.10 per litre you're putting in, 58p goes straight in fuel taxes, and another 20p in VAT!

TL;DR - you'll be fine - power bricks adjust. You'll just be poor...
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Thanks TiggrToo. Yeah import taxes were another consideration, I kind of thought if it was part of a big shipment with the rest of our stuff/life it may be "okay". Though I guess there's no guarantees. Yeah I'm looking forward to filling up the car.
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i think its very diffrent

This is definitely the insightful, thorough information I came here for. Thank you I guess?

 

[TiggrToo]

Thanks TiggrToo. Yeah import taxes were another consideration, I kind of thought if it was part of a big shipment with the rest of our stuff/life it may be "okay". Though I guess there's no guarantees. Yeah I'm looking forward to filling up the car.

Out of interest, where you moving to over there?

 

[ALim]

Out of interest, where you moving to over there?

I'm moving to NW London. I'm ACTUALLY from NW London but have been in the states for 12 years. Difference is when I moved here I bought hardly anything with me, now I've got a ton of stuff (including a family).

 

[TiggrToo]

I'm moving to NW London. I'm ACTUALLY from NW London but have been in the states for 12 years. Difference is when I moved here I bought hardly anything with me, now I've got a ton of stuff (including a family).

Sounds like my journey. Left Watford over 20 years years ago for Ohio. Planning on being back in the UK before I retire.

 

[northernmunky]

I'd buy in the US personally due to it being a lot cheaper than buying in Oxford Circus. Plug convertor costs pennies. And yes as the previous posted said, consumer laws are a lot better here than in the US, but you get ripped off on price. I always fly to Tokyo to buy my MacBook Pros, fly back and still save money compared to walking across the road - thats how expensive it is here.

What production company if you dont mind my asking? I take it you'll be working in Soho, I'm a post production engineer there.

 

[gnasher729]

Apologies for the clumsy thread title and if this isn't the correct forum.
I am relocating from the US to UK and it's coinciding with the right time to upgrade my set up (I am in post production doing VFX, animation and editing). I am looking to get a Mac Pro 5,1 and a Mac Pro 7,1, and especially with the 7,1 it's a big saving to buy here in the US so that's an obvious choice(?) as we can put it on the container to ship with everything else. However, I'm sure I'm missing something that would make this not recommended.
For example is there an issue with power, or is it as simple as picking up a UK power cord and we good? That goes for both Mac Pros plus a couple of iMacs I have. I'm trying to avoid running too many converters or running out of sockets on a step down transformer. Anyone have experience with this?
Or is it better just to spend the big mark up in the UK and have peace of mind?
Any suggestions and warnings appreciated!

Disadvantages of buying in the USA: You may have to pay import tax. You won't be able to take advantage of UK customer protection rights. You'll have to buy a new plug. You have a purchase contract with a company thousands of miles away. Technically, there is no problem. All Macs work with 110V to 260V without problems.
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But you'll get used to taxes when you buy your first petrol fill up and realize that of the £1.10 per litre you're putting in, 58p goes straight in fuel taxes, and another 20p in VAT!

What's worse, you pay 20% VAT on the fuel tax, so it's 58p fuel tax, plus 11.6p VAT on fuel tax.

 

[northernmunky]

Why is everyone so up in the air about the plug?
Plug
Plug
or alternatively
Adaptor Plug

Ive also never paid any import tax. I mail the box to myself, laptop in carry-on.
As far as they are concerned, I took it with me.

 

[ALim]

I'd buy in the US personally due to it being a lot cheaper than buying in Oxford Circus. Plug convertor costs pennies. And yes as the previous posted said, consumer laws are a lot better here than in the US, but you get ripped off on price. I always fly to Tokyo to buy my MacBook Pros, fly back and still save money compared to walking across the road - thats how expensive it is here.

What production company if you dont mind my asking? I take it you'll be working in Soho, I'm a post production engineer there.

Thanks. Yeah I did the same thing back in 2007 when it was $2.2 = £1 and I ordered my MacBook Pro in New York, flew out for the weekend to pick it up and saved a bunch. However, with the laptop you have the Wolrdwide adapter kit so i was never worried about that. I just worried with the power consumption being so different with a desktop it might be a problem. Seems as though it's not and it's just a case of a cable (although Apple don't sell official ones as far as I can tell, probably for this very reason).
I work for myself so technically my own company, once I set up a company in UK.
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Why is everyone so up in the air about the plug?
Plug
Plug
or alternatively
Adaptor Plug

Ive also never paid any import tax. I mail the box to myself, laptop in carry-on.
As far as they are concerned, I took it with me.

Just to reiterate this is for a Mac Pro NOT a Mac Book Pro

 

[CharlesShaw]

Since your concern about voltage has been addressed, I have the sort of questions a concerned in-law might ask.

Is it essential to your career that you upgrade your equipment now? Is it certain that you will need to own your own equipment for the near future in order to perform your job?

Have you calculated the actual savings between buying in the US versus UK?

How does Apple handle warranty service for items purchased in other countries?

How safe will your items be on the cargo container?

Will the insurance that covers the items cover the full replacement value?

If the computers are essential to your income and were lost or damaged during the move, how quickly could you get them replaced?

I guess my questions are all about how much money are we talking about compared to the "peace of mind" you mentioned in your original post.

 

[ALim]

Since your concern about voltage has been addressed, I have the sort of questions a concerned in-law might ask.

Is it essential to your career that you upgrade your equipment now? Is it certain that you will need to own your own equipment for the near future in order to perform your job?

Have you calculated the actual savings between buying in the US versus UK?

How does Apple handle warranty service for items purchased in other countries?

How safe will your items be on the cargo container?

Will the insurance that covers the items cover the full replacement value?

If the computers are essential to your income and were lost or damaged during the move, how quickly could you get them replaced?

I guess my questions are all about how much money are we talking about compared to the "peace of mind" you mentioned in your original post?

Well it's actually a pretty overdue upgrade as my workflow is not efficient. I haven't invested nearly enough on that side recently. I COULD continue to go as I am but there's multiple issues one of them being I'm using a PC workstation as my main one and I hate Windows and wish I never bought it but it was 2016/7 and no new Mac Pro in sight or at least in the time I needed (yes I should have just got a 5,1 or something).

On a $30k investment the saving is around > $5k, so not insignificant. The warranty and cargo saftey were questions I had too. Apple would probably do something like void the warranty. For cargo I was thinking of keeping it all boxed, though that will most likely become customs issue.

I guess I'm starting to think this will be much better to spend the extra and do it the right way especially setting up the business anew in the UK.

 

[Expos of 1969]

When I moved to Europe from Canada there was no customs or duty tax payable on goods I shipped or carried with me as long as I had owned and used them for 1 or 2 years (I don't recall the number at the moment). If you are relocating to the UK soon and if you have still not purchased these items you probably would face some import duties. Better check with UK customs/revenue. If this is a permanent move or for longer than a couple of years, as others have said, probably better to pay the higher UK price but then be sure the warranties and consumer laws would be better for you.

If you are setting up a business, I would think that by buying new items in the UK after arrival you would receive income tax write offs that you may not get if you brought goods with you.

 

[ALim]

When I moved to Europe from Canada there was no customs or duty tax payable on goods I shipped or carried with me as long as I had owned and used them for 1 or 2 years (I don't recall the number at the moment). If you are relocating to the UK soon and if you have still not purchased these items you probably would face some import duties. Better check with UK customs/revenue. If this is a permanent move or for longer than a couple of years, as others have said, probably better to pay the higher UK price but then be sure the warranties and consumer laws would be better for you.

If you are setting up a business, I would think that by buying new items in the UK after arrival you would receive income tax write offs that you may not get if you brought goods with you.

Yeah I was taking a look yesterday and the period is 1 year that the equipment has to be used for to 'qualify for relief'. It would be nice if 'relief' meant no duty tax at all seen as everything I owned would be deemed subject to customs. And yeah the ability to write off the purchases is a big reason to purchase in the UK as well as the consumer laws.

 

[Expos of 1969]

Yeah I was taking a look yesterday and the period is 1 year that the equipment has to be used for to 'qualify for relief'. It would be nice if 'relief' meant no duty tax at all seen as everything I owned would be deemed subject to customs. And yeah the ability to write off the purchases is a big reason to purchase in the UK as well as the consumer laws.

Is this a permanent move?

 

[ALim]

Is this a permanent move?

At least 5 years, so for all intents and purposes, permanent.

 

[Infinite Vortex]

For me the difference will be a taxation one. Given you seemingly need these computer for work and that work would occur in the UK. So assuming you're doing that work legally and would then have the means to not pay the VAT, which would equalise the costs for the most part, you're probably then throwing away your depreciation avenues.

I usually find buying locally to where your paying taxes to be the cheapest.

 

[Stephen.R]

Besides the obvious things like warranty and import duties. Have you considered how much value the Mac Pro/etc add to the contents of the container? How much does the insurance cover? Shipping containers get lost at sea more often than you’d imagine.

 

[Expos of 1969]

At least 5 years, so for all intents and purposes, permanent.

I have moved around the world for my career and lived in 7 different countries over 20 years. My biggest tip: travel as light as you can. Even though my employer paid for my shipments there was no need for me to take as much as I did. Are you single of with a family?

If you are having to pay for your shipping personally from wherever you are in the US to wherever you are going in the UK, think very hard about whether there is any point in taking furniture. If your current stuff is high quality and expensive you have to weigh the shipping cost vs. wear and tear and potential damage. Coming from the States you may be shocked at the size (small) of where you end up in the UK living wise. If your current stuff is old/cheap it may be better to ditch it before you go. You could store stuff in the US but if you are looking at a 5 year UK situation, storage would be a waste of funds.

 

[ALim]

Besides the obvious things like warranty and import duties. Have you considered how much value the Mac Pro/etc add to the contents of the container? How much does the insurance cover? Shipping containers get lost at sea more often than you’d imagine.

Yeah I'd considered that, and even though it's probably a large package itself it would probably be consumed by the rest of our stuff (beds, sofas, desks, countless boxes of books, kitchenware... basically a 3 br apartment full of life).

 

[CharlesShaw]

Personally, I think putting US $30K of brand new gear into the hands of others and hoping for the best would be one more source of stress while uprooting the family to a new life across the ocean during a global pandemic. This is very different from buying a MacBook Pro and putting it in your luggage.

You're also setting up a new business and moving from Windows. Wait until you're all settled in and have your workspace ready for all the awesome new gear.

 

[Stephen.R]

Yeah I'd considered that, and even though it's probably a large package itself it would probably be consumed by the rest of our stuff (beds, sofas, desks, countless boxes of books, kitchenware... basically a 3 br apartment full of life).

What do you mean “consumed by the rest”? either your **** is insured or it isn’t. I assume you don’t expect your cutlery to start eating the Mac Pro mid journey .
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buying a MacBook Pro and putting it in your luggage.

Please tell me you mean carry on luggage.

 

[ALim]

I have moved around the world for my career and lived in 7 different countries over 20 years. My biggest tip: travel as light as you can. Even though my employer paid for my shipments there was no need for me to take as much as I did. Are you single of with a family?

If you are having to pay for your shipping personally from wherever you are in the US to wherever you are going in the UK, think very hard about whether there is any point in taking furniture. If your current stuff is high quality and expensive you have to weigh the shipping cost vs. wear and tear and potential damage. Coming from the States you may be shocked at the size (small) of where you end up in the UK living wise. If your current stuff is old/cheap it may be better to ditch it before you go. You could store stuff in the US but if you are looking at a 5 year UK situation, storage would be a waste of funds.

Thanks. Yeah, when I moved out here I basically came with my clothes (my girlfriend/wife had a bunch of furniture and everything else needed) and I had got rid of a lot of stuff before leaving. However, we have a kid and I hyperventilate just thinking about how much stuff we have now. I'm definitely at a point of trying to sell/donate as much as possible (if anyone wants to buy some UPSs and/or a 2012 iMac?). I'm only just starting to look at companies that will ship - again any advice would be appreciated - and we do have an allowance from my wife's company but don't want to rack up the cost for the sake of it.

We're also moving into a furnished flat so most of what we bring over will be going into storage anyway.

 

[Expos of 1969]

Thanks. Yeah, when I moved out here I basically came with my clothes (my girlfriend/wife had a bunch of furniture and everything else needed) and I had got rid of a lot of stuff before leaving. However, we have a kid and I hyperventilate just thinking about how much stuff we have now. I'm definitely at a point of trying to sell/donate as much as possible (if anyone wants to buy some UPSs and/or a 2012 iMac?). I'm only just starting to look at companies that will ship - again any advice would be appreciated - and we do have an allowance from my wife's company but don't want to rack up the cost for the sake of it.

We're also moving into a furnished flat so most of what we bring over will be going into storage anyway.

I don't want to pry but a few questions:
- what city are you moving to?
- can you choose the flat or is the company doing that? If they are, will you have any input? If the company has already got the flat ask for floor plans with measurements
- stuff you are taking is going into storage in the UK. I assume at the firm's expense? It would save them money if you suggested you not ship what you don't need and store it in the US at their expense. Less shipping expense and storage is cheaper in the US
- it is your wife's job that is the reason for this move? If so, it is not cut and dried that you will easily get a work visa for yourself. Have you checked into this?

Don't want to scare you but lots to figure out.