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Off to Buffalo?

M

mcfadyen

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 15, 2010
142
0
Hey Folks,
New member, first post!
Was anxiously awaiting the Canadian release of the Ipad and resisted ordering and travelling to the US to get my early copy. Since the release has been delayed, I'm thinking of travelling to Buffalo this weekend to pick up my new toy!

I called the store today and they only have 32 and 64 versions left - and he told me they get shipments every day. However, he doesn't know if there will be Ipads in the shipment!

Hoping to take the 5 hour trip tomorrow after work and, perhaps, stay over in Buffalo if I have to.

Any tips on ensuring I can get one? They wouldn't let me pay for it over the phone and reserve it.

Thanks in advance!
A.
 
Did you ask them to verify the amount of stock they had? I would do that. I assume you're going to walden galleria. I picked up mine there on launch day (I'm from Toronto). Your best bet is to stay 48 hours so you can have a $400 personal exemption. If you take someone with you, that's the cdn tax on your iPad paid for.
 
nasa25 said:
Did you ask them to verify the amount of stock they had? I would do that. I assume you're going to walden galleria. I picked up mine there on launch day (I'm from Toronto). Your best bet is to stay 48 hours so you can have a $400 personal exemption. If you take someone with you, that's the cdn tax on your iPad paid for.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip on the tax. I'll stay overnight for sure, perhaps longer. I called tonight and he told me they had quite a few available but they were selling very fast. When I asked if he thought they would last until tomorrow night, he wouldn't even begin to guess...:(

Incidentally, I called Syracuse today - sold out. And I called Albany - they had "a few" but wouldn't guarantee me one if I drove down. And the manager there was incredibly rude and didn't really care about trying to help me at all! In fact, she hung up on me as I asked her if they were expecting more stock the next day.

Hope this Ipad is worth it!
 
My experience

I live in Buffalo and called the Apple Store yesterday morning and was told they had only 16GB iPads left. So, I went to the store approx. 4 hours later to purchase a 16GB iPad and they were sold out of all versions. The Apple Genius had me reserve my iPad with my Apple ID using one of the display iMacs and advised that I will receive an email when it is available and that it will be held for me. Perhaps you could call again and ask how you can also be added to the reservation list.
 
am282 said:
I live in Buffalo and called the Apple Store yesterday morning and was told they had only 16GB iPads left. So, I went to the store approx. 4 hours later to purchase a 16GB iPad and they were sold out of all versions. The Apple Genius had me reserve my iPad with my Apple ID using one of the display iMacs and advised that I will receive an email when it is available and that it will be held for me. Perhaps you could call again and ask how you can also be added to the reservation list.
Click to expand...

Thanks - just called and I have to go to the store to reserve it, which is problematic, of course!

Have to hope, I suppose, that there are some left after my long drive tomorrow!
:apple:
 
Cross the bridge and spend the night in a hotel.
This way you will get one when they open the doormat Apple.
 
0101001 said:
Cross the bridge and spend the night in a hotel.
This way you will get one when they open the doormat Apple.
Click to expand...

Yup, thanks my plan. Bring my kids for a night away.
Last ditch effort tomorrow is to call Syracuse and see if they have any (only 2 hours from work) and then rip out there quickly.

How much is the duty if I'm in and out? And, say, purchase 2 or three Ipads (if I can even get that many!)

Thanks for the advice. Hope to have one soon!
A.
 
mcfadyen said:
Yup, thanks my plan. Bring my kids for a night away.
Last ditch effort tomorrow is to call Syracuse and see if they have any (only 2 hours from work) and then rip out there quickly.

How much is the duty if I'm in and out? And, say, purchase 2 or three Ipads (if I can even get that many!)

Thanks for the advice. Hope to have one soon!
A.
Click to expand...

There is no duty. You will have to pay 8.75% NY sales tax, then 13% GST/PST coming across the border, plus whatever penalties your Visa charges you for international purchase (2.5% I think). You should be able to get 2 no problem. Bring your wife and they will likely let you get 4 between you.
 
I drove down last weekend from Ottawa to Syracuse to pick mine up. We left on Friday at 1pm so that we could get there before closing. I got my 32g no problem on Friday, but when I went back on Saturday, they were sold out of the 16g and almost sold out of the 32g. I would suggest going on Friday before the weekend rush if you can.

I had the same problems with calling. They do not give a damn if you are driving 5 hours for it, lol. I would get the location of all the apple stores within a few hours of the border so that you can try others if it is not at the first one you hit.

Also, in terms of duty, you will have to pay the full 13% Ontario sales tax on top of the 8% NY tax you fork over at the time of purchase. When I went, we spent 2 nights as this allows you 400 dollars duty free per person. It depends on who you get at the border though as they can be jerks. We were 3 hours shy of the full 48 hours and they almost made us go back and wait out the last 3 hours!!!! If you buy anything else, remove all tags and hide it in your bags, lol.

On a side note, you will want to book a hotel with wifi. It is great to play with your new toy while you are waiting your duty-free purgatory. Also, pick up some US iTunes cards as they are the only way to pay for apps until the Canadian iPad apps become available. I wish I had bought more us iTunes cards now...
 
I went to buffalo to get mine too. I live in Erie pa though and it's only like an hour and a half away. I love it and I am typing this on my iPad
 
mcfadyen said:
Yup, thanks my plan. Bring my kids for a night away.
Last ditch effort tomorrow is to call Syracuse and see if they have any (only 2 hours from work) and then rip out there quickly.

How much is the duty if I'm in and out? And, say, purchase 2 or three Ipads (if I can even get that many!)

Thanks for the advice. Hope to have one soon!
A.
Click to expand...

Just in case you don't have any luck in Buffalo, there is a store just outside of Rochester, NY (Eastview Mall in Victor, NY) which is only about an hour and a half down the NYS Thruway from Buffalo. Best of luck.
 
jayhay said:
It depends on who you get at the border though as they can be jerks. We were 3 hours shy of the full 48 hours and they almost made us go back and wait out the last 3 hours!!!! If you buy anything else, remove all tags and hide it in your bags, lol.
Click to expand...

Yeah, we can't tell if your stuff is new without tags. :rolleyes:

Also, it's a 48 hour exemption, not a 2 day exemption. That's why you have to be gone 48 hours to get the exemption. I would say if they let you get away with being 3 hours short they are hardly jerks.
 
Thanks for the well wishes! Ipad day (er...hopefully).

And if I make a quick over and back, I don't mind paying the tax on 3 or 4.
Would just rather get going on the new toy!

Signing off my MB, hopefully signing on next with my Ipad.

A.
 
Hutch1 said:
Remember they sell them at Best Buy too, so in a pinch you might want to check there too.
Click to expand...

The Best Buy at Carousel Mall in Syracuse, where the Apple store is located, does not stock IPads. Not sure about the BB in Dewitt (eastern suburb).
 
mcfadyen said:
Hey Folks,
New member, first post!
Was anxiously awaiting the Canadian release of the Ipad and resisted ordering and travelling to the US to get my early copy. Since the release has been delayed, I'm thinking of travelling to Buffalo this weekend to pick up my new toy!

I called the store today and they only have 32 and 64 versions left - and he told me they get shipments every day. However, he doesn't know if there will be Ipads in the shipment!

Hoping to take the 5 hour trip tomorrow after work and, perhaps, stay over in Buffalo if I have to.

Any tips on ensuring I can get one? They wouldn't let me pay for it over the phone and reserve it.

Thanks in advance!
A.
Click to expand...

Do you really need an iPad that bad that you can't wait until they have them where you live? I mean a 5 hour trip to by a consumer gadget seems a little bit overboard to me. I am looking to get a 64GB + 3G when they are available here on the 24th, but I won't be waiting for the store to open in the AM to get it. Instead I probably won't buy one for a week or so after they come out. Life does have other priorities.

Take a breath
 
Nash Bridges said:
Do you really need an iPad that bad that you can't wait until they have them where you live? I mean a 5 hour trip to by a consumer gadget seems a little bit overboard to me. I am looking to get a 64GB + 3G when they are available here on the 24th, but I won't be waiting for the store to open in the AM to get it. Instead I probably won't buy one for a week or so after they come out. Life does have other priorities.

Take a breath
Click to expand...

OK, so that is your opinion, but you have no right to judge the OP based on what values you hold for your own personal consumerism. I am very happy that you have decided to wait like a reasonable human being, but guess what, some Canadians are in a financial situation that they are able to spend the extra money to make the trip down, make a nice weekend away of it, and relish in the experience of having the iPad now and being one of the first in Canada to have it. I have had mine for a week now and it has been a ton of fun showing it off and enjoying it long before launch date. Nobody NEEDS the iPad, so you could argue that anybody who buys it is impulsive and merely blowing their money. Heck, I could judge you for getting a 3G and giving more money to the cell phone companies that already have many of us by the balls. Can’t you just get a wifi and use it at home?? I mean, come on, are you that dependant on the internet that you need to pay a monthly charge to have it with you always??? What is a 5 hour drive versus indefinite monthly payments??

My point is, so you decided to wait….you don’t see anybody judging you for that do you?? Oh wait...I just did.
 
TeamDNA said:
I went to buffalo to get mine too. I live in Erie pa though and it's only like an hour and a half away. I love it and I am typing this on my iPad
Click to expand...

Hello fellow erieite! I'm in fairview and preordered mine so I got it on the third! How do you like yours?

I got a 32 gig and Love it. Have fun!;)
 
I'm also planning on taking a trip to Buffalo. The good thing is that I'm in Toronto. :) I am hoping to get an iPad before I leave for holiday but I need to get my hands on the camera connection kit also. I just got a new DSLR and want to dump/preview the pics I take on the iPad. It's ridiculous that they won't tell us when the damn kit is gonna be available. "Shipping late April". Yea, just like the iPad in Canada, Fail.
 
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