Indecison in buying an iPod

Time is really ticking to my first visit to the States, and I have thought of 2 ways to getting an iPod, I could get it from the Apple online store or Amazon.com before I fly there, or I could get it while I'm there...

One question remains, where is the cheapest place to get an iPod in America? Does any Duty free shops sell them? and if so, what would be the price with tax free?

RRP for a 40GB model is USD$499, with the NZD trading against 65c US, which works out about $767, about $200 cheaper in my calculation, 40GB model is about $989 in NZ

Look at http://epinions.com and http://froogle.google.com - see if any of the stores are where you're going.

Tell me where you're going, i'll ask some yanks I know for you.

I'll be stopping at LA first then I'll be going to California, then Florida, and maybe Vegas

If you can, much appreciate your help



Thanks for the links too

the way i understand it is that ipods are a rip-off here... and that electrical/computer gear is cheap in the states...

Most electronics is cheaper in the net, so I don't see what iPods should be different. I'll get back to you if anyone has any tips.

please dont, iPods are too cool for you.

sorry to break it to you, but neither Apple store or Amazon will ship iPODS over to NZ....believe me, I have tried and received confirmartion via email from both of them.

Another way to do it is to have it shipped to your hotel. You might have to add their address to your credit card as a secondary address before they'll let you do it, I hear.

wait till you're over there, and just walk into a bestbuy store...

$499 us for a 40gb ipod...

compared to $900 odd here...

our dollar's good enough against the US at the moment that you'll definitely be saving money.

Darn! How come? I'd pay them a bit extra to ship it over to NZ, it's just too expensive to get them in NZ atm

exactly, but then I guess price for iPods in NZ will drop after a while as per the other usual electronics items, such as PS2, X-box and digital cameras...

Remember iPods have been in the States for a while and so the prices would be cheaper for them, if that's a plausible assumption

They rely on resellers here, because it's often too much hastle to sell direct - postage, customs regulations, all that sort of things makes it a pain in the ars3 for them to sell from the USA to 100+ other countries. Instead they just use resellers, and make them worry about it. The resellers need to make their cut. Another factor is are the exchange rate when prices are set.

You don't need to buy from those places: thousands of places must be selling iPods? At least one of them will ship overseas, it's a huge market, so someone will cater for it.

I guess so commando, it's just that when I do my online shopping, I wanna do it from big companies, feels more secure

I wonder the iPods we sell in NZ are from the US?

Still don't wanna buy it here which is why the whole buying in US thing is there for...

thanks mate for all the help and advice

make sure you get a mint ipod.

How does the flavor make a difference?

Check with duty free stores as they had them last time i traveled.

I think it's got something to do with my name

Can you remember which one?

I'm going to California and Florida

help me please and do they take AMEX or VISA?

not from what I've found - seems like each country either has an Apple Online Shop or a dedicated reseller who usually does not ship outside their region

ala http://www.ipodlounge.com/forums/archive/topic/23593-1.html

DUTY FREE

That's true, remembering when iPod first hit NZ, probably less than 6 months ago, we still have to go through Australia's online shop to get them shipped over the Tasman, now there's www.apple.co.nz/ipod, but then buying it here is just way too expensive, and I'd actually try and order it on the www.apple.com website and see if they really wouldn't ship it from there to here

as I said, they won't - I have tried and got an email from them saying "hell no!"

try e-bay.com

They have heaps there... if you were going to use a cc just use paypal...

yeah, considering this - but quite a large sum of money to fork out if the deal goes sour....and I'm not paranoid, have used Ebay countless times....just cautious.

I can understand your caution... but use the guy with the shield next to it... like safe trader on trademe

i-Pods have been in NZ for longer than 6 months...

sure are some damn nice deals on Ebay, pity this one doesn't ship Internationally - only $US383 = $NZ575 !

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3088319139&category=41002

looks like I'll have to craw my way through the States and get one there then

Anyone know what the deal is with getting the battery replaced after the warrnety has run out.

Its now offered at the ipod store in the states.

http://www.apple.com/support/ipod/service/battery.html

what about over here??