Buying a laptop in USA, warranty in Croatia

Message

slname · #1 Post by **slname** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 11:26 am

I'm going to Orlando in a couple of weeks and was thinking of buying a ThinkPad (ie T61) while there, then import it back to Croatia.

First of all, can I try out a ThinkPad on site, ie get it turned on in the store? I don't want to buy a laptop that's not 100% correct, as I won't have much time to mess about it while in the States.

My biggest worry is the warranty. If I understand correctly, I should check the model type on the official Lenovo site and see if Croatia is covered by warranty for that certain type. Can anyone give me a 100% confirmation that this works? I wouldn't want to spend 1500+ dollars and then later find out it's not covered by warranty here in Croatia. Is it a problem that Croatia isn't in the EU? Croats, share your experiences, please.

Also, I'd like to bypass customs, does the standard "put it in my backpack, act like I've had it for ages now" work?

Thanks for your replies.

#2 Post by **jdhurst** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 11:33 am

99 percent of people mistakenly believe customs people are fools. They are trained to spot behaviour and can accurately spot problems. When I travel, my laptop serial number is easily traced to a Toronto vendor where I live and it now has the patina of 4 years of use. So I don't bother with receipts for it.

In your case, the serial number is traced to a country overseas from where you live, and if they look at it, the computer will be new.

You probably should pay what is due. If you wish to take the dishonesty thread any further, it cannot continue here.
... JDH

slname · #3 Post by **slname** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 11:35 am

jdhurst wrote:You probably should pay what is due. If you wish to take the dishonesty thread any further, it cannot continue here.
... JDH

ok, thanks for the heads up.

i would however like an answer concerning the warranty.

#4 Post by **ryengineer** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 1:16 pm

slname wrote:snip.......First of all, can I try out a ThinkPad on site, ie get it turned on in the store? I don't want to buy a laptop that's not 100% correct, as I won't have much time to mess about it while in the States.

Try BestBuy (For Business), CircuitCity or Office Depot.

slname wrote:My biggest worry is the warranty. If I understand correctly, I should check the model type on the official Lenovo site and see if Croatia is covered by warranty for that certain type. Can anyone give me a 100% confirmation that this works?.......snip

You understand it correctly. The 4 letter Machine Type will determine the International warranty service (IWS) eligibility. You can check it beforehand through the following link:

International warranty service (IWS).

slname · #5 Post by **slname** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 4:57 pm

ok so the shopping would be done in Orlando, FL. what are the VAT policies there, how could i get a refund?

#6 Post by **jdhurst** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 5:27 pm

Typically, when I travel (England, Europe), I could always get a VAT refund form from the vendor. Now, the US does not have VAT (Canada does, though), just retail sales tax. It is generally pretty hard to get retail sales tax refunded - much easier to get VAT when it applies. ... JDH

ajkula66 · #7 Post by **ajkula66** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 6:31 pm

OK, we've got several points here:

a) If you buy the machine in a retail store, you'll be charged tax, and there is no way of getting that refunded, unlike in Europe. However, some online purchases are tax exempt, and you won't be charged tax. But if you buy it in store, wave that (tax) money goodbye.

b) Twenty years ago when I've last dealt with them, customs officers at Zagreb airport (I guess that's where you'll be entering the country on your way back) were a fairly knowledgeable bunch, and I'm certain that they're even more so now. And the letters "IBM" will ring a bell in the head of even the most uneducated one...

c)Back in the days of a now non-existent country, there has been a piece of paper called "izvozna deklaracija" that you had to fill out if you were taking out something of value (camera, guitar, etc.) that you were bringing back with you, otherwise you would've been charged all the fees imaginable. That had to be filled out and stamped by the customs at the point where you were exiting the country, and shown upon re-entering.

I know that the times have changed-and then some-but would be fairly certain that Croatia now has some type of a form that serves the same purpose...you may want to investigate that one.

You may be able to minimize the taxes/dues/fees if you have a bill of sale from someone here (friends/family that you have in Florida) showing that you've bought it as a used laptop for, say, $250...that's the way I would go about it.

Good luck.

Cheers,

George

#8 Post by **bill bolton** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 3:24 am

slname wrote:My biggest worry is the warranty. If I understand correctly, I should check the model type on the official Lenovo site and see if Croatia is covered by warranty for that certain type. Can anyone give me a 100% confirmation that this works?

Unfortunately, no. It has some known problems.

You really need to ask a Lenovo person for a definitive answer.

Cheers,

Bill B.

Buying a laptop in USA, warranty in Croatia

Buying a laptop in USA, warranty in Croatia

Re: Buying a laptop in USA, warranty in Croatia

Re: Buying a laptop in USA, warranty in Croatia

Who is online