How to buy Apple Macbook Air / Pro in the USA and ship it to an international destination (like Russia)

What US stores sell Apple Macbook Air / Pro and ship it to international destinations

• Apple Online Store USA claims that it doesn't ship to freight forwarders (parcel forwarding companies). Many customers got their orders canceled and received the following message after trying to buy a Macbook, iPad or iPhone:

  Thank you for your recent order with the Apple Online Store. We appreciate your business. We are unable to complete your order. We do not ship to freight forwarder addresses. Therefore your order has been canceled. For Apple's Online Store Sales Policy please visit: apple.com/legal/sales_policies/ To locate an Apple Authorized Reseller in your area: apple.com/buy/ If you wish to reorder, please visit apple.com/store or call 1-877-422-5368. We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, The Apple Online Store

  At the same time many customers did manage to purchase Macbook Air, Macbook Pro notebooks, iPhones and iPads from the US Apple Store. Some of them even used an international credit or debit card (virtual USA was address used for billing). And successful purchases happen not only when using a new freight forwarder or a new warehouse of an old freight forwarder. The reason why Apple cancels some orders while shipping other ones to freight forwarders remains unknown.
• Amazon USA offers Macbook Air and Macbook Pro notebooks. And sometimes prices are even lower than at the Apple Store. Amazon purchases can be shipped to freight forwarders like Shipito.
  
  Although Amazon offers international shipping of electronics to select international destinations, I wasn't able to ship even the cheapest models of Macbook Air like Apple MacBook Air MD711LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop directly to Russia. I got the following error when trying to ship to my Russian address:

  Important Message Apple MacBook Air MD711LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION) cannot be shipped to the selected address.

  It seems like the only way to Macbooks it to an international destination is via a freight forwarder (package forwarding company).
  
  Note that Amazon is also a marketplace where lots of sellers beside Amazon are present. It is very important to check the seller rating when ordering expensive electronics from the sellers besides Amazon. Also sellers may have their own shipping policy.
• Adorama - a very popular shop selling electronics. It is well known for selling photo and video equipment. But it sells Macbook Air and Macbook Pro notebooks as well.
  
  Adorama ships to many international destinations, but it doesn't ship to Russia at all.
  
  You may get special offers and pricing by registering in the Adorama VIP Membership program. Currently it is free.
• B&H Photo Video - a very popular shop selling photo and video equipment. It also offers Macbook Air and Macbook Pro notebooks.
  
  The shop doesn't offer international shipping of Apple Macbook notebooks. But you may ship Macbooks to a freight forwarder like Shipito and then get it delivered to your international destination.
• Rakuten (former Buy.com) - one of the largest marketplaces with many sellers. Some sellers offer Macbook Air and Macbook Pro notebooks. Make sure to use a seller with high rating only.
• eBay - the world's largest online marketplace. Not only companies sell via eBay, but also regular people. Make sure to buy a Macbook from a Top-rated seller. Also make sure you know what the terms used, refurbished and open box mean.
• MacMall - leading Apple Direct Reseller. It has great offers on Macbooks from time to time. But currently its web-site is not even accessible from some countries (including Russia), unless you use a US IP address (you may get it via ZenMate for Chromer, AnonymoX for Firefox, Tor,....)

Besides getting getting a new Apple Macbook, you may also get a refurbished one. Apple Store has the Mac special offers section where you may find Refurbished Certified notebooks:

 

Note that there are manufacturer refurbished and seller refurbished notebooks. You may also want to wait for the Black Friday offers. Although Apple Store itself doesn't offer the best prices during such sales, you may find great offers from other online retailers including Amazon.

Shipping Macbook Air / Pro internationally from a virtual USA address

Many freight forwarders (parcel forwarders) like Shipito offer virtual USA addresses. Although some American stores do not ship to freight forwarding companies or do not accept international debit and credit cards, You may use such an address for shipping your purchases from many US online stores.

After your purchases are delivered to the warehouse of your freight forwarder, you may ship them to an international destination. It may be cheaper to consolidate your packages into a bigger box rather then sending several parcels.

Some freight forwarders have their warehouse in no sales locations (For example, you may use the Oregon warehouse of Shipito). In other states you will need to pay sales tax from many online purchases. And it can be significant. Thus you will pay about $100 in sales taxes for a $1000 notebook in California.

Before using a freight forwarder, make sure to learn about customs fees and duties in your country.

Waranty

Apple offers international warranty, so you shouldn't have any problem repairing your Macbook at a local Apple Authorised Service Provider. But make sure to keep invoices; and save you online transaction into a PDF file as well.

Benefits of Silver members of Shipito freight forwarder (parcel forwarder)

I have upgraded my annual membership at Shipito and got the Silver status.

It allows me to choose one of the following benefits once:

• FedEx Priority: 5% Discount from Tualatin, OR warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Tualatin Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• FedEx Economy: 5% Discount from Tualatin, OR warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Tualatin Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 5% Discount from Minden, NV warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Minden Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 5% Discount from Torrance, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 5% Discount from Torrance II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance II Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 5% Discount from Hawthorne, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 5% Discount from Hawthorne II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne 2 Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 10% Discount to Brazil from Torrance, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance Shipping Country: Brazil Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 10% Discount to Brazil from Torrance II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance II Shipping Country: Brazil Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 10% Discount to Brazil from Hawthorne, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne Shipping Country: Brazil Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 10% Discount to Brazil from Hawthorne II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne 2 Shipping Country: Brazil Available until: December 31, 2013 Russian Post: 12% Discount to Russia from Torrance, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• Russian Post: 12% Discount to Russia from Torrance II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance II Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• Russian Post: 12% Discount to Russia from Hawthorne, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• Russian Post: 12% Discount to Russia from Hawthorne II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne 2 Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Express: 5% Discount from Torrance, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Express: 5% Discount from Torrance II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance II Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Express: 5% Discount from Hawthorne, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Express: 5% Discount from Hawthorne II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne 2 Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Express: 5% Discount from Minden, NV warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Minden Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Express: 5% Discount from Tualatin, OR warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Tualatin Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Express: 5% Discount from Minden, NV warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Minden Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Economy: 5% Discount from Minden, NV warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Minden Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Express: 10% Discount from Torrance, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Express: 10% Discount from Torrance II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance II Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Express: 10% Discount from Hawthorne, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Express: 10% Discount from Hawthorne II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne 2 Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Economy: 10% Discount from Torrance, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Economy: 10% Discount from Torrance II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance II Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Economy: 10% Discount from Hawthorne, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Economy: 10% Discount from Hawthorne II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne 2 Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• Austria Post: 10% discount Valid from Shipito warehouse: Austria Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• 5x Free Express Processing Q4 Valid from Shipito warehouse: all Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013

Examples of fees charged by AT Post (Österreichische Post AG) and Shipito parcel forwarder in 2013 for sending packages from Austria to Russian Federation

Most of the time I make purchases in the USA. But I also wanted to buy some heavy stuff from Germany. And I tested the Austrian warehouse of Shipito for sending my purchases from Germany to Russia (Shipito doesn't have any warehouses in Germany, but the one in Austria works fine for purchases from Germany and other EU countries). When making purchases in Germany and other countries of the European Union beware of the VAT (when you send packages outside the EU without using parcel forwarders VAT is excluded by many shops).

Shipito fee structure 2013

• Package Location: Tualatin, OR
  33.60 lbs (15.24 kg)
  36"×19"×17" (92×49×44 cm)
  AT Post Standard
  Mailout fee: $18.50 ($10 extra surcharge for heavy packages over 30 pounds)
  Repacking fee: $12.00 (6 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $93.87
  (Carrier) ($90.00)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($3.87)
  Insurance: n/a
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $8.16
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $34.37
  TOTAL: $124.37
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)

Do you use Shipito or any other shipping forwarder? If you do, are you satisfied with its fees and service? How much did it cost you to send you package? See also: Examples of fees charged by USPS and Shipito for sending packages from the USA to Russia:

• 2013 
• 2012 
• 2010-2011