How to import an iPad

The iPad has been released in the US, while us losers in the rest of the world have to wait around till some undisclosed date near the end of April.

Of course, if you can't wait until then you're most likely considering importing one from the US. And if this is the case, then you'll know it's a bit of a minefield.

US retailers are not allowed to sell the iPad overseas, meaning grabbing one via the simple method is out of the question.

Fortunately, there are a few different workarounds to getting an iWantOneRightNow in your hands. If you really can't wait until it hits your shores, read on.

This is the most simple and obvious method, as it involves the least messing around. Ask your US pal to buy you an iPad from the Apple Store, wire him the money, and he'll post it straight to you. No fuss.

There's no need to worry about import tax, either, as we've previously reported that the iPad is deemed to be an "automatic data processing machine" and therefore duty-free under UK customs law.

Of course, it's probably best not to make a random US friend on the internet and give him your hard-earned cash, as chances are you'll never hear from him again. If you've got a long-forgotten relative or friend who migrated over there, though, now's the time to get reacquainted.

If you have no contacts in the US, getting a shipping company to register a US address for you is your next safest option.

Sites like Bundlebox and MyUS will register an address in the US for you, allowing you to buy an iPad via the US Apple Store and have it shipped to this address.

These shipping sites then receive the parcel and forward it on to you - for a fee, of course. MyUS.com appears to be the cheapest, charging around $50 to receive and ship your item. Again, you don't need to worry about import tax either.

There are plenty of testimonials and the like on both sites, so it's relatively safe to assume that using either service is a good, secure method.

When all else fails, eBay always comes to the rescue. iPads are selling on the auction site for around £400-£450, which is around £100 more expensive than the Americans are getting them for (using today's exchange rate).

Of course, for every person who has had a good experience using eBay, there's another who's not so pleased.

You'd do well to remember that every sale on eBay is based on a system of trust. If you do resort to eBaying the iPad, only bid on items which use Paypal as payment, and are from sellers who have a positive feedback score of at least 30.

Finally, read the item description thoroughly. We wouldn't want you putting a bid of £400 down on 'a protective cover for the iPad'.