Rip Off Projector Prices.anyone Know A Good Supplier?

[Cromarty]

Rip off Projector prices.Anyone know a good supplier?

I didn't bring my projector with me when I moved to Bangkok and I'm know regretting it. I started looking at getting one here and I have been amazed at the prices. For example, Chinavut Marketing, who are listed on optoma website, sell the HD70 for 90,000 baht. This is available in the UK for 47,600 baht. H3 digital offer the Sanyo Z4 for 109,995 and it is only 54600 baht in the Uk. Half the price! This is surely a rip off and the retailers are making a nice profit from it's customers. Anyone know of a retailer that has more realistic pricing?

[solo siam]

Well the price list hasn't been updated for a year or so as pricing on these things goes down exponentially over time (and rapidly). Surely it would have been easier to send us an email instead of just coming on to a website and saying we are ripping people off.

In regards to your question www.hivizone.com is the best place to get projectors, but its in HK. BTW we generally make a margin of less than 10% on displays.

[Cromarty]

Well the price list hasn't been updated for a year or so as pricing on these things goes down exponentially over time (and rapidly). Surely it would have been easier to send us an email instead of just coming on to a website and saying we are ripping people off.

In regards to your question www.hivizone.com is the best place to get projectors, but its in HK. BTW we generally make a margin of less than 10% on displays.

I sent an email to Chinavut and the price was email to me yesterday. I simply visited your site for a price and as it was on a live website I presumed it was the current price. So what is your current price for the Z5 as I certainly don't want to mislead.

[simon43]

I bought my projector at Pantip Plaza. There is a large shop on the 2nd floor (I think). The projectors are towards the rear of the shop. A very good choice and most with free screens.

Note - This shop sells many projectors but doesn't sell any projector ceiling mounts! (TiT). But there is a small shop on the same floor that sells these projector mounts, (but doesn't really sell projectors...)

Simon

[solo siam]

We're not an online shop which is why prices aren't up to date - almost all of our work is through recommendations which is probably why it isn't high priority, Buy the Sanyo Z5 projector from HK and you can get it for under 50k baht.

In regards to prices, Thailand has an import tax of 20-30%, 7% VAT, Customs fees and when you are a distributor you must put that product through Safety Testing, meaning you pay for visits to the factory etc... Each model has to go through this and if the model number changes, you have to do it all again, it can take up to 12 months to do.

HK is tax free which is why a lot of equipment is cheaper there.

[Clipped]

Ben-let me get this right, your lashing out at someone that gets the prices off your website, when it should be correctly priced in the first place?

cromarty-i have a plus projector for sale but no remote if interested..send me a pm

[solo siam]

Would you really call my previous post "lashing out"?

Im saying its strange to come on here and tell people that we are "ripping people off" when we are not an online shop of any sort or have ever stated that, all without having bothering to contact us. Electronics prices change daily, we don't bother to update our site because we would be changing 50-100 items a day for no reason at all, we are an audio visual installation company and Distributor for electronics - I repeat we are in no way an online shop.

[SabahCafeandCinima]

On a side note thanks Ben@H3-Digital for some good advice from a year ago or so on the Z4. Got one from www.hivizone.com (they don't accept credit card over net, got a mate to COD in HK then picked it up, a lot cheaper than here).

Still going strong though blew a bulb prematurely. The bulbs aren't that expensive here but they charge a couple of grand to install (won't sell me a bulb without installation; that is Sanyo Company which is annoying)

[bino]

we don't bother to update our site because we would be changing 50-100 items a day for no reason at all, we are an audio visual installation company and Distributor for electronics - I repeat we are in no way an online shop.

When I'm in the market for something- especially a pricey item- I always do some web research and comparison shopping on the product I'm after, especially checking out the website of the merchant or company. If I found your site with prices posted, I would assume that they are correct and accurate. Maybe you are losing customers who are put off by prices that are higher than actual?

If keeping your website up to date is a pain in the a$$... why not simply remove all price information, and put a "contact us for current price" instead?

Edited January 10, 2007 by bino

[solo siam]

As far as I'm aware the Thai RRP for the Z4 is still what we have on our website, We don't sell products individually - thats not our business, we are not a shop, I get what your saying and that part of the website is probably up for a rewrite sometime soon but I can't stand it when I find a "contact us for current prices", the page is just so people can get an idea before talking to us or others.

I'll work on changing the pricelist and updating it with our new products/prices, still I don't appreciate the bad publicity for advertising a product at its Thai RRP by someone who's never even spoken to us. We are here to give people the best bang for their buck, my advice is always free and I know what I'm doing, we have never had an unsatisfied customer.

Sabah, how much was the bulb here? I'm curious - Also I would suggest putting the Projector on a UPS to help keep it from going prematurely gain.

[Cromarty]

still I don't appreciate the bad publicity for advertising a product at its Thai RRP by someone who's never even spoken to us.

for goodness sake, you advertise a product on your business website with a price that is DOUBLE that of the UK and you don't appreciate the bad publicity!!!!! Why would someone contact the company if they advertise the price and it is extortionate? I'm afraid you have made matters worse by chirping on about it too, at one point you said it was an old price as they are constantly coming down and now you are saying it is the Thai RRP.

So to clear up the price issue once and for all, what is your price to just supply the Z4 then?

We are here to give people the best bang for their buck

[solo siam]

A Thai RRP is not our fault, I believe the RRP may have come DOWN to 99,900 Baht (which BTW is STILL double the UK price)- You CAN'T buy one from us as we are NOT a shop, its there for information purposes. Go buy one from HK for under 50,000 Baht as I have suggested in previous posts.

I haven't made anything worse for us by "chirping on" about anything, I've carefully explained that we aren't an online shop or a shop of any sort, I have also saved you 50% off the RRP by recommending a company I have no affilliation with. It's not my problem boutique electronic items are more expensive in Thailand, and I don't have to apologise for it.

Not sure why you have such a bad attitude, I just re-read my posts and can't see anything I have written that could have upset you - I've seen this sort of stuff before, I'm guessing you are a competitor.

[gharknes]

plasma displays, computers, TV's and many other electroc devices are similary priced to the UK and often are cheaper

why is this one item twice the price, not an unreasonable question to ask, haven;t seen the answer yet except go buy it somewhere else.

just my observation

[solo siam]

I've never heard of that except Tv's and displays that are made in Thailand which of course would be cheaper here than in the UK, generally high-end electronics are equivelant or over UK RRP.

Here are current Thai prices I believe.

http://www.thhardwarezone.com/topicDetail....topicID=0000146

http://www.buycoms.com/spec.asp?ProductID=...roductTypeID=85

This same projector in Australia has an RRP of 111,000 Baht if bought in Oz, as at http://www.cnet.com.au/projectors/lcd/0,23...40058682,00.htm

although you can buy it for 93,000 Baht at discounters. Cant you understand that if CNET "a multi billion dollar company" can't keep up with pricing that obviously we cant. Are you all now writing to CNET asking them to EXPLAIN why the RRP in Oz is so high.

Really - work it out - things cost different amounts of money in different countries for a variety of reasons - * GASP *. See my explanation in a previous post as to why things may cost more here than HK for example.

Seeing as you don't seem t have read the thread.

"In regards to prices, Thailand has an import tax of 20-30%, 7% VAT, Customs fees and when you are a distributor you must put that product through Safety Testing, meaning you pay for visits to the factory etc... Each model has to go through this and if the model number changes, you have to do it all again, it can take up to 12 months to do."

FYI tax in HK is pretty much 0%.

Edited January 11, 2007 by Ben@H3-Digital

[Cromarty]

Not sure why you have such a bad attitude, I just re-read my posts and can't see anything I have written that could have upset you - I've seen this sort of stuff before, I'm guessing you are a competitor.

No Ben, I'm not a competitor. Believe it or not all I want to do is buy a HD projector for my xbox360. And trust me, I'm not in the least bit upset by your posts, my initial question is why are projectors at rip off prices. If, as you claim, it is down to the thai taxation then fine. It is just curious that other technological goods mirror the prices in the UK. I've just been looking at the new ipods at Laksi. Same price, if not slightly less than the UK. They are not made here so are taxed the same. Laptops, exactly the same, price the same, if not better than the UK. And that is using Dabs as a price comparison, who are cheap. (and they advertise latest prices of their products and sell online too - wow, what an innovation, it'll never catch on)

You don't need to get shirty with people either, the simple fact is your projector prices are double that of the UK. You might offer other services and not even sell individual items, fine. Perhaps it should be made clear on your website.

I don't know how RRP works TBH. Surely there is a very high RRP for the sanyo Z4's or the newer Z5's in the UK but shops sell them significantly discounted. The Thai RRP is high but there does not seem to be any reduction from this.

I'm going on a mission over the next couple of weeks to try and find a shop with decent PJ prices. I can't remember seeing any in Laksi, but I'll hit the streets and find some. Perhaps they can explain the price anomoly. I suspect it is a new thing here to have home cinema and retailers are milking early adopters.

Out of interest Ben, I presume the minimum service you offer is the installation of a PJ. What price would you charge to intall a Z4, ceiling mounted, 2 foot from the rear wall. Cables running back and down the wall, a total of 15 feet, to an xbox. So power and component. The cheapest leads you can get. Sound is already sorted, as is a fixed screen.

[solo siam]

Sorry bad day yesterday.

I suppose some of the difference in RRP for some items is down to demand, In the UK a shop could easily sell ten of these a month, whereas here its more like one every other month if that. Obviously for much more popular items like iPods, mobile phones or LCD TV's then the same principal doesn't apply. The online suppliers can charge even less in the Uk because they are just knocking them out in volume that you couldn't get here, they can afford to make 4-5% profit and everything is automated. HK is just about tax free, so tax free sales and tax free importing added to the bulk there make things cheaper.

Retailers don't set the RRP, the distributors do and then give the dealers a margin (normally 10-20%).

In regards to your xbox360 I would get the 1080p LCD Projector from HK for less than 100,000 baht or perhaps try and import the Z5 (50,000 Baht) and see what happens - UPS and Fedex normally get things through customs in a day at normally a good rate. Pick yourself up a HD-DVD drive whilst you are at it (and some movies) I have the HD-DVD drive and it is excellent value. I'd also give the VGA cables a whirl (especially if you get the 1080p projector).

We wouldn't do that sort of install really as we tend to do the whole home cinema, I'm guessing a competent Thai electrician could do it for 3k baht and an extra 1-2k baht for the cables.

[Firefoxx]

Not that many shops sell projectors, and they're considered to be a fairly "upscale" item. Margins are fairly high, as well as import tariffs. You'll be hard pressed to find any non-shady store that sells them for around 30-50% more than the prices in the US. If you want a bargain, you won't find it in Thailand.

[SabahCafeandCinima]

Replacement bulb was 13,000Baht or thereabouts

instalation of bulb was 2000. As I said they wouldn't sell a bulb without instalation by them