Shopping At The Duty Free

[strawberry]

Hi All

few years ago I was flying to Sydney via Singapore and decided I'd buy an electric razor. I got back to Bangkok a month later and walking down Silom passing the Philips shop decided to check the price of the razors. The same brand and model was actually cheaper than the one I bought at the duty free in Singapore. Also the staff in Bangkok were a damned lot more polite than the ones in Singapore.

Now I'm flying again to Sydney this time via Hong Kong and want to buy a digital camera. So first question is can I actually get cheaper at the duty free or should I just wait until I get to Sydney. I don't have enough time to shop in Bangkok now and I'd like to have a camera on landing in Australia. this is my daughters first time in her 2nd country and it would be good to catch her excitement. Just discovered that my normal camera is broken.

My second question, being that I'm very much of a greenhorn around things computer what would you recommend an easy digital for this greehorn at a budget price.

Regards Joe

[ZOVOX]

Hi All

few years ago I was flying to Sydney via Singapore and decided I'd buy an electric razor. I got back to Bangkok a month later and walking down Silom passing the Philips shop decided to check the price of the razors. The same brand and model was actually cheaper than the one I bought at the duty free in Singapore. Also the staff in Bangkok were a damned lot more polite than the ones in Singapore.

Now I'm flying again to Sydney this time via Hong Kong and want to buy a digital camera. So first question is can I actually get cheaper at the duty free or should I just wait until I get to Sydney. I don't have enough time to shop in Bangkok now and I'd like to have a camera on landing in Australia. this is my daughters first time in her 2nd country and it would be good to catch her excitement. Just discovered that my normal camera is broken.

My second question, being that I'm very much of a greenhorn around things computer what would you recommend an easy digital for this greehorn at a budget price.

Regards Joe

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know about prices in Australia, but electronics, in general, are cheaper in HK than the U.K, so i would buy in HK. If you are stopping over in HK, go to Tsim Tsa sui (bottom of Nathan Road), there's lots of electronic shops there and haggle - you should get a good price !!

As for the camera, most of the small digital cameras are point and click and very easy to use - i would recommend a Canon model with about 2 megapixels. The guy will probably try to sell you a more expensive model with a higher resolution, but the higher resolutions are really for professional and photo buffs, who need to make large prints. If you can afford it, go for a camera with an optical zoom. Lastly, make sure you get an international warranty.

[pnustedt]

A lot of "duty free" concessions are rip-offs. You'll find digital cameras much cheaper (and a better range) in Mong Kok and Sham Shui Po than in Chek Lap Kok (stay away from the Nathan Road husslers in TST) - there is no GST in HK anyway and the overheads of the airport shops are very high.

Camera recommendation will depend on your budget, I just bought a Nikon D70 - price body only in a shop at the back of the Golden Centre in Sham Shui Po HK$6,500 (Bt32,500), I bought it along with a couple of Sigma zoom lenses. Brilliant camera. I think you'll find Sydney much more expensive.

Good site to check out digital cameras is this one. I would decide which one you want and then find the best deal.

[Axel]

Not much to add. Your best bet, as pnustedt says, go downtown but avoid the 'Golden Mile', i.e. Nathan Road.

You don't say how much time you have in HKG. Airportexpress (train) brings you in 23 minutes to Central which is more 'downtown' than the Kowloon station. OTH from Kowloon you can take easily a taxi to one of the a.m. areas.

Same day return tickets on the airport express are sold with discount.

If no time, buy in BKK dutyfree, expensive but still cheaper than HKG duty free, where the shop rentals are just too high.

With razors I had same experience. Use for travel a small one, on board sold out, bought in transit in HKG and found it next morning in Taipei downtown at a Watson's shop 20% lower price.

[simcity]

I bough mine in duty free Australia , the Bangkok offer price was more ( street ) , i did check duty free Bangkok few month later for memories cards , it was much more expensive as the street price ...and double as Singapore.

i think Sydney will be better , but not sure if arrival duty free have same price as departure …

got 50 dollar rebate plus free memories when i bough it ..

use to have a duty free www.page with price , perhaps you could call them ..

[Cheeky Farang]

Why dont you go on the NET, find the product you want and then find the cheapest price, then compare with duty free.

I for one bought a Sony Camera cheaper on the net, than any shop or duty free's I went to in London, Bangkok, Singapore, and San Francisco. E-shopping is great and cheap, the suppliers have no massive overheads and very often the product is delivered straight from the maker. ( all done at no risk, credit / charge cards protect you if it all goes TITS UP )

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I bough mine in duty free Australia , the Bangkok offer price was more ( street )  , i did check duty free Bangkok few month later for memories cards , it was much more expensive as the street price ...and double as Singapore.

i think Sydney will be better , but not sure if arrival duty free have same price as departure …

got 50 dollar rebate plus free memories when i bough it ..

use to have a duty free www.page with price , perhaps you could call them ..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Arrival DF in Australia is restricted to booze and cigs.

[Axel]

One more thing came to my mind for Hong Kong. Use the airport express to Kowloon station and than connect to their free shuttle to hotels,

K3 every, 12 minutes, to Langham Place Hotel, Mongkok, Hong Kong, will do.

TGhese days they check more for 'free loaders, but presenting your ticket and naming the hotel will do to let you board.

On the way back can use the same free shuttle, as well, cheaper than taxi , but check the transit route to be one time.

Fully agree, e-shopping and/or down town buying is often cheaper but don't think the op has enough time left....

[sbk]

Why dont you go on the NET, find the product you want and then find the cheapest price, then compare with duty free.

I for one bought a Sony Camera cheaper on the net, than any shop or duty free's I went to in London, Bangkok, Singapore, and San Francisco.  E-shopping is great and cheap, the suppliers have no massive overheads and very often the product is delivered straight from the maker. ( all done at no risk, credit / charge cards protect you if it all goes TITS UP )

froogle -fairly decent price comparison from google. type in the brand you want and it comes up with a range of prices

[PeaceBlondie]

Maybe I'm just a cheap skinflint, but I've logged about 88,000 frequent flying miles in the last two years, and never saw anything cheap in an airport, anywhere, especially "dutyfree." Example: from Los Angeles to Bangkok, we stopped at Taiwan/Tapei, and my belt had broken en route. Price at dutyfree: US$50 or $100 in Tapei. Price in front of McDonald's on Suriwong near Lumphini Park: 200 baht. At first, the vendor asked 1000 baht, to which I replied loudly on my first day in Thailand: "HAAA!" Her next offer was 200 baht.

[ZOVOX]

Maybe I'm just a cheap skinflint, but I've logged about 88,000 frequent flying miles in the last two years, and never saw anything cheap in an airport, anywhere, especially "dutyfree."  Example: from Los Angeles to Bangkok, we stopped at Taiwan/Tapei, and my belt had broken en route.  Price at dutyfree: US$50 or $100 in Tapei.  Price in front of McDonald's on Suriwong near Lumphini Park: 200 baht.  At first, the vendor asked 1000 baht, to which I replied loudly on my first day in Thailand: "HAAA!"  Her next offer was 200 baht.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You should have haggled more: i've seen leather belts in Thailand for 100/150 baht. Agree with you about the duty free stuff.

[udon]

Joe, have a look at the Canon A 95, prices online vary from US $280 - US $300 plus shipping.

http://www.bizrate.com/marketplace/search/...,start--10.html

In Oz that camera is about A$600 or more

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controlle...5&modelid=10468

It would be a long time before you need to upgrade with that camera.

[qwertyuiop]

Duty Free does not mean Profit Free.

Tread carefully when buying .

Personally I would only look at products where I knew there to be a large import duty levied on the product in the country to where i was taking the product and I had had no time to buy in town.

[Axel]

In the EU the idea of duty free shopping died a few years ago when travel within memberstates became similar to domestic flights.

In Asia the DF-shops are operated by huge chains who buy at source. So one can assume their buying prices are more or less identical. Their selling prices at airports versus downtown should, in theory, be reduced by duty and tax.

So, if you buy a camera at Bangkok airport your savings should be 5-30% duty and 7 % VAT, but you pay for higher rents compared to, let's say a 'shop' in Panthip Plaza.

In Hong Kong there is no duty, neither GST/VAT. (Exception Alcohol/tabacco/perfumes). So you cannot save in their airport shops what their colleagues in downtown neither have to pay, but you pay for higher rent and costs. Makes sense that often HK-airport shops are more expensive than downtown.

Inflight sales: Roughly same as 'duty free' but you pay their cost for putting it on the plane and carrying on board. So usually in the plane more expensive than in the departure hall.

Still you can get a bargain at the airports, if they have a sales. I guarantee, however, the special brand and type of camera one is interested at the day of flight will not be on bargain on that specific day.

[Jockstar]

Nothing to do with cameras. But i was at the airport and was just killing time by looking around the df store. I couldn't believe my eyes at the price they wanted for a bottle of Sangsom. 200 and odd baht. You can buy a big bottle in the super market for 138 baht. Go figure why this is the case.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Nothing to do with cameras. But i was at the airport and was just killing time by looking around the df store. I couldn't believe my eyes at the price they wanted for a bottle of Sangsom. 200 and odd baht. You can buy a big bottle in the super market for 138 baht. Go figure why this is the case.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The wine prices at Australian DF's far exceed the Liquor Barn Prices. Spirits are less.

[strawberry]

Hi All ,

Ihave taken note of all your advice. Many thanks.

my ordinary camera turned out I'd put the film in wrong and might stick with that until I've finished my holiday.

Once again many thanks

Joe

[DaiMai]

I bought a Sony digital camera in the Sony shop here in Thailand, price 11900 baht.

The price at the duty free in Don Muang was 2000 baht higher.

This was in August 2004.

[lopburi3]

From what I remember of your posts suspect you do not want a state of the art camera but rather a replacement for a point and shoot type film camera so would suggest you take a look at this web site in Bangkok with current Thai price for a wide range of camera priced from the 3,000 baht up range.Webpage

2 megs will provide enough to crop a photo quite a bit and still print a good 4x6 so you probably do not have to pay for optical zoom lens unless you want it. Cameras with higher resolution would be even better for home photo work. For normal prints from photo finnish any camera should be fine. The thing to be aware of is the delay between shutter press/focus and photo. There tends to be a longer delay with digital than film camera (although serval new models such as Casio have very fast response).

You will probably need more storage than with the camera so it is probably advisable to buy a fairly large capacity card with camera (especially for travel).

Another factor is battery. If AA cells you can use alkaline in an emergency but reachable are preferred for normal use. If the cell is just make for that model camera an extra can be expensive but you need it.

The digital will help the stuck film problem as you can review your photos immediately - although they may not show an out of focus shot too well.

[udon]

Footnote: Joe and his beautiful daughter arrived ok in SYD yesterday.

Joe is a gentleman and a scholar! Seems that Cathay Pacific was a "sardine" trip

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Footnote: Joe and his beautiful daughter arrived ok in SYD yesterday.

Joe is a gentleman and a scholar! Seems that Cathay Pacific was a "sardine" trip

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Have you had him at that spot the Aussie game yet Udon ?

[Dancali]

Just a note about the economics of pricing. . .

A seller will charge as high a price as possible. This is determined by a variety of factors such as competition, who the customer is, etc.

The fact that the duty-free shop has good tax breaks does not affect what it will charge you. The fact that it's located in a premium location, with a generally affluent customer base, and has little competition (no Tescos in the airport) is going to lead to generally more expensive pricing.

[udon]

I'm envious of the Yanks.

Google "canon s70" and check the prices at bizrate.com Click on 'prices' to see the lowest to the highest and look for 4 green smileys..... better prices than any duty free shop!