Reputable Shops

[Tod]

Hi everyone, I am in the market for a new DSLR, still hesitating between the Nikon D90 and the Canon 50D with a 18-200 lens.

However, I don't understand why such a massive price difference depending on which shops you ask.

It's seems that in Fortune tower at Pix-One or in some shops in MBK, one can get the aforementionned Nikon set for 49'000 baht, while if you ask in the Nikon office on Silom, they can't do any better than 6x'xxx baht.

What is the reason for such a big difference in prices? Can anybody recommend a reliable shop?

I'd rather buy everything from an authorized Nikon or Canon dealer but a 30% price difference makes me hesitate.

Thanks for your help.

[astral]

I have bought from FotoFile and found them helpful.

Their prices look good too.

Whatever the shop, check what guarantee you are getting.

[Tingnongnoi]

if you buy from Nik's on Silom or any of the sunny camera, official Nikon sellers you will get the Thailand full Nikon waranty, if you buy from the others you are usually getting a grey import and would have to return the camera to where you bought it and they sort out repairs themselves

[Curt1591]

Pix-One offers two different warranties - theirs and the manufacturer's. Their advertised price is with their warranty. The manufacturer's will run more.

There are also different lenses to be had.

[Tod]

Ok I see... It's all about the warranty. Pay 30% more for a proper warranty is a tough decision to make or a gamble.

What I don't really understand is that I tought Nikon's were made in Thailand. So why would grey imports come cheaper?

[astral]

It is mad world that we live in.

Where an item is made is irrelevant, it is where it is sold that matters.

[kicking]

I got the the Nikon D90 with the 18-200 VRII from Pix-One. If there's an issue, they send to Nikon Thailand. As I recall, Capa sent to Japan. In the end, I saved about 17k baht vs buying at another shop...

[needforspeed]

Pix-One offers two different warranties - theirs and the manufacturer's. Their advertised price is with their warranty. The manufacturer's will run more.

There are also different lenses to be had.

I had the same there is a price difference as some lenses are glass (expensive)and others are made from a hard plastic (cheap).

This is what they told me at the shop called Camera collection.

I have np knowledge about cameras myself.

[Tod]

I got the the Nikon D90 with the 18-200 VRII from Pix-One. If there's an issue, they send to Nikon Thailand. As I recall, Capa sent to Japan. In the end, I saved about 17k baht vs buying at another shop...

I went to Nikon Thailand on Silom, they said they didn't accept to repair "grey imports" cameras under warranty and that they have to be sent to Japan. Whether this is true or not I can not say.

Saving 17k baht is very tempting though...

[aidenai]

I went to Nikon Thailand on Silom, they said they didn't accept to repair "grey imports" cameras under warranty and that they have to be sent to Japan. Whether this is true or not I can not say.

This is true. I don't blame them.

Recently I've bought a grey Nikon D90 at a shop in Bangkok. I've paid 37,500 THB. Look around and you will see that the official ones go for about 46,900 THB.

[Portlandstone]

It's seems that in Fortune tower at Pix-One or in some shops in MBK, one can get the aforementionned Nikon set for 49'000 baht, while if you ask in the Nikon office on Silom, they can't do any better than 6x'xxx baht.

I've talked to a local Thai businessman who also has a good command of English, if he is a representation of Thai people at all then from the way I understand, they would refuse to buy pretty much anything from MBK, Pantip, Chatuchak Market, and he was talking in particular about cameras (Nikon, Canon) among other things like clothes. He said don't believe them, the cameras at MBK/Pantip aren't the real deal. Buy it and a year later falls apart or has big problems. He said "go to main office in Silom, pay big money, but you keep camera 10 years ok. Pay 100 or 200,000 (baht) ok very expensive, but any problem they fix, working for 10 years." If he is any indication of locals then they are pretty much suspicious of the tourist trap shops. That's perhaps the reason you pay an extra 20 grand at the main real office. But then again, I went to the main "real" canon HQ and I was most certainly not impressed with their mai pen rai policies.

[kicking]

It's seems that in Fortune tower at Pix-One or in some shops in MBK, one can get the aforementionned Nikon set for 49'000 baht, while if you ask in the Nikon office on Silom, they can't do any better than 6x'xxx baht.

I've talked to a local Thai businessman who also has a good command of English, if he is a representation of Thai people at all then from the way I understand, they would refuse to buy pretty much anything from MBK, Pantip, Chatuchak Market, and he was talking in particular about cameras (Nikon, Canon) among other things like clothes. He said don't believe them, the cameras at MBK/Pantip aren't the real deal. Buy it and a year later falls apart or has big problems. He said "go to main office in Silom, pay big money, but you keep camera 10 years ok. Pay 100 or 200,000 (baht) ok very expensive, but any problem they fix, working for 10 years." If he is any indication of locals then they are pretty much suspicious of the tourist trap shops. That's perhaps the reason you pay an extra 20 grand at the main real office. But then again, I went to the main "real" canon HQ and I was most certainly not impressed with their mai pen rai policies.

Umm, all the places you mention are PACKED with Thai customers. He clearly didn't know what the h*ll he was talking about. The cameras are the real deal. And so is the glass...

And all this debate on the warranty? What is the chance of there being a problem anyway? 1%? Pix-One has a seven day return policy so if there is an issue that's evident right away, they just swap the camera.

Edited January 29, 2010 by kicking