Singapore?

[letdown427]

My parents have been away all this month, and the last four days of their little trip has them in Singapore. Now, this is a whole lot cheper for electrical goods than over here isn't it?

Isn't it? How much cheaper do you think it'll be, and is it worth any potential risk? (are their any risks?) I presume it'll work fine with my PC? Basically, I'm currently putting off getting a PCI-e monster until the price drops a liiittle bit, because, £400 for a gfx card is just painful. Obviously I'm looking at a TOTR one here, x1900xtx or a 7800gtx 512 or some such overpriced greatness.

I'm leaning at the 7800, don't know why, but the x1900 appears to be better at the moment, although, it's noisier too, which could be an issue. Anyway, that's not the point, basically, has anyone had any experience buying stuff from singapore, did it work ok?

I'm in the UK, if that akes any difference.

Thanks for any (related ) input

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Generally, US is still the cheapest. Don't know about SE Asia vs. UK though...

BTW : I'm from where everyone's chips are made, so I know the place

 

[martensite]

(Disclaimer: I dont know how US prices compare to UK prices)

I am in Singapore currently, and I was in the United States for a few years before I moved here.

I can guarantee you that electronics and PC stuff is cheaper in the US by around 10-30% even at list prices (BTW, US$1 = SG$1.67).

And this is not even considering the awesome online deals that are always available in the US.

For instance, a leadtek 7800GTX 256MB costs SG$ 875 (ie US$ 523) here. A quick look at the newegg website gives US$465 shipped as the price. That is a difference of nearly US$60 on just a single video card.

Singapore is a small city-state, so retail outlets face no competiton from online vendors, and as a result, prices are not very different from store to store. Most of the A/V and PC stuff can be bought from 2 large malls called Sim Lim Square, and Funan DigtalLife mall.

Unless you really know what you are doing, you can easily get ripped off on price as well as inferior goods, at SLS, and to a smaller extent at Funan. There are more than a few dishonest dealers here, and tourists (especially tech-illiterate ones) are easy prey.

Also, I dont think the warranty on items bought here is valid outside Singapore. So consider that if you end up with a defective item and need to return/exchange it.

I have heard that bangkok, Seoul and Hong Kong are much cheaper when it comes to hardware, but I havent been able to check these places out personally.

My recommendation would be not to look at Singapore as a cheap source of hardware, unless you have no better option, and/or Uk prices are really very high.

EDIT: If you/your parents need to buy stuff from Singapore, it would be helpful if they are tech-savvy and/or have a local guide who is hardware-literate and can understand if you are being taken for a ride. Having a local contact while shopping can also help in bargaining down the prices a little bit at SimLim Square.

If you are REALLY insistent on buying stuff from here, I'd recommend the Funan Mall rather than SLS, as the former offers a better shopping experience and lesser chance of being cheated.

 

[letdown427]

martensite, thank you very much. Will a US gfx card work over here? I presume the difference in our mains voltages is catered for by the power supply, and obviously the slots are standard, so would I be able to use a US bought gfx card in my UK PC? It seems perfectly do-able?

Thanks very much for your input

 

[martensite]

No problem.

Yup the graphics cards will work anywhere, since the PSU regulates the power supply to all the internal components of aPC.

EDIT: VERY IMPORTANT: I forgot to add that since you/your parents will be only visiting Singapore, and are not residents here, you can get a refund for the 5% Sales Tax (GST) on all electronics items. This might alleviate the pain a bit.

The refund can be obtained while exiting Singapore, at Changi Airport or at the authorized refund centers in the city. I think you have to show proof of non-residency and an exit travel plan or something. (nothing complicated at all).

You should check the Singapore Tourism website for more details on this 5% sales tax refund.

 

[martensite]

Here is a link that will give you a good idea of street prices for hardware in Singapore.

http://sg.hardwarezone.com/priceguide/

These prices are valid for shops in Sim Lim Square and Funan DigitalLife Mall.

BTW, here is more info on the refund thing. I apologize, but it looks like I was wrong on a couple of points.

http://www.visitsingapore.com/publish/s...what_to_do/shopping/shopping_tips.html

"A 5% GST is levied in Singapore. Foreign visitors may claim back the GST paid on purchases. GST refunds are not applicable for land and cruise departures.

Under the Global Refund GST Scheme, visit any store that displays the ?TAX FREE SHOPPING? logo and follow these simple steps:

Spend a minimum of SGD 100 at any Global Refund affiliated retailer.

Present your passport to the retailer to obtain a completed Global Refund Cheque.

Get the Cheques validated at the Singapore Customs counter at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 or 2 as proof of export. The goods purchased, along with the receipts and Global Refund Cheques must be presented for verification.

Claim your GST refund in the form of cash, credit card, bank cheques or Airport Shopping Vouchers at Global Refund counters in the airport. A small handling fee will be deducted from the GST amount due to you."

 

[Bananadude]

As you say, you are in the UK, so for everybody above who is saying 'US is cheaper', that's not much use to this guy.

I am in the UK to and was in Singapore last month, and believe me, you can get some good deals out there, but you MUST HAGGLE!! I cannot stress this enough. The prices you see in the shops are not far off what you would pay in the UK. If you pay the marked price, you are a mug. Shop around, and don't buy in the first place that you think you are getting a good deal. Push the salesguy to breaking point, and even if he insists he's going as low as he can and you believe him, WALK AWAY. And here's the trick, it will be when you are on your way out the door that he will THEN give you his very best offer! Believe me, this is how you do it.

Sim Lim Square and Funan are the best places to go. Loads of choice in a relatively small area, so you can visit lots of shops. Sim Lim has to be seen to be believed though. About 6 floors FULL of computer stuff. Crazy.

If I read your post right though, it'll be your parents that are there, not yourself, so maybe you don't trust them to get a good deal for you! Good luck though!

 

[chiguy2891]

when my uncle was over he picked up a couple flash drives that were supposed by 2gb but ended up only being 128mb. he only paid like $10 for them so it wasn't a big deal but i guess it's just a warning to you. here's a link to a site about the drives:

Flash Drive Scam

 

[martensite]

EDIT: addressed to Bananadude

I suppose UK prices must be very high then. As I said, I dont know how US and UK prices compare.

I am just curious, but what exactly did you buy from SLS and how much did you pay for it? I ask because, on PC hardware, they always whine that their margins are razor thin and they never bargain down more than a few dollars.

On big budget items like digital SLRs or high end videocams etc you have a better chance of bargaining down.

Most techie singaporeans I know load up on the goodies whenever they are in the US on short trips. Much better deals.

 

[Sc4freak]

UK prices are always through the roof. Even we Australians don't get it that bad, I think.

 

[Bananadude]

You may very well be right on the PC hardware front. I only bought a digital camera, and a few other bits, but no hardware as such, but I did get a pretty good deal. Saved about £60 ($100) on the cheapest I saw it for in the UK, but looking at US prices, I probably paid about the same. They argue about their margins being razor thin on everything though I think! They certainly don't budge easily! Probably does depend on what shop you go to - some are easier to barter with than others. I found one shop that absolutely refused to budge on a camera price, insisting they were making virtually no profit, and he had already knocked quite a bit off it already. I then went into the shop next door, and his STARTING PRICE was less! Go figure! I got the impression certain shops have ties with particular manufacturers, and will push certain brands and not go below a set figure, probably because they are on extra commission.

 

[Michael]

I live in Singapore and echo the previous statement - in general mail order prices in the USA are cheaper than in Singapore. Shopping in Sim Lim Square can cut out a little time as you don't need to wait for an item to be shipped, but it'll be roughly 10% to 20% higher.

This is especially true of AMD-based products.

I'm in the USA right now on a business trip and I had a friend order the memory, 4400+ X2 and DFI MB for me. I saved a ton compared to Singapore prices.

As for haggling, I do it with a passion and can usually beat out many locals. You don't get very much of a discount off of computer parts, though. You also must pay cash to get the best prices.

Here's another site with representative prices:

Mail order in Singapore (they actually deliver it same day)

Michael

 

[DJSfurry]

I live in Hong Kong. But i often go to Singapore to visit relatives with my family. I find that Hong Kong has better prices by quite a bit, although Singapore has RAM available in the US but not HK, surprisingly. (OCZ Mushkin G.Skill) However everything else is available, with HongKong typically having better prices, despite being able to bargain more in Singapore.

@ Bananadude: You should come to Hong Kong.. Sim Lim Sq is TINY compared to the one we have. Called "Golden computer centre/shopping arcade" the building itself has quite a few floors with the computer stuff on the bottom 3 floors.. that building is one block. probably 4 times larger than simlim in the same space. WAY CRAMPED but HUGE selections