Is it wise to buy PC / Laptop in HK?

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  1. #1

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    Is it wise to buy PC / Laptop in HK?

    Hi All,

    Thanks to the guys who helped with my mobile phone thread...

    I was wondering if it was safe / wise to purchase a new laptop or computer components whilst in Hong Kong if I am only there for a week.

    What type of support would I receive (if any) once back in Australia? Are Laptops generaly safe to purchase in HK or do they have a high failure rate?

    To my knowledge you can asve about $400 - $500 on a laptop (is that correct?) but is it worth it?

    Cheers,
    Woody


  2. #2

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    You can save a lot more than that! Also don't forget there is no sales tax in HK.

    My Dell laptop warranty is valid all round the world but that was an upgrade option from Dell (I bought it in the UK and the warranty has proved to be valid in HK).

    If you do get a laptop here and it stops working, what are the odds you will be back in HK to get it fixed and what are the odds that even if you were back here it would be fixed for free?

    Personally, for piece of mind, I would buy your laptop in australia and look at the extra cost as a form of warranty. If the screen was to pack up a month after you returned home I think you would have some serious regrets and no longer see the cheaper price as a 'saving'.


  3. #3

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    No refund or no return in HK, be very cautious while buying in those so called compter centers (golden, wan chai), personally i dont buy expensive stuff in those places, pick famous stores like broadway or fortress which are more credible.


  4. #4

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    Some brands offer international warranties. Some of these warranties are 'traveller warranties' which have conditions. These may be worth buying.


  5. #5

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    I'd disagree with Hknewbi's advice as I bought a Benq laptop from here Sept 2004 from mongkok and flew back to London pretty much the day after buying it, Unfortunately the HD failed but I had no problems at all in getting it repaired in U.K under warranty.

    As long as the company has a presence and service centre back in Oz then you should have no problems at all, Stick to the tried and trusted brands such as Acer, Asus, Toshiba, Sony, Samsung and you'll be fine.

    Broadway and Fortress have limited stock and they aren't at all competitive, some stores may only have a choice of 10 or so laptops whereas say wanchai computer centre you have a much wider choice.

    Also with broadway/fortress you won't be able to negotiate on price, they might throw in something like extra ram but you'll have to go somewhere else to pick it up and install it yourself, too much hassle and expecially if you're only there for a week. Buy the laptop in your first few days as if you were very unlucky enough to encounter a problem with it you'll still have time to get it resolved.


  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by jimbo:
    I'd disagree with Hknewbi's advice as I bought a Benq laptop from here Sept 2004 from mongkok and flew back to London pretty much the day after buying it, Unfortunately the HD failed but I had no problems at all in getting it repaired in U.K under warranty.
    Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum, please treat me nice :-)

    I bought a laptop while in Hong Kong recently, and flew back to UK 2 days later. I confirmed with both Broadway where I bought it and with Compaq that there is a International Warranty, so if it goes wrong, Compaq will collect from my home address in UK, repair and return.

    I would echo tt2003, buy from well known brand name shops. If its too cheap, its no good, if theres no price tag, walk away.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by walesrob:

    I would echo tt2003, buy from well known brand name shops. If its too cheap, its no good, if theres no price tag, walk away.
    You don't necessarily have to buy from brand name shops as long as the laptop has english windows and all the relevant recovery discs etc and warranty documents you'll be fine.

    you'll save at least $500 by going to Wanchai, Mongkok computer centres etc than your fortress and broadway.

    Agreed with the shops in say causeway bay, tst etc who have loads and loads of products on display but none are actually priced, They're usually out dated models and the price will always depend on what you look like and how much they think they can get away with charging you.

  8. #8

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    Toshiba has a policy where you need to ensure that the product has been bought from a authorised dealer (my last purchase was about 2 years ago -- things may have changed.. but I doubt it).

    If you have purchased from an authorised dealer .. you'll be ok with toshibas.


  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by jimbo:
    I'd disagree with Hknewbi's advice as I bought a Benq laptop from here Sept 2004 from mongkok and flew back to London pretty much the day after buying it, Unfortunately the HD failed but I had no problems at all in getting it repaired in U.K under warranty.
    The hard disks in laptops are very often, if not always, not made by the laptop manufacturer but by a third party and therefore, if it is a well known brand such as Seagate, WD, Maxstor etc you are covered by their warranties.

    But should you have other issues I don't think you would be so successful. I wouldn't be so sure about getting a screen fixed if it went or a motherboard or CPU replaced. In which case is it really worth saving $500? Personally I don't think so but everyone puts a different value on their time.

    I recently had a friend who bought a camera in HK on holiday, returned to the UK to find it not working correctly and his warranty, well there is no one in the UK to honour it. £200 down the drain unfortunately.

  10. #10

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    cheaper to buy in US

    If you are from US, buy it in US. It is a lot cheaper to buy here in US than in Hong Kong. You can get a brand new laptop for as low as $375 USD which can do most of the daily stuffs after rebate. For that price, there is no point to buy any extra warranty. If there is no rebate, you probably can get it for less $500 USD. I am quoting the prices from shops in the Silicon Valley. I bet that yoiu can get the same in places like New York City. Best Buy had a 5.2 lbs Compaq laptop selling for $445 USD a few weeks ago. I got a new Acer recently for $499 from Microcenter. Circuit City advertised a Compaq for $350 if you don't mind to stick with AOL for 2 years.

    If there is something wrong with the HD, just get a new HD to replace it yourself.

    Try to use the USB storage drive as much as you can. If anything wrong with the laptop, just bring your data along without affecting your work.


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