Are electrical goods really that cheap in Hong Kong?

[bb555]

I've recently moved to HK from the UK. I'm asking this question as I’m in the market for a new TV.. in particular the LG OLED65C7P.

I'm trying to find the best deal to purchase the TV. I started my search on price.com.hk which then shows me the better deals that can be had. I know the difference between a parallel import and a licenced product. I’m only looking for a licensed product.

What I have found so far is that the licensed TV retails for approx. 33100HKD online and 38000HKD walking into the big chain stores (fortress). On price.hk.com, I have seen the TV offered for 29100 but i'm unsure if the seller is legit.

In the UK, this TV can now be bought from Curry’s (big chain store) for approx. £2500 (26000HKD)
I believe that in the US the same TV can now be bought in best Buy for $2700 (21190HKD)

Which then leads me to ask the following

1. Can this TV be bought in HK any cheaper? i.e. should I be searching elsewhere or waiting for a particular sale time like black Friday deals?
2. Why is there a disparity in the cost compared to the UK and or US? Is it because it’s a niche product? Tax/duty considerations? Lack of competition from sellers?
3. Does anyone price match in HK?

Before I arrived here, I was told that electronics can be bought for good value. Is this no longer the case, never been the case or am I looking to buy at the wrong places? I thought the big stores would be falling over themselves to grab a sale.

[madal1]

Not sure who told you electronics would be cheap in HK, perhaps that was case years ago, but I’ve found HK to be very expensive for electronics.

[TheBrit]

Hong Kong used to be great for electronics - no VAT and stuff you couldnt find easily elsewhere. Maybe twenty years ago this was true. There is still no VAT but property rents have forced prices up and the Internet has rendered the second point moot.

[jgl]

Before I arrived here, I was told that electronics can be bought for good value. Is this no longer the case, never been the case or am I looking to buy at the wrong places? I thought the big stores would be falling over themselves to grab a sale.

Maybe in the 80s.

This has been discussed in several old threads, something about HK being an oligopoly rather than a free market.

[bb555]

I appreciate the replies all, thanks for taking the time to answer.
Can anyone recommend a good AV shop to buy the TV? or is just a case of visiting one of those on Price.hk.com in person?

[shri]

Many of the price.com.hk shops are simply order takers - they don't carry stock or have a show/demo room. They take orders online at slim margins and pass to the agent. Expect very little assistance from any of these shops - their standard response will be "here's the agent's phone number" call them.

There is an AV mall in Mongkok - forget the name, which has a few dozen shops selling the same TVs and lots of high end home theater gear. Best to look around there..

There is a guy on here @Sale99 I think. Perhaps he can help you with some pricing. I've noticed he sells / lists a lot of TVs in the classifieds.

[chuckster007]

[*]Can this TV be bought in HK any cheaper? i.e. should I be searching elsewhere or waiting for a particular sale time like black Friday deals? = HK doesnt do Black Friday sales so the cheapest you have seen is probably what you can get.
[*]Why is there a disparity in the cost compared to the UK and or US? Is it because it’s a niche product? Tax/duty considerations? Lack of competition from sellers? = UK/US imports large volumes of products where as HK being so small can only take small quantities + high cost of rent / storage facilities makes the products more expensive in HK

[bb555]

@chuckster007 - this makes a lot more sense now. thanks!

[bdw]

I bought from price.com.hk and if you buy the official manufacturer price rather than the grey market it's safe. The TV comes with a warranty card to register with the manufacturer online and if you need any support after that you get it from the manufacturer directly. A lot of these places on price.com.hk have no physical address so you can't visit them, just order through the website and then they call or whatsapp you within a few minutes to arrange delivery. Cash on delivery. Usually you have to pay an extra $100 or so for the delivery and the guy even sets it up for you for free if its just on a stand, or another few hundred dollars if you want it wall mounted.

[bb555]

@bdw thanks for the info regarding price.com.hk. For someone new to HK this is very good info.