Hi all,
just need to confirm a few things on shopping for cool stuff... as most HK "newbies" i have been told the infamous stories of TST rip offs. Is this really so? or does this only happen to those who don't know their products and are shopping "from scratch"?
I ask because I am a bit of an amatuer photographer, and have been sussing out digital SLR's for quite a while. After spending months watching the markets I decided to check out the shops in TST, Sham Shui Po and on Stanley St...
Well, let me say i was gobsmacked at the prices at TST if you were happy to bargain, about 60-70% what i'd pay in Oz, and even less than on the net. This was for seemingly genuine Canon SLR's and lenses (and having borrowed/hired/played with a number of these in the last few years, i am fairly confident they are the real mackoy). So my question i guess is - is there really anything these guys can do to rip you off on a product like that?
I understand the hard bargaining and deceptive marketing ploys i have heard about, but if you know what your looking at and it is just the price that ur shopping for, is it still a risk?
Any advice grrrrreatly appreciated.
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05-09-2005, 10:09 AM #1
Is TST REALLY a rip off zone??
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05-09-2005, 10:22 AM #2
Avoid TST -- those guys prefer to deal with people who are err .. not going to be able to come back and complain.
Stick to Stanley, Sham Sui Po, Mongkok .. places where locals shop.
I'm sure there are plenty of bargains in TST (we have a couple of trusted shops in Chungking where be buy odds and ends from) but the whole "watch your back" paranoia takes a lot away from the shopping experience.
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05-09-2005, 10:32 AM #3
Personally I think if you know your equipment and turn up more than once over a few weeks (ie not a tourist) you are likely to get a good deal. In fact I would go as far to say I have known lots of people get good deals there and haven't known anyone personally get ripped off - although I have heard the stories.
Was TST the best prices? What about Mong Kok / Causeway Bay etc?
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05-09-2005, 10:51 AM #4
thanks for that,
Originally Posted by HKNewBi:
umm, yeppo. in TST the final price i was quoted for Canon 350D was about 75% of what i saw in Stanley st, Mong Kok etc. I must admit I have not tried Causeway bay yet. I am in no rush to buy, so will shop till I get the best deal.
I gues my concern is NOT the deal/price. I know what these things are worth, and have watched the markets a lot. What i am worried about is - is there anything that these guys are likely to be able to do to sell you a dodgey unit. they're not like computers where bits and pieces can be swapped for locally made things. and no-one but canon/nikon really knows what is inside the things, so just how risky is it buying a known product like this? is there any stories out there where people have bought a high quality brand name gadget only to find it is not real, or has had some major probs? as far as i know, canon will not let anything out of it's doors if it has not passed QC, no matter what market it goes to. but does that mean that once it is out of the factory it is not going to be tampered with?? i really have no idea! any stories, any tips?
thanks!
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05-09-2005, 10:55 AM #5
Watch out for the warranties - it is worth making triply sure that you really are getting a real warranty, and that it is valid internationally (if that is important to you).
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06-09-2005, 11:35 PM #6
For electronics get them in Mongkok, always. NO HK people buy electronics in TST (except those chain stores like Fortress, Broadway)
Say for Camera the most reliable shop should be "Wing Shing" in Mongkok
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07-09-2005, 12:01 AM #7
Agree with seafoodghost on Wing Shing. My parents were looking for a digital camera when they were over a few months back, and against my advice went to TST and Nathan Rd. They thought they had gotten a bargain untill about 12 hours later, when the batteries in the camera went dead after about 30mins (new). We bought some new batteries and the same thing happened again. They went back to the shop and dealt with the manager (while 10 guys stood in the background), who denied it was his fault. In the end he refused to give back any money and gave them a rechargeable battery charger. I had a go at him and said it wasn't good enough, and he yelled "get out of Hong Kong and never come back to my country". I told him i live here and that i'll be back. So far i've been back 3 times when he's not on and made someone get out all the cameras and equipment to explain about them to me, then after a while i say, "no thanks i don't really want a camera". Petty perhaps, but it stops me from caving his windows in. So, in my opinion, you would have to be a complete idiot to buy ANYTHING down there.
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07-09-2005, 01:08 AM #8
Lets hope your parents are not on this forum.
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07-09-2005, 05:34 AM #9
i've heard stories from my local hubby who says that there have been cases where you may get a good deal on the camera, but if you want the cameral case, they make you pay extra... if you want the lense cover, you pay extra, if you want the shoulder strap, you pay extra...etc you get my drift.
personally, i would never in a million years buy anything from these guys. they prey on the unsuspecting tourist and i think that if they believe conducting business this way is ok, then i'm not going to support them with my dollars. i'd rather go to a reputable business where i have some recourse if there is a problem, and hopefully in my small way by rewarding those with good business practices, they'll all learn that it is a better way to conduct business.
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07-09-2005, 08:13 AM #10
I had a bad experience some time back. Bought a top-of-the-range Minolta Dynax 700i with a telephoto lens. Walked around the corner and saw the same spec. telephoto lens but only a third of the size for about the same price. Went in to ask and was told that this was the new model. The shop I bought it from denied any responsibility for selling me last year's model.
