How is shopping in Hong Kong different from England, UK? [closed]
I am Indian origin but have been living in UK for years now. There is a massive difference between the way we shop in India and the way we shop in the UK.
I need to help a friend buy a mobile phone in Hong Kong, in Tseung Kwan O, and they prefer paying cash. I have no idea how to get the best deal there, or to find out if buying certain phones from certain shops won't rip them off.
I did some research of my own on the internet, but mobile providers like Three and Sun mobile are charging almost 25% more than on web sites I found.
Edit - Questions
What sort of structure is there in Hong Kong; is it like the small shops we have everywhere in India?
Are there any super markets like Tesco, Sainsburys etc.. in HongKong too that sell mobile phones ?
Are there any major phone seller on-premises shops like carwarehouse, EE, O2 in Hong Kong too ?
- I use apps like hotukdeals to find the best deals, and Gumtree, ebay and Amazon for 2nd hand stuff or internet shopping. Are there alike in Hong Kong too ?
Best Answer
Hong Konger here.
There are both retail chains and small shops in the city. However, supermarkets here does not sell mobile phones. Mobile network operators offer discounts usually to current / new subscribers only.
Pay with cash should not be a problem here. Although some cashiers might reject $1,000 notes due to counterfeits in circulation.
Price.com.hk is the local counterpart of "hotUKdeals", just note that the price are provided by merchants.
Shopping tips
- The price you found online or from the display window might not be final because manufacturers "discourage" retailers from setting the retail price too low. A bundle of third party accessories might be given in lieu of price discounts. Ask the shopkeeper for the actual deal.
- Always ask about the warranty. Parallel imported phones might still comes with "warranty", but requires shipment to its origin which kind of defeats the purpose of warranty.
- Always ask about the return / refund / exchange policy.
- New phones shall be sealed properly in the packaging. The serial number on the box shall matches the one printed on your receipts. After you have paid for it, the shopkeeper shall unbox the phone in front of you and you can check for defects. Complains shall be raised at this moment.
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Answer 2
Hong Kong has no sales tax, which generally makes electronics cheaper than in the UK.
Check out http://www.price.com.hk
Answer 3
Simply go to a electronics store and pay by cash. I would be surprised if any of them did not accept cash.
However, if you do go to somewhere other than a large electronics retail chain, note that some products which are significantly cheaper than those in big electronics retail chain stores might be parallel imported from other countries (e.g., Southeast Asia or United States) into Hong Kong and they, albeit legal, might come with no warranty (although usually they will tell you before you pay). Therefore, be sure to ask if your the product is warranted!
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