Electronics from abroad

[coops]

Has anybody had any experience with buying electronics from abroad?
Im looking to buy an lrp sphere or its nosram counterpart but not at uk prices, Why do we have to pay the dollar price in pounds? Anybody got any advice or know of any good shops?

Thanks in advance.
Coops

[jim76]

you can get them cheaper from most US shops, but obviously if it is damaged on the way over or goes bang in the first month or so, just remember you will be stuck with postage costs back to the US and a long delay!

[dev]

http://www.oople.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7032

[strobe]

From experience i would NOT recommend it.
UK distributors Will repair or replace a unit but will charge you for it if they realise it is an import.
99% Of the time they will ask for a sales receipt or ask you which shop you got it from so they can check sales records.

[DaveG28]

You pays your money and takes your choice mate basically!

I tend to import most of my electrics, but do it knowing I am risking losing money if it breaks during warranty!

The only thing I don't import is batteries! Although as I now know some guys who run a shop I try and put some things there way too.

Just one thing on the cost front, at the end of the day I can't believe it is only due to tax that you pay more over here, but it is also not due to the shops. This is what infuriates me, I end up punishing the UK shops for something thats not their fault, I have a feeling there is a mixture of taxes and the manufacturers or distributors setting costs. Although thats only my ill informed guess, not fact!

[Huw333]

I recently bought an LRP Sphere TC from a US seller on ebay (which turned out to be a genuine model shop). I was careful picking the seller though as you always should do with ebay.

The ESC was $200 + $30 postage (insured), approx £115 total. It took about a week and a half to arrive and obviously when it got here i was charged import duty and parcel force handling charge (which is a ridiculous amount in my opinion) which came to about £20.

Total = £135

I cant really comment on reliability or repair support etc. but i guess that is the risk with importing.

[Mike Hudson]

Personally I woudn't take the risk of it breaking and having to send it back to the US with all the shipping charges and not knowing if the place it's from is reliable, for the extra odd £35 to get one from the UK from a good modelshop and have the free uk warrenty i think is much better and safer than having all the hassle with buying from the US

[DaveG28]

You just have to make a choice at the end of the day, which is a pain as I often agonise! I can get an LRP sphere speedo and 5.5 motor for £140 from a place I know is good in the US, not pay shipping (I am lucky as I have family travelling there a lot) and I think thats just below the customs amount too, and in the uk thats £215 of kit as far as I can see.

So I tend to gamble, I make back the price of a full set for every 2 that I buy, if less than 1 in 2 break during the warranty I win, if more than 1 in 2 break I lose!

Having said that, I have never tried to actually ship stuff over here from the US for anything I could get in the uk, reason being by the time you add shipping/import duties, its the same price just about anyway, and at that point may as well get that UK warranty! I just get away with having things picked up for me over there.

One alternative is the far east ebay sellers (I use Tamiya's so know of a few of them) where they seem to hardly ever get stung for import (not sure if its due to dodgy forms at their end!?), and shipping is dirt cheap! However, again you need a reliable store, and also you need to watch for quirks (like 40mhz bandings being different in Hong Kong so receivers won't always work etc).

Whichever you choose though mate, good luck with it and hope nothing breaks anyway because even with a warranty its a !

Dave

[stulec52]

Got a friend visiting the States or Canada on holiday?
have them pick you one up, and bring it back.
We always used to do that at our local club.
Although now I live in Canada, so I get the sweeeet deals by just going into the local store !
If you want something specific I can certainly go get one and send it out, or can recommend some good US and Can dealers.
Start with Stormer Hobbies, you can't go wrong there.

[rcluke]

I use rcmart, and they have decent prices, and are good on returns. Plus the postage is only normally a week.