What should I do

[arucard_esp]

Hello people!

I will be going to Shanghai next September and I would like to purchase me a new digital camera. I really don't know how the prices are there.

For example here the Canon Digital Ixus 970 IS is about 270€, would this one be much cheaper in Shanghai? It is just to know to wait to buy me a camera untill september or not....

Thank you very much in advance!

[Fine Thanks]

Hey.

You should check out New Egg's Canon Prices. It's an online order/delivery thing here in Shanghai, I use it a lot - very reliable. These prices are good, but you could probably expect to cut a few hundred kuai off the price if you go out, find it and bargain for it.

[monto]

http://product.it168.com/detail/doc/168791/index.shtml

Here they quote RMB 2290, So may be a little higher in shops.

[adrianlondon]

When I did some research into (albeit a bit more expensive) cameras in Beijing I learnt that ... most cameras were more expensive in China than in London. Some older model P&S cameras were the same price or slightly cheaper though.

If I were you, I'd check places like B&H Photo and ensure that it really is going to be cheaper in China, because buying it in the US means you can learn how to use it before you arrive, and hence start taking photos straight away.

[lemur]

I'm in a similar situation. I'm flying from the US to Taiwan in September. I'll be there for 9 months. I thought I would wait until I'm in Taiwan to buy a digital camera because it would be cheaper there. I have not researched it yet so I don't know whether my impression is correct.

[arucard_esp]

Thank you very much for al the fast replies!

I think I'm going to buy it now, because it doesn't seem to ve much cheaper.....

for saving me 30€ I prefer to buy it now and start using it!

[liuzhou]

Apart from Chinese made cameras, which you don't want anyway, Japanese digital cameras are about the same price here as in the west. Although they are usually made here, they are still classified as 'imports' and attract duty.

Another thing to consider is guarantees / warranties.

Buy at home.

[skylee]

Although they are usually made here, they are still classified as 'imports' and attract duty.

How come? Are they made in China, then shipped to Japan and then re-imported back to China? I am confused.

Some Kirin beers that are sold here are clearly marked that they were produced in Shenzhen, but then it is equally clearly marked that they were imported. I am really confused.

[liuzhou]

As far as I know they don't have to be physically exported and reimported, but they are considered to be "import" goods as they are branded as non-Chinese. They therefore attract the tax.

[cdn_in_bj]

How come? Are they made in China, then shipped to Japan and then re-imported back to China? I am confused.

A lot of products meant for export are made in factories located in tax-free zones. They apparently are quite strict about ensuring that these products don't make it onto the local markets. I can only guess that there's some avenue for getting these products sold locally, but they probably have to pay taxes as well as import duties in order to legitimately do so.

Some Kirin beers that are sold here are clearly marked that they were produced in Shenzhen, but then it is equally clearly marked that they were imported. I am really confused.

I've wondered this myself - are the bottles of Heineken, Corona, etc. that I see on store shelves here really imported? I'm confused as the label on the bottle says they're "produced" in Shanghai. In my quest to have a headache-free beer drinking experience, I've decided to stick with the imported stuff.

[roddy]

A lot of products meant for export are made in factories located in tax-free zones. They apparently are quite strict about ensuring that these products don't make it onto the local markets. I can only guess that there's some avenue for getting these products sold locally, but they probably have to pay taxes as well as import duties in order to legitimately do so.

Yep, tax breaks for export-orientated manufacturing. To reach the Chinese market legitimately taxes would have to be paid, either as they leave the 'bonded' (that's the word used in the UK) factory or warehouse where the normal tax rules won't apply for normal mainland retail channels, or as they re-enter the country after a trip abroad. Also possible of course is that the tax isn't paid and they become 水货。

As for Skylee's beer, I'm not sure if something moved from the mainland to Hong Kong would be classed as imported. You could also stretch a point and say that something moved from a tax-free zone to a pub has been imported as it'll have gone through a legal importation process. But it seems like cheating.

[skylee]

Actually I don't drink Kirin. I just find it irritating that the supermarket puts a little japan flag with "Imported" on it in front of the Shenzhen-produced Kirin beer. I drink Asahi and Yanjing.

[lilongyue]

I bought my Macbook here in China, and got a year long warranty from the place that sold it to me, but not from Apple. When I registered my Mac on the Apple website, it showed that is had been bought several months previously, presumably it was showing the date of purchase of company who sold it me. If you buy a digital camera in China, and you're only staying in China for a short time, you may find that your warranty expires a few months after getting back home. My Macbook was about $200.00 USD more than in the States, too. Frankly, I'm also a bit worried that genuine parts were swapped with cheap ones the two times I took it in for repairs. The BS I went through to get it repaired, and covered by the warranty, is a whole other story. Hope you don't need to get your camera repaired in China.