Buying items overseas

Thanksgiving in the US is near and that means Black Friday is just right behind. That means sales and discounts on a lot of goodies. But here, we're going to talk about electronic goodies.

It is not surprising then that we will have Filipino expats abroad who will also take advantage of this moment for some hi-tech pasalubong. While Filipino retailers would rather you spend your money here in the Philippines than from some store in the United States, we're still willing to help out and give some advice.

Usually, you won't have much trouble getting your new TV, oven, computer or entertainment system to work here in the Philippines. We share the same power cord jack as the United States and the differences in voltage can be solved with the use of voltage transformers. 

In most cases, the biggest problem for any electronics product is the warranty. If a product breaks down, you would be lucky if you found a brand with a wide-reaching global presence. So, do consider if there is a global warranty and whether it will be answered for in the Asia-Pacific region. There are international brands such as HP or Dell who may have models targeted only for specific countries and continents. As such, the warranty may not be supported in the Philippines. In that case, you may have to send the defective item all the way back to the country of origin or just give it up entirely if you figure it would be too costly.

While you won't have any problems using your laptop, game console or TV, we do discourage the choice of computer printers to take home. The typical problem for printers is that some models are marketed only in the region where you purchased the unit. As such, they may use ink cartridges different from the models marketed locally. The ink cartridges may not be available locally and you will have to ask your expat friend or relative to buy you some buffer stock. In some cases, the manufacturer may be willing to order for you but the cost of doing so will be discouraging. Some have resorted to having a CISS (continuous ink supply system) in resolving their cartridge problem.

Lastly, you may want to compare prices of items that you want with what is available locally. If the discounted price is not so far of, you may just want to take your family to Duty Free instead. Also, do consider the cost of shipping and the possibility the Bureau of Customs may want to evaluate the goods if they find reason to do so. I've had a few acquaintances where their items are held up at the BOC to be assessed.

There is plenty to take advantage of in Black Friday, you just have to know what you're shopping for.

For tips on Black Friday shopping see: 10 Black Friday Shopping Tips by blankpixel