Making the most of a strong AUD - eg: buy Dell through Singapore

LMrDixit on 25/10/2010 - 12:54

Wassup homies - long time lurker, first time post.

Just bought a computer for my parents, but discovered that if you buy from the Dell Sinapore website you get roughly the same price except in Singapore dollars (ie: if something would cost AUD$100, Singapore is charging SIN$100). With the exchange rate the way it is today, absolute freakin bargain (if you have a local contact in Singapore).

So I was wondering - have other people found ways to make the most of the exchange rate? So far I'm mainly hitting up bookdepository.co.uk, and maybe buying more from dealextreme.com than I used to, even bought a family board game from an Italian manufacturer website (20 euros shipped while cheapest in Aust was about AUD$45 shipped).

Any other ideas on how to exploit global economic woes?

Cheers,
MrDixit

General Discussion

Comments

  • neil on 25/10/2010 - 13:29

    One strategy if you don't know what you want but probably want something in the future is to buy gift cards/gift certificates.

  • slowmo on 25/10/2010 - 13:50

    not good to go dell.sg because of few factors (I know because I often compare them)
    1) dell always adjusts for currency changes somehow, the pricing will not be too far off
    2) the specs between sg and au are different, so you pay less but you might end up with less to begin with.
    3) power plugs are different thus you need to factor the cost
    4) last i checked, they deliver only to sg addresses only.
    5) warrenty is quite limited and different, afaik, i think the warranty in au covers theft, but the warranty in sg covers accidental damage… mutually exclusive :(

  • camelgrass on 25/10/2010 - 16:35

    The Dell US site seems to be just as good value or even better than the Dell Singapore site.

    It's also much easier to ship form the US with the abundance of US mail forwarders.

    Also, I believe Dell warranty is also valid internationally if you buy at least a 3 year warranty

    Australian power lead is cheap e.g.:
    http://dicksmith.com.au/product/W1360/mains-lead-figure-8

    • bbear on 25/10/2010 - 17:09

      or even cheaper you can buy the universal plug adaptors/power boards. my dad bought heaps of them from malaysia and im using plugs from australia, malaysia (same as uk) and those two pin round plugs. i told my dad to get a belkin 8 plug power surge protector because it was MYR199 whereas you can get it here for the price but in AUD.

      my uncle in malaysia suggested to install some of the powerpoints to the malaysia/uk type, wouldn't that be illegal?

      forgot to add: only thing you need to consider is the voltages that the country uses

      • camelgrass on 25/10/2010 - 17:41

        Voltages shouldn't be a problem with laptops, the transformer in the power pack will auto-adjust to local voltage.

        I also just found out that any Dell warranty is valid internationally as long as you complete the Dell online Global Warranty Transfer.

        • Davo1111 on 26/10/2010 - 02:15

          as per what camelgrass said. Most transformers will have a voltage range like 110-250v. They will operate fine within those voltages, all you need to do is read the info on the power brick.

          Then just throw it into a $5 plug converter

      • retiredfeline on 26/10/2010 - 08:27

        Yes, it's probably illegal to install non-approved powerpoints.

      • slowmo on 26/10/2010 - 16:30

        voltage is not an issue, I am using a dell (sg) laptop as my backup. :)

        the only problem would be the costs/specs/warranty factor I listed in my 1st reply.

        btw, afaik, warranty for most laptop brands is never international after the 1st year. so better check with dell.com.au if they are willing to honour it.

        • camelgrass on 26/10/2010 - 18:37

          As I have already stated in my post above (and yes I have checked with Dell Australia) any Dell warranty is valid internationally as long as you complete the Dell online Global Warranty Transfer.

          There is absolutely no good reason not to import a Dell especially when you are saving up to 50% from Dell USA compared to Dell Australia prices.

  • Davo1111 on 26/10/2010 - 02:18

    Also, you need to pay tax on anything over $1000 AUD

    http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/990206

    • slowmo on 26/10/2010 - 16:32

      yep. tax is for sure. :)

      also insurance for the freight too.

  • MrDixit on 26/10/2010 - 20:51

    Thanks for the tips - already bought the poota, don't need to worry about delivery, tax etc because I have a local connection. Curious about whether other people are exploiting the currency.

  • EnALup on 27/10/2010 - 10:32

    Can we get DEll or IBM laptops purchases from US and then delivered in Australia without importing duties.
    and if there are duties, anyone has any idea, how much?
    Is it worth it? IBM thinkpads comes with global warranty and they are much cheaper in US than in Australia or rest of the world.

    • scotty on 27/10/2010 - 13:15

      Found it here (after bouncing around the government sites):

      If you are receiving your goods via the post you are considered the importer of those goods and these may be subject to Customs duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST).

      Generally, all goods imported into Australia are subject to Customs duty and GST and are assessed for community protection risks. However, all goods (except for tobacco and alcoholic beverages) may be imported duty and tax free if the value of the goods is A$1000 or less.

      This is also a useful page — When buying over Internet which has example of how duty + GST is calculated.

      Edit: Looks complicated — something I would only want to waste my time with if I am importing a large quantity. Might have to stick to computers $1,000 or less.

  • Trance N Dance on 27/10/2010 - 18:41

    Not anymore…. dollar just went back down to 97ish cents. After lower than expected CPI figures were released. :'(

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