Korean Job Discussion Forums

[zakuta]

Hi folks,

The topic explains it all! Is it possible to buy a laptop online in on Black Friday & get it shipped to Korea? Possibilities/Disadvantages?

[asparker]

It's definitely possible.

Advantages:

Computer prices in Korea tend to be higher than in the US.
You will get a computer pre-installed with English software.

Disadvantages:

Not all companies will ship abroad.
Warranties won't always cover you abroad.
Shipping will be more expensive
You may need to pay a customs tax. (I think computers are duty free in Korea but you'll still need to pay about a 7-10% VAT.)
With the way the exchange rate is these days, if you're paid in won, transferring that to dollars in order to buy something in the US might not end up saving you any money.

The bottom line?
If you want an English language computer and don't feel like dealing/negotiating with the people at computer stores in Korea, it's not a bad idea. Customs taxes suck but there are ways to get around them. i.e. Have the computer shipped to a friend or family member instead of to Korea and have that person repack it and forward it here marking 'gift' on the shipping label.

Good luck!

[zakuta]

asparker, thanks for the generous advice. The idea of a gift will definitely work against custom duties as i have heard this before. The only disadvantage i see is converting my WON into $, it probably ends up the same as buying from Korea.
It just sucks to see Laptops here so damn expensive & no discounts or sales such as Black Friday, specially pathetic Samsung & LG Notebooks selling SO expensive (not to forget the out of budget MAC's).

Thanks for the advice, guess it will NOT workout even if someone pays for me back home as i would have to repay in $'s

[asparker]

Just for fun, I checked out Dell's prices online in the US and their online prices in Korea. The base XPS M1330 on the US site is $949 or 1,424,288 won according to Google. The base XPS M1330 on the Korean site is 1,538,900 won. Neither of those were sale prices or anything.

I didn't check exact specs or anything so I'm not sure if it's a fair comparison or not but if you found a really good deal you may still be able to save money even with the crappy exchange rate. Do a little research and see what you can find. I'd be interested in the results.

[Temporary]

Actually it will work out.. By a ASUS notebook or a Dell I believe they have international warranty. Just label it as used when you ship it.

Also with Dell there are TONS of discount coupons floating on the web.