Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The Floating World]

Was with my friend in Busan.

This week he wanted ot simply buy a 500gb external hd.

The best buy was in the amsung store, an M2 500gb ex hd for 88,000.

All the other brands and other stores were more expensive.

We went to the big Lotte dept store hoping they might e able to beat the actual Samsung storeprice but they were selling the Samasung 320gb hs for 99,000.

We then went to the big 'Computer and electronics DISCOUNT market' in Jungang-dong. It's the eqvt of technomart in Busan.

They had the 500gb M2. We told him they have them in the Samsung store up the street for 88k. Him now knowing that, my friend asked him how much he was charging (hoping he'd undercut for a small amount to gain his custom.) He told us 120,000. I said, 'you do realise the SAME hd is only 88k at theSamsung store?' He replied he did. We went to the stall next to him and had the same conversation (he's also overhead us talking with the previous guy) and he said 130,000k!

So next day we went back to the Samsung store to buy. They were out of stock!

We go back to the 'discount' market and ask how much today and he says now 110,000k. My mate said, 'come on, they're only 88k in the Samsung store!'

He said

'Yes but they are out of stock now.'

Mofos had gone and bought out the Samsung stock (a hunch, I can't prove it, but the fact that he knew and the crud eating grin on his face kinda tips it that way) to sell them at a higher price at a DISCOUNT MARKET.

[eamo]

This is why I've been ordering online for the past 7 years.

Korean computer part vendors in places like you describe or Yongsan in Seoul are either ignorant, cheats, obtuse, or all 3.

We westerners see a kind of market-place style environment in somewhere like Yongsan and think this is the place to get a bargain.....sorry. Opposite in Korea. They're sharks who need to make a big margin on everything they sell to survive.

Stick with online. Best prices and best return policies.......plus you don't have to wear out shoe leather dealing with a bunch of sleazy no-nothings who think every foreigner is a shafting opportunity. (to be fair, they'd shaft Koreans just as quickly).

[ttompatz]

You are also aware that HDD production worldwide has ground to a halt since 2 or 3 of the major component factories are under water in Thailand (Western Digital being one of the bigger ones).

I went to buy another 2GB HDD the other day and was quoted 300k won.

EVERYWHERE else was either out of stock or holding stock for people buying a full computer system and not just parts.

Good luck to you in your search.

.

[Lazio]

You could have saved yourself from all this trouble and order from the comfort of your chair. http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=217861988&pos_shop_cd=EN&pos_class_cd=90000003&pos_class_kind=T

I just linked the first thing I saw under 90k. There could be cheaper ones.

[spanky1off]

they probably didnt know they were so cheap (relatively speaking) at samsung til u did them a massive favour and told them!

anyway just so your aware be prepared to pay over 100% more than 2 months ago as ttompatz pointed out the thailand floods have pretty much stopped hdd production worldwide (including malaysia and china) due to hhd factory floods and in particular one hdd component manufactor Nidec who makes over 80% of all hdd motors!

crazy situation. and its gonna take months before prices start to drop again.

probably not news you wanted to hear. sucks for me too but can only think to ride this one out.

[The Floating World]

So you guys are saying the Samsung ones are made in Thailand also?

[spanky1off]

dunno mate i know western digital lost 60% but samsung ive no idea...just i read ALL manufacturing of hds were now bottlenecked by the lack of motors being produced by the flood hit company that produces them. so whether your manufacturingis in thailand or not ur not making enough to meet demand. supply n demand economics.

ive also read theres soon to be only 2 manufacturers of hdd as samsung has just had their hdd business bought out? and seagate just got bought by western digital. i dont like the sound of this at all.

[phatrick]

If you don't want to buy online then you need to go to the actual computer market here in Busan. It can be a hit or miss though, you need to research what you want first. I usually am able to pick up the things I want for about 5k more than online. The two are located in Myeongnyun-dong and Gaya.

But yes HD are much more expensive these days!

[pkang0202]

Also,

Samsung's Hard Drive division is going to go bye bye in a month or 2. Seagate bought it last summer.

That means Samsung is soon going to cease production of all their Hard Drives and just try to clear out all of their inventory. That nice Samsung External drive's warranty is going to be useless in a month.

go buy Seagate GoFlex drives.

[ttompatz]

[harryh]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ8HjDRrHt0

Relevant, and it was filmed in my home town Feltham, Middlesex.

[wuzza]

Was in Costco the other day and they had 320GB for 59,000.
Can't be sure of the price for 500GB but coulda swore it was around 80K.
2 TB was 130K.