Unplggd has two articles on shopping for cheap tech in Asian markets and how to haggle down the price on the stuff you want.
Do your research. One of the first steps in haggling over a sale in Asia is to do proper research before making a purchase. It’s easy to find out what the retail prices and market value prices of items are in Asia beforehand. For example, you can check out the listings on Yahoo! Auctions in Taiwan. I use Google Translate to get an idea what a page says.
Yahoo! is really big in Asia, bigger than eBay in my opinion. Almost everyone uses Yahoo! including Asian retailers and vendors. They aren’t really used as auctions per se, but rather as an e-commerce site. These auction lists give you an idea of how much an item retails at different vendors. These prices are almost always lower than the retail price. I’ve bought cell phones, laptops and desktop computers this way. I just call up the retailers and get their location.
Bring a local. The best way to get a better deal is to go with a local friend or acquaintance. They will be able to haggle better and faster than you ever will. However, they do need to know a bit about what you want.
How To… Take Advantage of Technology Markets in Asia
How To… Haggle in Asian Technology Markets
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