Will you continue to order from oversea to save a few dollar?

[dealgrabber2002]

I just ordered 2 items from oversea and now I am very hesitance to order from them again. Here is what happened...

I ordered 2 items from them. It took 1-3 days "in process", then I have to wait 1-2 weeks for the product to arrive. Then they shipped me one item that DOA.

Now I have to contact them regarding the item that was DOA, take picture and upload it, wait for their reply, then I response to their reply. Then I have to ship it back to HK. Wait for 1-2 weeks for them to receive and inspect it. Then if everything is okay... they ship a new item to me... another 1-2 weeks of waiting...

It just takes too long.

Do you think it's worth the hassles to save a few dollar?

 

[sygyzy]

I am not sure if you are trying to bait or what ...

You had a bad experience. Most of us don't. The way you word it makes it sound like every overseas experience is poor and we put up with it to "save a buck"

Sometimes a foreign dealer is the only one that has what I want. Don't turn your frugality into a blanket statement.

 

[RA40]

Define "few dollar"?

Warranty issues are a problem...the hassle of going back forth just ate away any savings and now are using much of your time.

For me, it has to be an significant difference. This last round, I bought some bicycle tires and handlebars. The overseas prices were nearly half of what I could find stateside in spite of the lousy $. The shipping was quick too, reached me in exactly 7 days. Depending on the item if it needs service I might try locally but otherwise, time to move on.

 

[Jaybird]

The way I see it is that anybody who orders something overseas KNOWS that they are taking a chance. Sure you might be able to save some money but that's the trade-off. Before you click the 'accept' button on overseas orders you have to be open to the fact that an item might be DOA, broken, defective, etc... upon arrival and it might have to be sent back at your expense.

If it arrives 100% then you've received a great deal. If it doesn't... would a few extra bucks have been worth it to you (as insurance) to buy it from local dealer and get quicker service?

I guess it's a personal choice we all have to make.

:thinking:

 

[2xTrinity]

When it comes to buying complete products, I will often pay more and buy them locally in order to save time, and in case something goes wrong, be able to do something about it (not send it away for weeks and weeks on a worldwide round trip for warranty service).

However, If I'm buying raw parts, or hobby equipment that isn't crtically important for me (but still a potentially big money pit...) I will usually find the cheapest price I can overseas. For many items I can buy them for 1/3rd the price. In which case I usually buy two, use the one that works best, and use the other as a source of spare parts, and still come out ahead.

However, if it's something I need to do real work, wasted time is usually more valuable than a few bucks if something goes wrong. For a hobby, "fixing stuff up" myself is often part of the fun.

 

[dealgrabber2002]

I am not sure if you are trying to bait or what ...

You had a bad experience. Most of us don't. The way you word it makes it sound like every overseas experience is poor and we put up with it to "save a buck"

Sometimes a foreign dealer is the only one that has what I want. Don't turn your frugality into a blanket statement.

Not trying to bait in no way or form. The prices the have are cheaper than other suppliers I checked. I have mix emotions whether to continue to buy from them knowing it might take a month to solve a problem if what I received is broken or not what I ordered.

On a average their price is about $3-4 dollar cheaper than it's competitor, sometimes a bit more. I found myself checking their website for new products quite often, but whenever I saw something I like and want to order from them, I got that "what if" running in head.

I by no mean stating all oversea companies are like that. I am sorry if I didn't expressed myself clearly in my OP.

 

[Black Rose]

With the exception of one North American retailer, I really have no choice but to order from overseas since "they" are the only ones that carry the drivers, empty pills, etc. I use for modding.

I have yet to get a dud (knock on wood) in the 6 orders I've placed from overseas.

As far as buying complete lights, I stick mainly to North American vendors if the $$$ difference (shipping included) is within $5.00.