Importing TV from US

[humpty_dumpty]

Hi Friends,

Request you to plz help me understand the cost benefits of buying a 50+ inch LED/Plasma TV from US online and importing it to India. Sounds 30% customs and handling charges.. but would it be a bargain still?

I understand the hassles around delivery/faulty product/return policy etc etc. But then you are getting 50K bargain for 50+inches tvs..

any guidance plz???

With warm regards,
- Avadhut

 

[just4kix]

As long as you are Ok with the "cons" of the whole deal, then it is OK. You will need at the minimum a 230V to 110V step down transformers with the appropriate VA rating. But I suppose you know that.

You may also need a PAL to NTSC converter.

 

[humpty_dumpty]

Thanks just4kix,

Yes, I did make a note these points.. Few of these TVs have both PAL/NTSC compatibility with 240Hz specs.. expecially the 51"+ 3D LEDs or 65" DLP front tvs are a good steal abroad.. I checked out with few authorized dealers in US and they said they would assist in ensuring company warranty services established for the product bought outside India since many of them have international warranty..

I tried doing this with my sony hx9v and checked with local sony support.. There was a plastic coating around sd card slot and I dint notice it.. the support was excellent...whats more is I bought it for 14K inclusive of shipping whereas the showroom price of this product is around 17-18K in India.

The only risk is customs but then carriers like DHL/FedEx make it smoother with no hassles..

Anyone still recommends this go?

Thanks,
- Avadhut

 

[akd]

Hi Friends,

Request you to plz help me understand the cost benefits of buying a 50+ inch LED/Plasma TV from US online and importing it to India. Sounds 30% customs and handling charges.. but would it be a bargain still?

I understand the hassles around delivery/faulty product/return policy etc etc. But then you are getting 50K bargain for 50+inches tvs..

any guidance plz???

With warm regards,
- Avadhut

Why don't you buy it from India? there are whole lot of dealers of Sony,Samsung,LG,Panasonic etc. giving lucrative discounts. Consider the points

1.PAL/NTSC issue, I assume you overcome this

2.220V/120V issue, I assume you overcome this with a converter, but think whenever you are watching TV the transformer is running which is better avoided

3.What about support? I must admit in India at least when it comes to TVs very very few ppl have to worry abt installation,support,warranty,offer......these can't be replaced

4.International Shipping, trust me before shipping most of the carriers will come with all possible fancy words and its not impossible that ultimately you may have to wait for a month or bang your head in wall or making calls after calls. Moreover there are many many internal issues which we do not know

5.Import duties: another dark and uncertain area, even of you are legally correct you may have to pay extra which now you can't anticipate.

My verdict is unless the product is not available in India, you can die for it, its a portable stuff costing less than 10K one should think clearly what may lie ahead

My suggestion is pay a few grands extra but get a hassle free delivery and installation, ensure the purchase with proper support and just enjoy instead of saving a few thousands and exploring import-customs-international shipping-AWB....., take these as suggestions rest up to you

my 2 cents

The only risk is customs but then carriers like DHL/FedEx make it smoother with no hassles..

how do you know that? do you know how DHL works in "international" mode in India? I have previous experience, you may not experience the same, please get the info, if you ask me I wud say: generally the foreign carriers work reasonably fast with promptness and responsibility, but ultimately in many cases they forward it to Indian carrier after entering the country and the horror film starts now! just get enough info and first convince yourself

 

[humpty_dumpty]

wow akd..thanks mate..good points..

and liked the transformer point.. imagined myself sitting next to a film camera against a 35mm screen with that typical noise ...

Indeed, this could be a problem.. for shipping you can always turn down the delivery if it is not DHL.. I've bought 4 heavy items (above 20 kgs) so far and 1 camera (all of them received from DHL with no issues)..dont think that is an issue these days but then yes, point well taken and worth thinking..

I was referring to 75" LaserVue or even 60/65" 3D DLP tv sets as they dont come in India.. and looking at their prices (except LaserVue) you get 60-65" DLPs for 1K-1.5K.. worth a bargain again.

You are very much correct since there absolutely is no use mugging ur head against this risk provided money is no constraint across ... Thanks for the inputs.

 

[just4kix]

I would myself be very averse to import a large item like TV. If I indeed import something I would like it work flawless without a lot of gizmos attached (transformers, voltage converters, etc.). It is not about the value of the item.

So while I will gladly import a projector or a blu-ray player, I am little wary of oversize items.

 

[avpatil]

Hi,

Any Sharp TV will work in Inda. I have 3 Sharp TV that I have brought over 3 years and all of them work. If you go for 55" size then there is substantial saving even if you have to transport, pay customs etc. I recently bougy 60" TV in US for around $2200, while in India the same is around 400,000. So you can see how much difference exist.

I can arrange for all this, if you need help. Sharp TV can get reapired in India, but nornally nothing happens to them. You can buy good stabilizer and if possiblebuy Monster reference power.

Arvind Patil

 

[Kittu]

Hi,

Any Sharp TV will work in Inda. I have 3 Sharp TV that I have brought over 3 years and all of them work. If you go for 55" size then there is substantial saving even if you have to transport, pay customs etc. I recently bougy 60" TV in US for around $2200, while in India the same is around 400,000. So you can see how much difference exist.

I can arrange for all this, if you need help. Sharp TV can get reapired in India, but nornally nothing happens to them. You can buy good stabilizer and if possiblebuy Monster reference power.

Arvind Patil

Which models did u import?

 

[humpty_dumpty]

Thanks AVP...

Indeed, thats the only thing that is tempting me since am getting a 75" LaserVue TV for 3K USD... Well I guess inclusive of everything it will be 4K till it lands in my hand but then u will surely not get it here at that price..

 

[gr87ish]

@Humpty Dumpty, I'm tempted to buy the laservue too. Its a great TV covering 80% of the visible light gamut where other TV reach just 40%. And DLP has its other advantages too.

I'm planning to import one, but where are you getting a deal for 3K? The best deal I've found is for 3.6K USD here L75-A94 | Mitsubishi LaserVue L75-A94 Projection TV | America's best price

Thanks,

 

[manoj.p]

That mitsu is a projection TV. Just keep in mind that its going to be huge and heavy (157 lb). Dont know how much will be shipping for it.

 

[GeorgeO]

My nephew's plasma( imported from the US) is working ok using a step down trafo.

 

[niv]

It looks like LG TV also has 120/240V 60/50hz inputs as per manual.. you don't need transformer if you buy one of those..

55" LW5600 (which is betterthan 5700 what you get in India) cost $1.4K vs. Rs. 1.5Lk in India.. I was looking for this TV sometime back.. but my friend container already shipped by the time I decided.. :-(

 

[girish123]

On similar lines,, Please help
I am relocating to India from Canada and want to take my Sony LCD and Panasonic Plasma TVs... How can i make them work in India considering PAL formate and voltage difference

 

[NetFreak]

Dont worry about voltage (and frequency) for LCD/LED/Plasma.

Reason is these TVs work on DC power. SMPS in these TVs can accept voltage from 90V to 240V and 50/60 Hz of frequency.

And if you are planning to use a STB from Satellite/Cable provider, you can choose output from your STB to match the TV.