[Artyom]

Guys please suggest what to buy from Canada as parents are traveling and will be there till Jan next year . Black Friday, Cyber Monday,Christmas,New Year all lined up so want to make the best of it.

[charanreddy]

Originally Posted by chanz2015

From Germany:

Fellow Berliner here ! Hello !!

My 2 Cents.

Apple Mobiles / Apple Watches / Laptops: US.

I got most of my high ticket purchases from US including iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple Watch. Not only were they 20%+ cheaper , the Apple care packages are economical too. For example I got my Apple care plus for the iPhone at 200 dollars flat vs Rs. 27000 in India. For Apple care purchased in India , we need to pay Rs.7000 per instance where we use the service. This is not needed for the US packages.

Liquor: Super cheap in Europe.

For clothes and shoes, I felt India is better. Amazon and Flipkart offer decent quality products at great prices vs in Europe.

These days I find that most products regardless of where you buy are all Chinese made

[qaqa]

What I love doing is picking up local food and drink - snacks, cheeses, wines, liquers.. The more unusual the better ! Whenever my sister visits from the US, she takes pains to find and get the most unusual eatables she can get her hands on, and it's a complete delight !

The only other thing that I do buy overseas is quality cold weather clothing. We just don't get good stuff in India.

Everything else, I have found it better to buy in India.

[sukhbirST]

My wife and daughter bought clothes from our last trip to Thailand and they were a lot cheaper. Few things like Apple products, electronics etc are around 10 to 20 percent cheap in middle east. Gold maybe cheaper by 10% but you get good western designs apart from assurance of purity. Rest are more drawing room items like Papyrus painting from Egypt, crystal ware from east Europe, local liquor products etc.
Next study in advance, like you get vat refund (remember to keep bills and slips) at airport in Singapore etc. Be careful about free gifts (ex-bowls with microwave) as they may be delivered/collected at other place or sent to home but require local address.
Buy (electronics) only those things that will give warranty in India. In middle east you can buy and keep slips to collect in the end (easy to carry and transport)
If buying liquor from airport on return, remember domestic flights (connecting through) do not allow them to be carried in flight.
Understand foreign currency limits though dollar is accepted all over. Indian currency is easily accepted in middle east. Late night shopping may be a pain as last minute currency exchanges can make you run around. Also bank holidays, working hours should be noted down. Good credit cards are best in emergency. You may message me for any specific country doubt if you have.

[RevItUp]

Originally Posted by Sebring

I buy my helmets abroad. That's my only indulgence. Picked up a new Arai open face from Singapore. It's not exactly cheap but then considering the ban in India it's worth it. I won't compromise on safety. My previous one is from Australia, but my friend mentioned that Thailand is a dream spot for biking accessories. He picked up an Arai at a considerable discount just a month back.

Hey, where did you get the Arai from in singapore? Any places you can direct me to? Will be visiting next month. Looking for a tour cross/XD4. TIA

[mmxylorider]

1. Formal shoes from India. Aside from the fact that one can get custom made footwear quite affordably, branded ones are a lot cheaper in India. I have been wearing LeeCoopers for over couple of decades now.
2. Tool Kits etc: Space permitting, the variety and cost range is mind-boggling in the states. If you are DIY enthusiast it's candyland.
3. Books - for the readers, it's much easier to find and procure books that are very hard to find in India.

[vibbs]

A bit of the other side for me. As an NRI, I normally keep my shopping for when I visit India. Especially for clothing.

Unless it's something we don't get in India. Like a few years back I bought my Ultraboost from Singapore at a time when it was not yet available in India and when it was available it was more expensive.

My observation has been that items imported into India are generally more expensive than in Singapore.

[ajmat]

For duty free refunds, one thing to remember is that the queues to scrutinise checked in items could be time consuming. Focus on refunds for smaller high value items which can be carried on and checked airside after immigration.

Even the Heathrow Customs told me this

[Sebring]

Over there its Chiap Lee. I did not have time to personally go so my driver fetched it in my size

Originally Posted by RevItUp

Hey, where did you get the Arai from in singapore? Any places you can direct me to? Will be visiting next month. Looking for a tour cross/XD4. TIA

[TG208011]

I recently got the chance to get something from UK through a family member. Upon looking up the typical buy from abroad stuff like phones and gaming consoles, I came to the conclusion that the stuff which is officially sold by the manufacturer in both the Indian and uk markets cost more or less the same due to high taxes in both the regions. However, there are many niche items available in UK and not in India, unless you go to the import route and are ready to pay about 2x or 3x of the original cost. For example, an iPhone 14 costs about 70k INR both in India and UK, so it doesn’t make sense to buy it from UK and carry it all the way to India even if there is a minor cost difference. But, items like Lego Technic sets which are mostly only imported in India are a lot cheaper in UK, I got the Lego Technic Ford GT from UK Amazon for about 8k whereas it would have set me back around 15k in India.

So I would suggest you to get something which isn’t natively sold in India or is substantially cheaper abroad.

[GTO]

Mod Note: In line with Rule #11, please avoid any & all posts on alcohol. Thanks for the support & understanding

[UD17]

Originally Posted by Artyom

Guys please suggest what to buy from Canada as parents are traveling and will be there till Jan next year . Black Friday, Cyber Monday,Christmas,New Year all lined up so want to make the best of it.

Sorry for late reply, Items i am considering buying from Canada:

1. Lego sets for kids
2. Stationary, art and craft, innovative stuff for project building and DIY
3. Go Pro 14 black (budget remaining)
4. Camera (mirrorless) + lens and battery (depends on deal)
5. Some Automobile stuff from Canadian Tyres
6. Some good winter jackets
7. Chocolates and other munchies from wall mart

[gnome]

US is my go-to place for shopping - always bring an extra bag back! Be it electronics, branded clothes and shoes, toys or packed food. Few reasons it's my favorite: sheer variety, best quality and easy returns. Keep an eye for discounts and it'll also be the best possible prices. e.g. I got a Roomba at less than half India price (supports 220V charging).

[Sebring]

Go Pro is on 11 right now. Maybe in 2026

Originally Posted by UD17

Go Pro 14 black (budget remaining)

[UD17]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Go Pro is on 11 right now. Maybe in 2026

Thanks for correction.

My head was on iPhone 14 so could have missed it. Yes indeed Go Pro Hero 11