Singapore Travel Forum

is it generally cheaper to buy electronic products eg camera, MP3 in singapore than western countries and are the retailers reliable?

Best Buy, Circuit city, Staples have prices as good as, or better than anything you will find in Asia. Second problem, Warranties are often not easy to get enforced outside the originating country. Third, will it have an english manual, or Chinese? Buy your camera at home so you can take a lot of pictures along the way and not be in a position where you can't find a good buy in Asia, as the Kodak moments pass.

just advices, how if you go to batam island, located not far from singapore ( south of singapore 20 till 30 km ).there, you can electronic products.the prices lower than singapore, "the prices" will guarantee that . just try.... remember, singapore and batam are different country...

Hi there,
It's a good idea to buy electronic goods in Singapore. Make sure you get a copy of Singapore Tourism Board's guide(at the airport) on shopping in Singapore and other activities happening during the month - it gives a comprehensive list of trustworthy shops e.g. shops with CASETRUST stickers to signify the trustworthiness.I don't know about shops in Batam, Indonesia selling at a lower price than Singapore. Since you are a tourist, you try to ask for International Warranty which is provided by some brands. Although prices are generally "fixed", you can still ask for a discount and remember you can get a refund of your GTS (7%) at the airport( you are a visitor ) - so keep all your receipts. If you can try to shop in Singapore during the Great Singapore Sale - usually during the month of June. Almost the whole country is on sale!!!Happy shopping in Singapore.
Tien from Singapore

If you are from Canada, Europe, Australia or New Zealand, it may be cheaper to buy in Singapore. If you are from US, it's cheaper in US.

Prices in Singapore can be competitive, but do know the price of the same item in your home country as well to avoid getting burned.

For Batam, many of the branded electronics actually come from Singapore. IMHO, the cheaper items in Batam, like in Thailand and Vietnam, are usually that of imitation electronics and cheap Chinese knockoffs such as super fake looking iPods.

Just my 2 cents.... :-)

Some shops in Sim Lim Square (one of the largest electronics complex in Singapore) are known for fleecing tourists. Their bad attitude has been reflected even by locals who write in to the press. You have a better bet at Funan Centre (alight at City Hall metro station, you won't miss it).

cheers mates! thanks for all ya help. it was great coming back to sgp again, although i cant say the same for the hot hot weather..
couldnt find those shops you mentioned. Staples, Best City..? Totally skipped Batam and Sim Lims. I went to Funan but found a better deal at this store called Audio House in the mall along the Singapore River.. it had the CaseTrust sign and money back guarantee.

Thanks Guys!