I just got back from a trip to Hongkong and I have learned another lesson when going abroad. Be sure to check the goods that you buy because there is no way to return for a refund of replacement. There were the cheap USB sticks that were being sold in the flea market for less than a dollar (USD) which my husband instantly declared them to be fake. When we asked if there is way to test the USB, the vendor said the USB sticks are guaranteed to work but no laptop or desktop to test them. In the farther portion of the flea market, we bought some t-shirts and had a good chat with the English-speaking vendor who whispered that those USB sticks are indeed not working, just for decoration. So there, especially with electronic items, be sure to test them fully before purchasing.
I agree. For more official stores the risk is way less though those stores have a much better chance of having testers or allowing e customer to test items out before buying them. I'd say the best bet is to just buy electronics from official stores as much as possible regardless of how cheap sidewalk vendor products may be because in the end you'll end up losing much more money if it turns out that those products are just paper weight because they won't function the way you need them to.
I saw some computer monitors for sale in a thrift store yesterday. However, none of them were hooked up and working. I would hate to buy one, and find it to be non functional. The clerk said you would have 5 days to bring it back, but that you would not get a refund, just store credit...Huh? I don't think so. However, some of the monitors were not that expensive...so that might not have been a big deal...I bought a telescope from there once, that was not that cheap and was missing a lens! So...I would rather not buy hardware or electronics secondhand.
I peronally agree that it is best not to buy mot electronics at a thrift shop, especially things that can malfunction easily, or can go out of date to where they no longer work with the current model of gadget they are used with. As an example, there are usually a lot of older speaker models that are designed for charging an iPhone or iPad, while playing music, and even with a clock to wake you up in the morning. However, the newer iPads and iPhones have a different connection; so even though these speakers would still work fine, they would only work with the older models and not with the newer ones. I myself did get one of these older models; but what i intend to do is use a little connective cord between the iPad and the speakers so that they will play from the iPad and I can use them for when we want an outdoor speaker by the back yard and swimming pool.
There have been constant complaints of people who by cheap goods in bulk online, which when received, some of the items are deemed to be defective or useless. In some instances, the buyer may have to absorb the loss because it may be too much of a hassle to return the items. Buying the goods in a situation where you may be able physically to inspect the item to satisfy yourself of its suitability should be an opportunity that you should exploit to the maximum thus saving you from any undue grief.
While it may be bad to group all the vendors together, it's important to have an important rule of thumb. When you're buying electronics in a flee market, from someone who's especially selling in bulk, make sure to test the product. If the vendor says that he has no means of testing the product, despite trying to assure you that it's working, then he's most likely lying and the products truly do not work.
Well, I guess that's one lesson that you should learn when buying electronics from flea markets, don't trust the quality immediately, especially if the price of the item is lower than the prices of other stores. Because chances are the item might be faulty.
This is also one of my main concerns when it comes to gadgets. As much as possible, I would always prefer to buy locally from a trusted physical store even if the price is a bit more expensive rather than buy the cheaper ones from a store I don't have any idea of. This is most especially true when it comes to online buying because you can't really inspect the item yourself.
My sister bought a laptop for my brother at a Dubai mall during a huge pre-Ramadan sale. She brought it home after six months during which time my brother discovered that the laptop needed servicing despite not being used all those months. Fortunately, it was an HP laptop and they have service centers in our country. Since it was still under warranty, the unit was repaired free of charge in spite the fact that it wasn't bought at local shops. That is one huge advantage of buying gadgets or products from global brands like HP.
You should at least have been suspicious that the USB sticks were priced really low, when right now the cheapest ones are around $4 and those are the Class 4 ones. And you're shopping in a country where fake items abound, so you should always be wary of getting a shady deal, aside from making it a point to test the item first.
Buying gadgets abroad is not really practical for me because you have to spend money to open line it to your country to make it compatible. I still regret buying that imported 1 terabyte hard disk from Slovakia because it is not compatible to the PC's from my country.
Yes because most people selling in countries and places like these intend to make a profit by scamming people with fake or not working items. This is the case especially nowadays when the economy is gone to ruins and people feel they have no other option but do things like this. Remember when you are buying abroad make sure to get it from approved and trusted retailers and not sketchy shop owners.
