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by welda » Sun, 09 May 2010 10:10 pm
I got the exact camera model you were looking for, so can give a little insight into prices. The HX5V arrives from Sony at around $560 give or take a little on the volume of the retailer. They mark it up for GST and profit and voila $650 msrp. I estimate it is $560 because one of the sales guys used it on his calculator to start negotiations, it could be just a number he plucked out of the air, but it sounds about right.
I went to all the decent shops in Funan, and the lowest they would sell it to me was $590. I used that knowledge to buy it from Harvey Norman for the same price on my credit card. As well as matching the price, the sales guy swapped out the plug so it was 3 prong, and I just feel safer buying from a Western store, where they will honour customer service.
The deal at the moment is you get a free 8GB memory stick and a case. If you do not already have the memory stick, then it is at least a $45 saving. So, given the rise in the SGD, the local warranty, 3 prong accessories, and after sales support, you are not too far off, and if something should go wrong - a quick trip to the shop to replace it is no heartache.
As for dumping, this is not the case. The reality is there is so much competition in the US, they have to keep prices low. The razor thin margins they work on is they only way they can increase volume.
PM me if you need any details about the camera - so far it is awesome, the geotagging works perfectly and the shots come out great.