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Ordering online from International websites

  1. #1
    lambiebeatty is offline Registered User
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    Ordering online from International websites

    Hi,

    We are about to make the big move to HK in about a month's time. I've neard how expensive books are and I was wondering if I could easily order from Amazon.com in the US? Does HK have big import taxes? I was never charged duty at the post office when I ordered from Amazon US in the UK but I was in Australia. Same goes for Victoria's Secret.

    Also, is wine expensive in HK? Can you order cases from international websites and pay delivery?

    Cheers,

    Natalie


  2. #2
    RebeccaMB is offline Registered User
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    amazon is simple. albeit bit expensive in shipping if you compare what you pay in the US, but books can still sometimes prove cheaper than what you pay for them here in HK. Plus you can't beat the selection at amazon. geobaby / shop-in-hk has a similar service for books, but again not nearly the selection as amazon.

    there are no "import" duties or customs duties on items into HK. It's a duty-free port (unless i suppose you're importing to sell retail, then that could be another issue)

    i think the trouble you'll find is that many US websites jsut don't ship internationally. then you'll have to send your items to a friend/relative in the US who'll forward tehm on to you in HK. That still soemtimes works, as often times you can get free shipping deals (within the continental US)

    HTHs
    Rebecca

    (if your child goes to a school that orders from one of the US school book clubs, like scholastic or troll, then you'll get books at an incredible bargain --- even with the exchange rate, etc, you still sometimes only pay HK$7 or HK$10 for a well-known paperback.)


  3. #3
    rani's Avatar
    rani is offline Administrator
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    Quote Originally Posted by RebeccaMB View Post
    Plus you can't beat the selection at amazon. geobaby / shop-in-hk has a similar service for books, but again not nearly the selection as amazon.

    We order our books from the same Disti as Amazon and thus have access to thousands of different titles. However, we can't list them all on ShopinHK.Com. Just pop me an email if you're looking for something specific and we'll source it for you. We orders books every Monday and Wed from the US and the shipment arrives in HK in a week.

    HTH
    Last edited by rani; 09-14-2007 at 09:56 PM.

  4. #4
    RebeccaMB is offline Registered User
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    Rani,
    I never knew that!! Good to know!! I'll be sure to order thru you next time (support local business and all :-} )
    R


  5. #5
    rani's Avatar
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    Thanks!

    Rani


  6. #6
    Sleuth is offline Registered User
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    Why are books so much more expensive in Hong Kong? We end up buying from Amazon and picking it up in the US on the next trip. (Unless it is something we have to have now or is a local book.)


  7. #7
    rani's Avatar
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    Sleuth - retail rent and freight. Also, a lot of the books sold in HK are UK editions, to exchange rates also affect the landed cost.

    One thing, folks have consistently told us that our prices for "next week" delivery in HK are comparable to Amazon (and we use the same logistics as them) and cheaper than HK retailers for sure.


  8. #8
    rani's Avatar
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    >> Victoria's Secret

    Clothing falls under restricted categories -- almost as well regulated as guns and bullets.


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