Grey Import Still Worth The Saving?

yummypinacolada on 10/10/2017 - 20:46

There has been a topic about Grey Import vs Australian stock posted in 2014, however I feel like buying a grey import phone have been different nowadays.

After reading lots of cases on Grey Import phone and experienced it myself, it seems very common now to received the phone where the seal condition is already broken, even worse when the phone already have fingerprints all over it and you know the phone has been turned on before. There are lots of guessing from Ozbargainers on why they are doing so, besides the statement from Grey Import seller which is usually "random checking from supplier".

So learning from this issue and whatever their reasons maybe, how can we tell whether the phone we received is brand new not refurbished or returned item?

Up till now, I always buy grey import phone to save %20-%30 of the regular price and I don't really care about warranty cause the chances are I won't need it during my first year using the phone. I just think as long as I get a brand new phone, I can accept the risk of not having warranty. Based on my past experience, I always receive a new phone sealed without any sign of use whatsoever and there's no problem during the first 2 years of usage. However, if I received a refurbished phone, I'm very skeptical whether the phone will last for at least 2 years.

What do you guys think? Do you think buying Grey Import phone still worth the saving?

Poll Options

  • 12
    Grey Import
  • 17
    Australian Stock
Mobile

Comments

  • Nucky on 10/10/2017 - 22:01

    Hey so how many grey imports have you bought and with who?

    My recent experience with shoppingsquare has been great. I too shared the same worries/concerns you express as soon as i pressed the confirm purchase button.

    Luckily for me though,its been a great experience. This includes shipping which was really fast.

    This is the total opposite for when i bought a lenovo phone through some china store and they had all sorts of issues to do with recalls and i got sent a different phone (which i agreed to because the one i wanted was recalled or something to that effect).

    If ive learned anything from my experience its to only buy from grey retailers that has a good rep, and to lower your expectations so if they deliver well, it feels a lot better.

    I would only also buy grey if the discount is significant. Nothing beats in country warranty in case you need it.

    • yummypinacolada on 11/10/2017 - 00:57

      I have bought lots of Grey Import phone with many sellers, I'm not Australian so I still go back to my home country each year. I usually buy new phone to bring back to my family, so I don't need the warranty. The only time I bought an Australian stock was when I bought Nexus 5, because Nexus 5 is not that expensive compare to other flagship phone.

      To answer you question, I have experienced buying from T-dimension, QD_AU, Vaya, Kogan, Gearbest, and my latest purchase from ShoppingSquare. Most of my purchases were fine except with Vaya who send me an Iphone which already activated even before I open the box and my recent worst nightmare buying Galaxy S8 from Shoppingsquare. Its a long story, but to make it short, Shoppingsquare send me a used/refurbished/returned item, but they refused to let me send back the phone and give me a full refund. I'm still dealing with them with Ebay backing me up, but its a pain process and they always take so long to response.

      Based on my experience, the safest bet when buying Grey Import phone is with Kogan/Dicksmith

  • givemethebestdeals on 11/10/2017 - 01:58

    i've purchased 2 grey imports, 1 from kogan (their warranty claims were easy) and my current phone (which is bricked) so i'm in talks with the company on where to send back my phone to get it checked and fixed. I've just bought a note 8 australian stock, the extra ~150 is worth it in my honest opinion.

  • rambutann on 11/10/2017 - 02:10

    Depends on the product.

    I've purchased grey import apple products (both laptops..) in the past and claimed the repairs under Australian consumer law (it was older than 12 months but less than 24 months) in at an Australian retail store no worries.
    So from my experience grey imports vs Australian stock on Apple products is the same and I'd go for whichever is cheaper.

    Regarding other products, its hard to say. The benefit has to be quite substantial to be worth it. For example, my partner just bought a grey import Samsung s8+ for $750-ish. This is a huge saving in comparison to buying local. If there was a smaller price difference (10%ish) then I would have leaned towards buying local.

    • yummypinacolada on 11/10/2017 - 19:26

      Yeah, I think you're right. Its easier to check Apple's product authenticity and whether they are new or refurbished one.

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