When shopping for home appliances via overseas direct purchasing — ordering products from online stores abroad and having the goods shipped to one’s personal address via a third party — stick to vacuum cleaners and avoid coffee machines, an overview of the market of has found. (Image: KCA)
SEOUL, Jan. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — When shopping for home appliances via overseas direct purchasing — ordering products from online stores abroad and having the goods shipped to one’s personal address via a third party — stick to vacuum cleaners and avoid coffee machines, an overview of the market of has found.
The Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) disclosed on January 17 that it had compared the prices of eleven product lines of the five home appliances commonly purchased from vendors abroad (vacuum cleaners, coffee machines, air purifiers, blenders, electric stoves) and determined seven were actually cheaper to buy domestically.
Vacuum cleaners and coffee machines were discovered to be polar opposites in this regard. The two product lines included in the KCA’s study were more affordable purchases through overseas direct purchasing, but the four types of coffee machines analyzed were money savers if snagged in South Korea.
Price tags on electric stoves and blenders, on the other hand, were not as clean-cut as vacuum cleaners and coffee machines. Some product lines were steals through overseas direct purchasing channels, while others were available for bargain prices from local vendors.
A spokesperson for the KCA said, “When deciding to purchase foreign home appliances through overseas direct purchasing, buyers should be meticulous in comparing prices set in domestic and foreign markets. In addition, for items that are at considerable risk of being damaged during shipping or require constant maintenance, it is necessary for buyers to check whether the manufacturer operates repair and maintenance centers in South Korea.” (Image: KCA)
Among the appliances more economical to procure from abroad, the Siemens ET675FN17E electric stove boasted the widest price gap, being marked 68.8 percent less than the exact same model sold in South Korea.
For the reverse, the Francis Y3 Red illy coffee machine was available at a 34.2 percent lower cost in South Korean stores compared to foreign retailers.
A spokesperson for the KCA said, “When deciding to purchase foreign home appliances through overseas direct purchasing, buyers should be meticulous in comparing prices set in domestic and foreign markets. In addition, for items that are at considerable risk of being damaged during shipping or require constant maintenance, it is necessary for buyers to check whether the manufacturer operates repair and maintenance centers in South Korea.”
Nespresso, Dyson, illy, Xiaomi, Siemens and KitchenAid were the six brands whose products were analyzed by the KCA study. Only Nespresso offers repair service to 220V models currently available locally.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
