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normacrosby

Sep 6, 2003, 12:19 AM

Post #1 of 14 (1153 views)

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Electronics Questions

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My husband and I are moving to Ajijic in November, and I have some questions about the cost and availability of household electronics such as TV, stereo, and home theatre equipment. I have heard that electronics are often more expensive than those we can buy in the U. S., but I am wondering if there is enough difference in price to justify paying a mover to bring down a large TV and other such equipment.

I am also curious about how up-to-date the equipment I can find there is. Is it pretty comparable to what I can find here?

Thanks in advance for any help and advice you can give.

Norma Crosby

(This post was edited by normacrosby on Sep 6, 2003, 12:21 AM)

Rolly

Sep 6, 2003, 4:05 AM

Post #2 of 14 (1143 views)

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Re: [normacrosby] Electronics Questions

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Electronic items cost more in Mexico. Sometimes a little more for low-end items, but high-end things are usually a great deal more costly if you can even find what you want. The range of choices will be much smaller than at Circuit City except in the largest cities at exclusive (=expensive) specialty stores.

When I made my move 3 years ago, I did some price shopping on a scouting visit before I moved and decided that it would be much cheaper to bring my own. If fact it became the point at which I decided to hire a mover rather than having a yard sale and starting fresh in Mexico.

Bottom line: If you have a nice stereo and home theatre system, bring it.

Rolly Pirate

johanson / Moderator

Sep 6, 2003, 11:23 AM

Post #3 of 14 (1133 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Electronics Questions

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Going along with what Rolly wrote:

I got excited when I entered Sam's club in Guadalajara, last spring, there were 42 inch plasmas for sale. But I lost interest when I saw that they were selling for something like $6,000. I went on the internet and found that the same models were available up North for closer to $4,000. Now I'm going by memory here so I might not have quoted the prices exactly as they were. But high end products seem to be much more costly in Mexico

Two years ago Guadalajara Costco had a special on a 32 inch Sony Wega, which isn't really high end and I bought it for close to the price it would have cost in the states. Oh, both the smaller Sony Wega I have in the states and the one I have in Ajijic were manufactured in Mexico

sfmacaws

Sep 6, 2003, 5:19 PM

Post #4 of 14 (1121 views)

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Re: [johanson] Electronics Questions

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I've just been pondering this question. My TV and VCR in Mexico have died. I just saw some 24" TV's at Costco here in the US for under $300. I'm not interested in really high end stuff as the salt air kills most electronics pretty quickly down there. I'm trying to remember what that size TV went for in the Costco in Cancun and I think it was about $100 more but, that was last winter when I wasn't specifically looking for a tv. I also think that the brands were different, I don't recall seeing the usual Sony and Panasonic in Costco Cancun.

So, I'm considering bringing a tv/vcr combo down this fall. It will be kind of a pain to find a place to put it in the rv and we will probably have to crawl over it or move it a lot while living in the rv on the way down. Thus, it is important for me to figure out if it is really worth it. I can't ask my friends to make a special trip to check this out for me but I have requested that they look at prices if they are in Costco anyway. Anyone here who has an idea about this off the cuff, I would appreciate the info. Specifically, are the brands sold cheaply there inferior to the ones sold cheaply in the US? Would it be at least $100 cheaper here for comparative quality?

Thanks,

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

Kip

Sep 7, 2003, 1:22 PM

Post #5 of 14 (1102 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Electronics Questions

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I thought I read somewhere that you couldn't bring in a T.V. larger than a certain size. I don't remember what the size was. Is this fact or fiction?

Kip
kip

johanson / Moderator

Sep 7, 2003, 1:56 PM

Post #6 of 14 (1100 views)

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Re: [Kip] Electronics Questions

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On the form you fill out, when you fly into Mexico, they list certain items you can bring in for personal use that are not subject to taxation, you know binoculars, portable radio, laptop and a TV with a screen smaller than about 12 inches. I don't remember the exact size.

Maybe that's what you are thinking of.

Kip

Sep 7, 2003, 2:11 PM

Post #7 of 14 (1098 views)

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Re: [johanson] Electronics Questions

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I'm pretty sure this was a moving down there kind of thing. So you're saying there is no such restriction? (I hope, I hope,..actually it's Hal that's doin the hopingl!)

Kip
kip

johanson / Moderator

Sep 7, 2003, 2:19 PM

Post #8 of 14 (1096 views)

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Re: [Kip] Electronics Questions

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Sorry, I don't know about that. I was just relating what I had experienced when entering by plane. I've never heard though, that you couldn't bring in a TV. Maybe someone else posting here knows for sure.

Kip

Sep 7, 2003, 2:59 PM

Post #9 of 14 (1094 views)

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Re: [johanson] Electronics Questions

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Oh no! I didn't mean a T.V. in general! What they were talking about was a big screen. Hal's kind of attached to ours.

Kip
kip

Brian

Sep 7, 2003, 4:15 PM

Post #10 of 14 (1089 views)

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Re: [Kip] Electronics Questions

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I bought a 43 inch TV a year ago in San Diego and brought it across at Tijuana...showed the receipt, paid the duty and was watching TV in an hour..no problem.

jodielyn

Sep 7, 2003, 4:28 PM

Post #11 of 14 (1087 views)

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Re: [Brian] Electronics Questions

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In Reply To

I bought a 43 inch TV a year ago in San Diego and brought it across at Tijuana...showed the receipt, paid the duty and was watching TV in an hour..no problem.

If you don't mind me asking... what did they make you shell out for duty on something like that?

Jodie

Brian

Sep 7, 2003, 4:33 PM

Post #12 of 14 (1085 views)

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Re: [jodielyn] Electronics Questions

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If I remember correctly, it was about 20% of the value of the TV less the $150 franquica.

sfmacaws

Sep 7, 2003, 8:17 PM

Post #13 of 14 (1073 views)

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Re: [Brian] Electronics Questions

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Well, we would be bringing it as used and, if anyone asked, it would be for us to watch in the RV. I doubt anyone would question it though.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

Rolly

Sep 7, 2003, 8:18 PM

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Re: [Kip] Electronics Questions

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If you are bringing the big TV as part of a menaje de casa shippment, you'll have no problem -- it's allowed in free. If you are bringing it in the back seat of your car (unlikely), you'll be subject to a duty.

If you list three or more TVs or VCRs on your menaje you may have to pay a duty on those in excess of two of each. That was the warning I got from the consulate in LA when I presented my menaje with three of each. I had no problem at the border.

Rolly Pirate