4 articles

Trip planning.

Decide whether buying abroad is worth it: compatibility, warranty, returns, trip costs and the break-even point.

Is buying electronics abroad worth it? A decision checklist

A 1,000 home price against a 900 overseas shelf price looks like a 100 saving. With an example card fee and an assumed import charge counted, the saving falls to 33.

4 min read

When a shopping trip pays for itself: break-even math with trip costs

The saving on your basket is the most the trip can cost in extra spending before it stops paying. In the example, a 300 saving less a 150 flight and 80 of other costs leaves 70.

4 min read

Warranty and returns when buying abroad: what travels with the product

A manufacturer’s warranty can be limited to certain countries, and consumer rights differ by country. A tourist refund returns part of the tax, not a repair service.

5 min read

Regional product differences to check before you buy abroad

A product bought abroad can differ from the one at home in its model number, its box, its features or the store account it needs. Check those before a price comparison means anything.

5 min read

Tools for this topic.

Trip break-even calculatorCompare the home price with the full overseas cost, then subtract the trip itself.Tourist refund calculatorEstimate a tourist VAT or GST refund after the operator’s percentage, fixed fee and minimum spend.Import duty calculatorWork out duty and import VAT on goods value plus freight and insurance, in the order customs applies them.