I'm curious if there's any way to take advantage of the great bundle deals and prices at Microcenter in the US when you're in the Baltic states. The prices for PC parts here are quite high, and I'm looking for any tips or tricks to get those deals into Europe.
5 Answers
Check out Mindfactory.de in Germany. They often have good prices on PC parts. Plus, they offer warranties, so it can be a better option than relying on US deals.
Once you learn how taxes are structured in the US, you might find that the prices aren’t actually as different as they seem, especially with shipping and duties added in.
Honestly, it might be better to search for deals within Europe. After accounting for shipping and import duties, you're looking at prices that can sometimes exceed those of local retailers, not to mention warranty complications since US warranties don't usually apply here.
You should keep in mind, buying from the US means dealing with VAT (which is 21% in many places) plus import taxes, often around another 20%, not to mention customs fees. In the end, it could cost much more than buying locally. Technically, you could buy a ticket and go get it without declaring it, but if you're caught, you'll face taxes and fines.
Unfortunately, those Microcenter deals are in-store only, so unless you're traveling to the US, it's pretty much impossible to get them. Even if you have someone buy it for you, the shipping costs could end up balancing out the savings, so it's not really worth it.
Also, Caseking has some open box returns at good prices. They're often on par with used market prices but you get a warranty.