Best places for electronics purchases in New York or Hawaii

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frankie4fingers

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Hi all

We are heading over to NY in September for 8 days followed by 5 days in Hawaii. This will be the first time the wife and I have been to the US so we aren't sure where are the best places to go for the purchase of electronics whilst we are there. If it helps then I am looking to either buy some Bose Quiet Comfort 35's or the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones as well possibly a Signature Type Cover for my Surface Pro and the wife some Jabra wireless earplugs.

What I was hoping to do was get an idea of price before we go so we can see whether a special comes up 60 days before we fly that we could jump on and then use the TRS on the way out......or whether regardless of that we would be better to wait until we get to the US and then purchase.

The other thing I wondered is whether there is a similar tax refund scheme for tourists to the US.

Any help would be welcomed.
 
B&H cameras would be the best now in Manhattan.Used to be able to compare with J&R but they have closed down.
B&H is a Jewish store so closed Saturdays.
 
What I was hoping to do was get an idea of price before we go so we can see whether a special comes up 60 days before we fly that we could jump on and then use the TRS on the way out......or whether regardless of that we would be better to wait until we get to the US and then purchase.
I've found AU prices with TRS better than overseas (plus local warranties etc) on most occasions.
Bose QC35s and Sony WH-1000s pop up at between AU$350-360 from time to time on Ozbargain. Point of comparison, BH has QC35s for US$349 = ~AU$490.

The other thing I wondered is whether there is a similar tax refund scheme for tourists to the US.
Taxes in the US are state-based sales taxes, so short answer is no (shipping interstate in US sometimes eliminates sales tax, but OTC never will). Macy's offer 10% off if you show foreign ID (passport or licence).
I misplaced a 3TB WD passport when I was last in SFO, went online and fluked a "Saturday Special" US$99 replacement from Fry's (iun Oakland) with free delivery to my hotel. I wouldn't rely on that normally, though.
 
I've found AU prices with TRS better than overseas (plus local warranties etc) on most occasions.
Bose QC35s and Sony WH-1000s pop up at between AU$350-360 from time to time on Ozbargain. Point of comparison, BH has QC35s for US$349 = ~AU$490.
Good to know.

I am able to secure some decent pricing for some items thanks to having access to TGG Commercial. I am thinking I may just hold off until within the 60 days and then grab what I need and claim the tax back on the way out.
 
In the past the USA did have great specials and I sourced a couple of cameras and lap tops there.
Now better if you have an Aussie sale usually.I have just bought a new Sony camera at their Easter Sale plus had a spend $300 and get $50 back from Amex.The price was slightly less in Aussie dollars than USD at B&H.
Plus I will get the GST back as well so definitely better here.
 
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Also the fine print in the warranty. I have bought a few electronics overseas (Samsung) and to have repaired under warranty would need to ship to USA.
For the most part I have found , as per other posters , that aust on sale tends to be comparable.
Enjoy your time in USA :)
 
Have bought many things from B&H in NY over the last 10 years (most in person but I have also had some things shipped to Oz). They won't ship anything with a Lithium battery like laptops nowadays.

B&H are very knowledgeable and helpful but, as others have said, don't expect their prices to necessarily beat ours with the exchange rate as it is. I find their biggest benefit to be their range of products. I bought some DSLR lens filters from them that no stores in Australia stocked. They have a comprehensive product list on their website so you can do your "detective work" before you travel and I have found they also respond quickly to email enquiries about specific items.
 
@frankie4fingers, I would agree with others that AU sales and TRS can be cheaper, however sometimes the TRS line is long. On my last 2 trips out of SYD after seeing the length of the queue I didn’t even bother with TRS, it was only a bonus.
 
FYI, this is an excerpt from an email I got from B&H this morning about sales tax:

"Nearly one year ago, the Supreme Court ruled that out-of-state retailers must collect sales tax on internet sales. This, of course, included B&H. For 46 years we have been committed to providing unparalleled customer service, and so we began the tedious process of implementing a way to eliminate the impact this ruling would have on our customers.

We are now ready to launch “Payboo”, the solution to the sales-tax challenge. Tune in tomorrow for details on how to become a part of “Payboo”!"
 
Have just had a similar problem renewing a US Nursing Journal for my wife, nothing like the response above - just pay up! With international delivery, two lots of taxes, and for only 6 issues per annum, each issue will now cost A$53 - looks like the end of the road for that one.
 
We are now ready to launch “Payboo”, the solution to the sales-tax challenge. Tune in tomorrow for details on how to become a part of “Payboo”!"

Seems to be a store credit card that offers a rebate of the value of sales tax paid when you charge to that card. Not really earth-shattering :)
 
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