I am lucky to have a brother and few cousins and friends in the U.S as I can easily order my electronics from there, because to be honest, you have to be either crazy or desperate to buy them from Lebanon.
There are few decent shops in Lebanon or sales people who can get you good deals on laptops and other electronics, but most of the time, you have a high chance of getting ripped off.
I was looking for a new laptop to replace my dying Toshiba, and the price range I was looking at was between 600-800$. After some thorough research, I had to choose between a 17-inch HP laptop and a 15-inch Lenovo Thinkpad E520.
I opted for the Lenovo as it was 200$ cheaper, is more reliable and had everything I needed in a laptop. It’s a core i5 2.4 GHZ 4GB DDR3 500GB HDD for only 617$.
When comparing the prices of laptops in Lebanon, there was at least a 200 to 300$ difference between most laptops I found online and the ones I found in shops. I understand there’s shipment fees and customs and taxes but that’s a bit too much.
I have to ask here why doesn’t the government lower its taxes on electronics in general and let Lebanese retail shops be more competitive and sell more? Most people I know want to buy their electronics from the U.S because they think products are either over-priced or not good in Lebanon.
200-300$ price different isn’t that bad actually if you’re comparing to Amazon.
For one thing the prices on Amazon are a lot cheaper than retail stores. For example Best Buy was selling a headphone for $79 but the same one was selling on Amazon for $49 so it’s not fair to compare all the time (although I do).
You also have to consider the fact how electronics reach Lebanon. In Kuwait for example we gets Macs from the Dubai hub who in return get the Macs from Apple France. The costs of Macs in France cost more than the US then you need to factor in cost of transporting items to Dubai, then to Kuwait, then add the taxes, the Macs in Kuwait end up costing a lot more than just $300 difference when compared to the US.
Why don’t you guys use Aramex Shop and Ship in Lebanon? How much tax would you pay if you received an electronics item from the States?
I said 200-300$ at least. One HP I saw was some 500$ more expensive than HP website (with all the discounts included).
The SLR I bought for 599$ from the states was priced at more than 1000$ in Lebanon back at the time.
I never checked with Aramex, maybe I should. There’s also this UCS netshopper which gives you a mailing address in the states and charges you for shipping them to Lebanon but I never checked it.
The thing is that it’s always cheaper when someone’s coming and it’s always someone coming from the states.
I will call Aramex and ask them today.
I’m already in contact with aramex and getting all the details. I heard about UCS but Aramex has been doing this for over a decade so I trust them more.
Aramex is better than nothing, but pretty expensive.
They will charge you 10$ per 500g shipped and you’ll have to pay import taxes and pay aramex a tax processing fee.
And you pay a one time $45 setup fee.
I know Liban Post also started a similar service. but haven’t tried it
10$ per 0.5 kg is pretty decent when compared with the market, did you find any cheaper (and reliable) rates?
how much does aramex charge for customs processing?
I have been using http://www.pcandparts.com for the past 10 years or so. They have a great selection of computer parts and laptops for unbeatable prices. They guys who work there are super friendly and are always ready to assist you. I have never bought anything from a physical store ever since.
I like pcandparts and i like how they havent changed the format of their website.
The one ripped straight out of NewEgg 😀 at least now they have changed the colors.
Najib,
have you checked Tiger Direct? I don’t know about the delivery costs though…
http://www.tigerdirect.com/
was browsing to check our Facebook page and your blog caught my attention. Many companies in Lebanon offer the US mailing service and charges may differ, but one thing we can guarantee, we offer the option to have the estimated cost of your item with Netshopper before ordering. It’s not a downloadable calculator, it’s our personal assistance to give customers the option of going through with a purchase or be shocked once it arrives to Beirut airport! Computers and parts, laptops are exempt from customs duties though VAT is charged. you may feel free to contact us at 01 21 85 75 or netshopper@ucslb.com
We’ll be dedicated to your assistance!
i have relatives in USA and since then I “never” purchased anything from lebanon. Not even cloths, nor electronics, etc..
I want top of the line alienware laptop it costs $4000 in lebanon, got it for 1500 in USA. Xbox 2-3 year old games cost 80$+. I get them for $5 to $10.
Now cloths.. Again I like to buy premium stuff, things are are $1000-$2000 in downtown is for $30 in USA store. Trying to buy something more resonable in lebanon for $100 isn’t good at all. $10 products are on par with thigns priced $300 and more.
Accessories for my cat are $50 and above in Lebanon. whereas I can get them for $6 in USA. UHD TV is for $3,500 on samsung website. costs $39,999 in samsung official store (carefour mall)
tax is not the problem, it isn’t as high as you people think. But lebanese mentality is to rip off and be rich. Because of such mentality, I never bought a single thing from Lebanon. Even when they are priced well, I assume they are ripping me off and look for it in USA.
How did you find it?
UCS Netshopper was the first who started the Online shopping business in Lebanon and the Middle east . Long before Aramex and the others.
Netshopper still leads with Quality and price advantages.
Our Personal Shopper service helps you locate items , pays on your behalf , and handles everything for you.