Where to import games and consoles online?

[Bijo]

I want to give someone a Nintendo Wii, but it seems due to high demand here it's all sold out. Any online places where I can import one? Places that look a bit like the poor Lik Sang perhaps?

EDIT: like Lik Sang, only operational of course :P

[frogbeastegg]

Read this thread from the Eurogamer forum. There are a lot of importers on those forums, and the thread is detailed. It's aimed mainly at importing to Europe from the US or Japan; I assume that's what you are looking to do?

My own experience is limited. Don't use DVDboxofffice - if there's import charges and tax you can be hit with they will get you hit each and every time, guaranteed. They put the full and exact cost on the customs label, and declare the contents as video games. They did this to me years ago, and from what I read they still are.

I used to use a local shop for most of my import needs. This is definitely the safest method available as they've already paid any charges, and taking back faulty goods is a lot easier.

Definitely look into compatability issues. The Wii is region locked; you will have to buy all of your games from the same region you brought the console from. This can become a pain if one of the big companies like Sony throws their weight around; it becomes much harder to get hold of games. There's a reasonable chance it may become more expensive in the long run than a domestic console. My imported gamecube started out cheaper and with better release schedules, and ended up starved of games, with those I could buy costing more than the PAL versions.

[Bijo]

Thanks, frog lady.