Should I wait to buy my new camera until we get to the U.S.V.I.?
 

My husband wants us to get a new camera for Christmas for our upcoming trip to St. John. The camera is quite expensive $800-1000 if we were to buy it now. The thought occurred to me we could buy it in St. Thomas, or even St. John. Would we save a considerable amount? Are prices there negotiable (i.e. do they expect you to haggle, like in some countries?) Anyone know of any reputable camera shops there?

Maggi
Pardon me here I'm not speaking from experience and some may correct me. However, if you have a particular camera in mind you'll find much better prices in the internet and have it delivered to you home prior to your trip. Buying a camera there will cost you more money.

Not so! As long as you are armed wih a price that you have been quoted, they will match, or most times beat the price you have. They might even have a better price straight up front!
Ronnie

Traveler863 why answer a question you don't have any experience with? I read your rablerouser post and see you are aware of it. Stick to things you know and folks won't bother you.

And sorry, the shops you can look for are Boolchand's and Royal Caribbean in St. Thomas. There are none in St. John.
Ronnie

Do you really want to learn how to use your new camera on vacation? I don't know how much you will save by buying down island, but is it worth it to then spend your vacation with an unfamiliar piece of equipment? (I just bought a new 35mm film camera myself, 2 months in advance of a big trip, and find the instruction manual impenetrable and the many options confusing -- luckily, I have time to figure it out, instead of risking losing that once-in-a-lifetime shot...).

Thanks for all the responses so far. I'm under the gun because if I intend to get this by Christmas I need to make a decision today or tomorrow. If there is a substantial price difference I'd be willing to wait until our trip.

Traveler, yes I have checked internet prices and there is one vender I think I can trust (Abes). I've been told by a professional that it's not good to buy cameras online because that will send you a "knock-off" and because of the lack of customer service.

Ron, what you are saying, then, is that the shops in V.I. will do price bargaining with you? Thanks for the shop names.

Callaloo, that's a good point you are making. However, my husband and I are pretty familiar with cameras, both digital and SLR (we already have a Canon Rebel SLR). I'm pretty sure we'd be able to figure out the new one pretty quickly.

Maggi:

I'm wrestling with the same delima over a pair of diamond earings my wife wants for our 20th anniversary. My last trip to USVI found the shops on St. Thomas a beehive of bargaining activity, especially for cameras and electronics.

It is one of those areas where the cruise ships come in and everything is quite chaotic. And if you like to shop it can be fun.

I wouldn't go if I did not know what I wanted and how much I could get it for otherwise. I find in those cases you usually get ripped off. These guys are not amatures in the haggling department.

I would wait and if you already have a good camera and you get there and don't find the price you want, then you won't have to buy it. But it might be worth the wait to check it out.

I've been learning and pricing diamonds awaiting our trip in Jan for this very reason. With cameras at least you know what your getting. It's a little more iffy with jewelry.

Joe

Word to the wise - if you are buying a camera in St. Thomas (or anywhere in the Caribbean for that matter) make sure the warranty will be honored in the country where you live and don't assume that all cameras sold in St, Thomas have a USA Warranty (lots of grey market cameras out there).

Sonnyboy, good advice! Since this post I called Canon direct and they told me the same thing. Cio457, I don't like to shop and chaos is not my idea of a vacation. It seems there are too many variables for me. Based on these facts, I think I will just get the camera now so we can learn how to use it before we get there. Thanks all!
Maggi

RonUSVI,
LOL I get in trouble mostly for things I do know. Although I was a bit light on experience with this issue, not really so true...I typically buy on the internet and get cheapest prices that way...however, for that particular location I did have some uncertainty and acknowledged that. Isn't it better for people to think about all possibilities? But yet I left the window open for others to respond with more facts and not lead the reader astray thinking what I said was fact? Nice response and glad you chimed in, seems you were chomping at the bit. Happy travels.

Maggi:

I would be interested upon your retrun to hear if you saw the camera and checked on the price difference.

As an aside, I watched Burt Wolfe's show on PBS yesterday and he noted some significant savings in STT on perfume and liquor.

Cio

Smoot60, I made the decision to buy the camera now, rather than wait and buy in the Virgin Islands. The uncertainty of the price and origin of the product, combined with the advice to get to know the camera before our trip swayed my opinion. I was able to get a pretty good price on the internet from Abe's of Maine (which is a Canon-approved dealer).

Thanks to all who took the time to answer this post.

Maggi