Has anyone ever imported a monitor from Europe?

Soldato
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Seems like the Germans get to buy all their hardware a lot cheaper than we do so it got me thinking about importing since i'm in the market for a new monitor.

I'm not asking for any competitor links or anything, just wondering if anyone's done it and what sort of things one should be aware of.


Thanks.
 
They'll ship it to you just the same as a UK retailer, there's no crossborder charges within Europe so the price you pay at the checkout will be the full price, it will cost about £10 extra for European shipping vs UK and you wont get next day, it'll be about 3 days at the most.

You'll have basically the same rights as if you bought it in the UK, so any problems you can return it, and pay by credit card for the extra protection that offers.
 
Actually sounds like a viable a option then, good to know. If there's no charges though, what's the reason for UK retailers to charge so much more? I'm not having a dig at OCUK obviously because they're generally the cheapest place we have.
 
Because they can. Knowledge is power and people are generally scared of what they don't know. How many people buy pre-built because they're afraid to do it themselves even though it's stupid easy? That it's foreign is also another strike against it.
 
Only negative I can think of is the cost of returning defective unit will be higher. Or is postage refundable the same as UK retailer?
 
I did think about that especially with regards to buying a monitor since I have super high standards and dont want a single dead pixel :)
 
Same rules as UK, if its faulty yes you should get postage refunded

Would the manufacturer's warranty work in the UK? What if the product has to be replaced? Would the manufacturer or the retailer (in this case from Germany) take care of the replacement?
 
Again, as with UK rules, your contract is with the retailer, but they may ask you to contact the manufacturer directly to expedite things and save you from sending it via the retailer
 
Mate, UK belongs to Europe, You probably mean "continental Europe" :)
Except UK plug, it's warranty issue only, probably handled by RTB-base.
UK is most expensive country in EU, hence prices.
 
Europe does not have as stringent consumer laws as the UK. Sale of Goods Act doesn't apply for products bought outside of the UK. Warranty claims may have to be dealt with in country of purchase etc.

You pay the money, you take the chance.
 
Europe does not have as stringent consumer laws as the UK. Sale of Goods Act doesn't apply for products bought outside of the UK. Warranty claims may have to be dealt with in country of purchase etc.

You pay the money, you take the chance.
The Sale of Goods Act is a UK law but the same/similar concept exist which says that the retailer has to replace or repair the faulty goods. I found a good summary and relevant links HERE.

If you bought your item online
Online sellers from other EU countries may target their products or services to the UK market. For example, by offering prices in Sterling and delivery options to the UK. If you buy from such a seller online and something goes wrong, you can argue that your UK statutory rights apply to the contract despite it being subject to the laws of another country.

So, if you purchased your item online from a trader from another EU country, then you should be protected by the Consumer Contracts Regulations, which is the UK law that implements the EU Directive entitled the Consumer Rights Directive.

In essence, to a certain extent the buyer's country's specific laws are recognised in favour of the consumer.
Also remember the manufacturers warranties only cover repair. Any replacement doesn't have to be new so could well be a refurb.
Looking at the relevant laws, it looks like the Consumer Contract Regulations that came into effect on 13 Jun 2014 gives you the same rights as you would purchase products in the UK under the Sale of Goods Act. Quote from HERE:

Returning faulty goods
If you receive faulty goods and wish to return them, The Consumer Contracts Regulations are in addition to your other legal rights. So, if your goods are faulty and don’t do what they're supposed to, or don’t match the description given, you have the same consumer rights under the Sale of Goods Act as you have when buying in store. Any terms and conditions that say you must cover the cost of returning an item wouldn’t apply where the goods being returned are faulty

When it comes to warranties, those are separate contracts! The warranty may have nothing to do with the seller. For example, a friend of mine had a Lenovo laptop that developed a fault and was replaced in Europe although the product was purchased in the US. Basically, there are two sets of protections 1) with the retailer and 2) manufacturer if there is specific warranty.

What I am not sure whether let's say a Samsung monitor purchased in Germany will be repaired and if needed replaced in the UK (or the other way around) under the manufacturer warranty if a problem develops.

Here is a quote from the Samsung Warranty related to Monitors (24 months):
Samsung Electronics (UK) Ltd support a product purchased in Europe if it has an EU Bloc Warranty. This warranty is present where the top of the product warranty card clearly states 'European Bloc'. If the product is purchased in another part of the globe then Samsung may attempt a repair. Samsung Electronics (UK) Ltd cannot guarantee the outcome.*

*Note that Samsung even attempts to repair products under warranty purchased outside of the EU.
 
I thought about buying abroad but went with OCUK. when your spending hundreds or maybe thousands of £'s OCUK gave me piece of mind and their customer service is ace.
 
I bought the Dell U2515h from a European company in Germany, arrived with a UK plug and I believe you can deal with Dell in the UK if there are any issues.
 
I also bought the Dell U2515H from Germany and registered to my Dell account, but the warranty country still show Germany.

Anyway, I am not worry too much about it, because Dell usually offer support if you have problem.
 
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