Ok, so now it is Tuesday and I'm still on Sunday, so I'll try to catch up… <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

We took the camera shopping seriously, very seriously. Didn't want to pay any extra, and definitely to get a real thing with warranty etc. There were three of us (me, Janne and AJ) looking for a similar small sized camera, so we thought that we could some discount if we would buy 3 of the same kind from a shop.

So on Sunday we went to Mong Kok, and started from a well know camera and appliance shop Fortress. There are like a dozen of Fortresses in Hong Kong, and it is official outlet for example Canon cameras. (There is also another official shop, but I can't remember it). Soon it came apparent that the prices are pretty much fixed at least for Canon cameras, and the one we were most interested was the Canon Ixus 800 IS. The price for Ixus 800 in Fortress with some bargaining was 2880 (labelled 3050 or something). Including 1Gb memory card, extra battery (not original so probably almost free), and some other cheap add-in stuff.

But we didn't settle for that price. We went to other shops and bargained even harder. You could get the offer rather easily to around 2500, including 1Gb card etc. Many sellers tell, that price includes 1 year international warranty, but it's bullshit. In Canon cameras' it is 1 year Hong Kong warranty, which you can change into 6 months international one in Canon's office in Tsing Sha Tsui. We went there and checked about the warranty and liability of stores. The impression is that you can buy the camera from any shop and it should be legal, but not for sure =)

The lowest price for Ixus 800 we could get was 2000HK$ including 2Gb memorycard etc. It was a shop with big blue Sony sign on it, and it is on Nathan road in Tsing Sha Tsui. Ahh, good bargaining you think? Yes, it was after some hard work, but did it pay off?

We agreed to buy 3 cameras for the price 2000 each, and the seller supposedly calls to a warehouse or something to pring the cameras. "It takes about 10 minutes" he says. So we sit to wait. The seller then starts to show off a Sanyo video camera, which we were not interested at all. Kept showing how much better it is even in photo shooting (yea right…). Ok after we told we are just looking for the still cameras and were anxious to get ours. He supposedly calls again to the warehouse and surprise surprise, the cameras are out of stock, and he can get them till tomorrow.

On Monday we met a local student Tung and asked him about the camera stores. He showed us a place in Mong Kok where the local ones usually buy cameras. It was not in the streets, but in a commercial building, which entrance is not easy to find. There were several stores, which looked very trustworthy, and there was like high end audio devices and stuff like that, with pretty European prices though. The price of Ixus 800 was about 2500, but it did not include a memorycard (you can buy 1Gb one at about 130HK$). The warranty should be the one year HK, which you can change to 6 months international one. It is very difficult to bargain from these prices, but of course you can try.

At this point we thought that hell, it doesn't take if it doesn't give. Off we went to the shop in Tsing Sha Tsui and asked for the cameras. Again he "calls" to warehouse for the cameras and they should soon be there. Again he starts to sell the Sanyo video camera, but as we were not very keen on it, he soon "called" again to the "warehouse", and surprisingly the cameras are all out of stock, and can't get one until three days. It was already pretty clear what was going on, but off we went to a next shop and started bargaining once more. Could get the price pretty easily to 2250 with 2Gb cards. He calls to warehouse and the very same rumba starts. He picks up the same Sanyo video camera as in previous shop and starts to show how much better it is. Listened him for few minutes and started asking about our Ixuses. Surprise, all out of stock...

At this point we were pretty tired of the all the bullshit, so we walked to a Fortress across the road, bargained 2Gb cards and the add-ins for 3000HK$/piece. Bought the cameras, which not very surprisingly were not out of stock after all, and are now satisfied owners of Ixus 800 cameras. Perhaps you could get them for a bit cheaper from the Mong Kok stores, but at that point we thought that it just is not worth it. At least we learned a lot about Chinese way of doing business...