Che said:
You guys are really wonderful! so much advice and help.....oh and Castlesinthesky thanks for the kind words about my work....always nice.
BTW, do you have a gallery online I can check out?
I did enquire, and I am able to leave the terminal as I am stopping for longer than 6hrs.
But as noted by Castlesinthesky, the traffic could be an issue as I will get in just after 17:00 and leave after midnight.
But I will contact some store and see if it's possible.
Thanks again!:thumbsup:
Che
www.chechapman.com
Hi Che,
With 6 hours, there is more than enough time to leave the airport and back. Traffic is not an issue because it takes only 20 mins to reach the city via our expressway (some taxis could even make it in 15). Taking the train takes about 35 minutes (alight at City Hall station), but if your plane lands on Terminal 1, it'll be a long walk to the station.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changi_Airport_MRT_Station
Anyway, most of the popular camera shops close around 8pm so you have 4 hours to get back to the airport.
I do feel that it's better as a tourist to buy the cam in Changi Airport due to the following:
1) You MAY be able to get international warranty (maybe check with the CS guy who works in Changi Airport)
2) Even if you only get local warranty, check if the store is also a servicing drop-off centre. Say if the cam is spoilt and you are transiting Singapore again, you could drop off at the shop who will send for servicing, then when you transit again, you can get your camera back.
3) 100% reliability, afterall it's a Changi Airport shop! I reckon you will get better service attention, the shop is spacious, you have ample time to test the camera, make sure it's 100% working before you carry it. And remember if you buy outside Changi Airport, you can apply for 5% GST rebate, so that requires some paperwork done at the shops for you to submit to the tax counter at Changi Airport. And by the way, not all shops offer GST rebates schemes.
4) The low prices that are quoted in ClubSNAP assumes cash payment. Credit card will incur a surchage of 3-5%.
The advantage of buying at the City shops is you get to buy other lenses and accessories as well.
The bottom line is: if you can afford to pay a little more for the no-frills shopping experience, stay around the Airport. If you feel want the best bargains and enjoy the fun of shopping around for the best deals, do drop by our shops in the City. I'm sure if the schedule permits, some of CS-ers might even be your personal guide, myself included!
And oh, if you need to contact any shops without website/email, just post your questions here and let us (or me) do the calling.
