Chile Forum

I'm going to buy about $8,000 worth of white goods, electronics and furniture in the the next three months. Think large products such as a fridge, flat TV, some furniture, which are impractical to import from the US myself or via a mail forwarder. So far I've looked at the web sites for ABC, DIN, Falavella, Johnson's, La Corona, La Polar, Paris, Ripley, and Sovimac. I'll also pay visits to Jumbo and Lider stores (they're not too good at ecommerce for white goods).

I'm aiming to a) be able to select the products I want from brands such as Samsung or LG, provided they're sold at all in Chile, b) benefit from manufacturer warranty (i.e. no grey/black market), and c) get the best overall price. Given these requirements, where do you think I should go? I'm in Vina but I'm willing to go to Santiago to get better choice and if it's what it takes to find a store manager willing/able to negotiate price. I presume I may get some attention and leverage given my overall budget?

Also, what is the usual seasonality for big retail discounts in Chile, if any? Do they have something like Thanksgivings in the US, shopping-wise? Do they discount before or after Christmas/New Year's Eve even though it's in the summer here? I can adjust my timing somewhat if it increases my odds to get bigger discounts or nicer products for the same price.

Thanks for any tips.

I have purchased some durable goods in Santiago. I found that all the stores were more or less the same price but with some you can negociate the terms such as throwing in delivery or warrenty etc. Some goods go on sale at end of season such as swimming pools etc.

Buy dryers and estufas during the summer.

Yea, you might get some leverage at the end of the summer, as no one has been working for months, and everyone is scrambling to get back to Santiago for year. Their might be some sales.

Noticed a lot of sales around mother's day also.

otravers, big thumbs up and thanks for all the work on the wiki. Wish I had more than 30 seconds to work on it a day. I get like a sentence in, before I get called away to work something else. I am going to jump in there one of these days and add some serious pages.

Winter clothes went on sale about a month ago-I haven't looked but have seen the signs at the malls. Paris, Falabella, the mall anchor stores. So they do have the seasonal sales it would seem.

Thanks Charles, it's a tall order but I'm trying to pay back the All Chile community. It would have been quite a tough move for us without all the information we found here, as well as validation that's it was not an entirely crazy idea to come! Also, I'm still scrambling to wrap my mind around these issues, and I'd rather structure and share my notes with the rest of the world.

Speaking of the wiki, what about a Shopping & Retail section? We're covering cars a bit already (I'll leave real estate to you!), but what we've talked about in this thread as well as others (e.g. mail forwarders from the US) may be worth its own page.

Seems I have a connection to the local Jumbo's manager through my all-around connector/real estate agent so I'll see whether I can get a good deal out of them (product selection may be more limited than in department stores though). She also mentioned a store that's liquidating, I'll check that out too.

All the big department stores have loyalty programs, which might make a difference to the end price you pay. I think Falabella had some special program for people moving house as well.

About warranties, watch out. In Europe, generally if you buy from a shop, you deal with that shop for any problems, i.e. you have only one party to deal with. In Chile you buy from the shop, but any problems are handled by the representative of the manufacturer in Chile, whose idea of service may be very different from the shop you bought in, for whatever the statutory or manufacturer's warranty time is. They may not have spare parts, not have replacement machines, not want to replace a machine, and want to keep a defective machine without offering a replacement for weeks until spares arrive. We've had a lot of problems of this sort with Whirlpool. The department stores offer warranty extensions (for extra money), but these only kick in after the manufacturer's warranty has expired.

Oh, and something that might be of interest to people living in Santiago - I've been looking all over for an air filter for our apartment (useful thing to have here) without success. I was told that Paris will have the Bonaire make in stock from November / December.

If anyone knows where else I might find a filter (or replacement Philips filter cassettes HR 4920, I'd appreciate it. After 6 months here mine were choked with dust

you might try the sodimac or easy home centers. The home centers in chile seem to be more geared to being department stores. Yea, they all have the construction stuff, but really it is kind of toy construction hobby type stuff, unless you go to something like sodimac constructors where contractors go. The regular ones have dishwashers, stoves, curtains, and lots of other stuff and their prices are fairly good.

Really I would say don't beat yourself up too hard driving around looking. The prices will be plus or minus about 10% overall no matter where you go. You might get one thing cheaper at one store over another, but you will spend a lot of time looking to find it. If you got the time, great. It will be educational at the least, and good for your Spanish.

on the warranties issue, I go in under the assumption that I am either buying something that I can fix myself if it breaks or that I might have to buy two if one breaks so better to go with a good cheap basic model. Sometimes we get lucky and the warranties really mean something. Ripley has been fairly good with us in regards to replacements.

By the way, return policy in Chile means that they will exchange what is broken. It does not mean they will give you your money back if you do not like it.

Did I mention I also have Scottish blood in me.

Regarding customer service.

It will be your rapport with the sales rep who sold you the product which might determine everything.

My pareja purchased a TV at Din (we had previously purchased a fridge and stove from the same sales rep) in San Antonio on a supposed oferta of no interest credit.

This of course was erroneous bordering on fraud.

Her first attempt to rectify the situation was met with total hostile rejection from the manager.

After the threat of returning the product which was now being sold at a lower price and talking to the original sales rep, a deal was struck where the original credit sale would be terminated in favor of a cash sale at the new selling price minus the first credit installment already paid.

In the intervening two months, the schedule of my pareja and the working hours of the sales rep who had promised the deal conflicted along with the sales rep having medical leave.

During that time, the service desk would only offer a voucher less than the promised deal which was rejected by us.

Finally, the sales rep and my pareja linked up and the deal was completed in full to the exact peso.

My experiece FWIW...

This is really just a stub but I gathered some links here:
http://www.allchile.net/chilewiki/index ... %26_Retail

I think I got most of the generalists but suggestions are welcome for categories such as furniture. In Europe we're used to going to Ikea for relatively affordable but decent-looking self assembled furniture, but so far they're totally absent from South America.

Otravers, nice job.

sodimac and easy have a lot of the cheap furniture kits. Not real wood, but particle board type stuff. Not bad for what it is.

Some alternatives for the penny -pinchers out there.

One of a kind, discontinued lines ,returns, scratch and dent,etc can be found in different outlets from the major retail stores and some of manufacturers retail outlets, priced less than regular retail.;


HITES have a "bodega ' on the corner of Irarrazaval and Vicuña Mackenna.

ROSEN (bedding) on Irarrazaval at the 1700 next to the Teatro Calilfornia.

WHIRPOOL (appliances) on Vicuña Mackenna with Maule Street.

DIN on Irarrazaval with P. de Valdivia

RIPLEY on Irarrazaval with JM Infante,, there is another bodega of Ripley in San Diego and Tarapaca street.

Bodega FALABELLA Manuel Rodriguez with Rosas


BODEGA JOHNSON'S on Santa Rosa with Victoria Street.

Good luck , bargain hunters....