Electronics shopping on Bo Ai road

I have a problem.... I love gadgets.  So, on a my recent trip to Taipei, I had to find the place to see the latest electronics.  I ended up on an amazing journey down Bo Ai street, a bewildering collection of Camera shops, electronics malls, and did I mention Cameras?

Bo Ai street is right around the main Taipei bus station, but I couldn't tell you exactly how I got there.  All I can say, is you will  know it when you get there!  The streets are lined with signs in english and Chinese, but these signs bear very little correlation to the actual products that may be available in the stores.  If you love gadget shopping, you will enjoy stopping in each store to see what they have.  If you don't like it, you may find your personal hell.

It is important to know what you are going to buy if you are going to Bo Ai.  You will find very little reliable assistance from the sales people.   I found the prices to be very competitive, if I shopped around, but prices varied widely from shop to shop depending on the product.  It also varies depending on the particular extras and special kits that are for sale, so if you don't know what the prices should be, you might find yourself getting talked into a higher price for extras that are at a premium.

None the less, if you know what prices should be and are willing to shop around, you can find very good deals on everything from laptops to memory chips to cameras and cell phones and everything in between.  One last thing to remember when shopping in Asia, and especially in Taiwan, credit card often don't work at the smaller shops, and usually a 3% premium is charged.  If you can, pay in cash, and plan ahead to have the cash with you. 

Overall, I found Bo Ai to be a pretty good electronics shopping experience.  I didn't see any signs of counterfit devices, and there was no haggling, and the prices were good.  With lots of comparison shopping, I was able to find good discounts, and the vendors don't usually charge the VAT tax.  If you like electronics as much as I do, check out Bo Ai.