Ordering a smartphone from Takealot vs Amazon — the winner is clear

MyBroadband recently ordered Xiaomi Redmi 9A smartphones through Takealot and Amazon, and found that Takealot was the best option.

While we expected Takealot to deliver first, there was a contest to see which platform would be cheaper.

We selected the Redmi 9A for this comparison because the device is less expensive from Amazon than Takealot before shipping and taxes.

Amazon estimated that with import duties included, the total price would be higher than what we paid at Takealot.

However, Amazon sometimes refunds part of the fees it withholds for import duties depending on how much it paid to customs.

We received a partial refund, but this was only R12.03 and did not make up for the price difference compared to Takealot.

For this test, Takealot was the clear winner.

The phone was delivered to our office the day after ordering and was R110.77 less expensive than the total price paid on Amazon.

Amazon took exactly 21 days to deliver, of which about a week was spent waiting for the phone to ship.

While there are significant savings to be had from importing through international retailers such as Amazon, taxes and import fees will quickly eat through whatever money you thought you were saving.

You must therefore be on the lookout for deals that offer substantial discounts.

Some products are simply cheaper to buy locally, especially larger or heavier items like televisions.

Buying from South African distributors and retailers also offers the benefit of local support and warranties.

With local stores like Takealot, you typically get a solid warranty either from the store itself, the supplier, or the manufacturer. Defective products can be repaired or replaced quickly.

When buying internationally, only a few manufacturers offer international traveller’s warranties.

These may cover the device in South Africa, even if you bought it from overseas.

However, for the most part, if you buy from Amazon, you risk being left without local support.

Should your item break during the warranty period, you might have to ship it back to Amazon at your own expense to get it repaired or replaced.

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Now read: Building South Africa’s next ecommerce powerhouse