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I have checked the forum, but have not exactly found the information I am looking for.
I am building a townhouse in Escazu and will need to buy major appliances soon. I still live in Washington DC, so I must conduct my Costa Rica business in brief week long trips during the next year. I need to target my shopping efforts well so that I don’t waste time shopping around.
Here in the U.S., I am accustomed to large, often called “discount” home and garden superstores like Home Depot, Lowe’s and even Sears. At these places, I can find the largest selection and most competitive prices on name brand refrigerators, ranges etc.
My question is: “Are there appliance/home furnishing stores like these in the greater San Jose area?” If so, where?
On my recent trips to San Jose I have seen many “store front” appliance stores around town with limited inventory and steep prices. Even for name brands including LG and Samsung, the models available in San Jose are not the same as those marketed in the USA.
Any tips or advice would be most welcome.
Bob in Washington DCIf you want cheap, take a drive down to the Zona Franca in Golfito. That’s where Ticos go when they need a big ticket item. I think there’s a limit on what you can buy each time though. Best to check it out before you go. Bring a truck.
You won’t find top of the line there either, just what you see in San Jose. For that you’d probably need to import it, or find someone to do it for you.
I think GringoTico is right. If you want top of the line or specialty appliances, you’ll probably have to import them from the U.S. There is no natural gas here, so any gas appliance will have to be converted to run on LP which is not a big deal.
That said, there are retailers of major American brands around San Jose and Escazu. Give us a better idea of what you’re looking for and we can be more helpful.
I recently purchased a new Whirlpool gas stove for my Escazu home and had to convert it from natural to LP gas – it was failry easy to do but, the store – El Verdugo – failed completely to mention that this transfer had to be done when I bought it.
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comThanks, David.
I am not looking for the ridiculously high-end refrigerators and ranges like Kitchenaid and Jennaire etc. Rather, I was thinking about stainless steel or at least the smooth surface silver fridges and stoves that LG/Samsung market in the USA. For the life of me, I cannot understand why the “mass market” models of major US brands have that finger-print proof crinkled surface that looks insultingly cheap and low quality. Is it too much to ask for gringos to clean the finger prints off their appliances once in a while?
Sorry about the rant, but my kitchen is important to me, and I appreciate quality as much as value. A convection oven might be nice for baking.
As for the gas/lp range, I was thinking of having an outdoor gas grill/side burner for the high heat features of a gas stove so a nice electric range in the kitchen would be fine.
For many of you who visit this forum I assume that you have walked into a Sears in the USA and seen the kinds of inventory of major appliances they have. Although they have economy models, they also carry moderately priced stainless steel refrigerators,
ranges,dishwashers that don’t generally exceed $1,000-1500 each.One thing to consider with going to Golfito is that if you don’t have a truck, what is it going to cost to have it delivered to your location.
Don’t bother with Golfito directly. You are limited in your purchase amount and the trip, hotel, hassle isn’t worth it.
Call David @361-0408. I myself, along with many other happy customers have outfitted our homes with the latest large appliances, kitchen gadgets, TV’s etc… All come with the original manufacturer guarantee, delivery to your place (at least in San Jose area), and installation. The prices are the same or BETTER than you’d find in Golfito without the headache.
David covers brands like GE / GE Profile, Whirlpool, LG, Samsung and more. These are all new, (not refurbished) in the box.
Make your life simple.. Call him. He speaks English/Spanish.
Thanks for the tip. Does David have a store where I could view the merchandise before I purchase? I would like to see and compare the various models available before I buy.
DC BobHe doesn’t have a store. He contacts his distributors to ensure the items are in stock and deliverable. If you contact him, you can tell him the brand/model you are interested in. The thing with David are that his prices and service are great. His selection varies, but generally covers those items that are available in the country at the various appliance stores.
For selection, you can visit the new Importadora Monge Max which is across from Cemaco near the rotunda in Zapote. Find it there, then contact David for the better price.
Edited on Sep 25, 2006 13:31
What, specifically, is the Zona Franca and what’s the difference between the one in Golfito and the one near the San Jose airport? Thank you.
Zona Franca means “free zone”. There are two types, the first is for foreign companies to operate in CR. There are several of these, including by the airport, Heredia, and Cartago. Companies can import raw materials tax-free to produce their products using local labor (like maquilas in Mexico), and then export them to market. If they sell any portion of their products locally, then they must pay the associated taxes.
The second is for retailers to sell items to Costa Ricans tax-free – exactly like a duty free store at the airport. That’s what’s in Golfito. However, I agree with jneiman in that it’s not worth the effort. It’s a long drive, you have to have a truck if it’s a large item or pay for transport, negating the tax savings, there’s a limit on how much you can buy at a time, and there’s nothing there you can’t find in San Jose. A lot of Ticos go to the Panama border to buy items as well, using their 6 month exemption.
For people who want the top of the line items, as I said before, they’ll need to ship them themselves from their point of origin, or find enterprises to do that for them. I know someone who does this for commercial & industrial goods, but not consumer goods. I’m sure they’re around though. However, if you travel back home, you might as well do it yourself. Of course, you’ll pay through the nose, and your mercedes-class appliance will rust out just as fast as the cheapest available locally.
Thanks for the info, Gringo. I wasn’t looking to buy anything, just to know what it was all about and you gave me a good explanation. I figure if I wanted to move there with that type of appliance (and I don’t), I’d include it in my shipping container. The more electronics there are, the fewer of them I use and the more that goes wrong — it’s a given. 🙂
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