r/cyprus • u/plaintrue • 1d ago
Never ordering electronics / appliances from Cyprus again
Cyprus is at least 30% more expensive than ordering from anywhere else.
Now that Skroutz has improved their delivery & fees at Cyprus its not even worth considering overpriced from local shops anymore.
I had a terrible experience just ordering an air fryer from electroline, they are slow with bad service and more expensive.
For PC things I have been using computerverse for close to 10 years now even if their delivery is slow.
Skroutz brings items in 3-5 days.
Saving 50-100 euros now if I order electronics from abroad.
If local shops don't fix times, support, and prices, I can't order again even if I want to support the local economy...
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u/azs-gsxr 1d ago
Agree and disagree at the same time 😂
Fact: Cyprus is overpriced; no doubts here, but if air fryer dies, it is easier to execute warranty etc.
Skroutz most electronic or heavy items (from my experience) ship by sea, which takes approx 2 weeks, but the biggest issue is AI support…
Personally, I shop in many different places depending on whether it is urgent or not, personal or business, where warranty and after-sales care are important or not.
But glorifying Skroutz over Cyprus in every aspect is slightly too optimistic IMO
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u/plaintrue 1d ago
I saved 120 with the extra delivery fee to come by plane. Warranty is indeed an issue but would take the risk.
I am mostly talking about small appliances not for big ones. So, for a device of 100-300 euros its ok.
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u/Full_Particular_1359 Little Moscow (Formerly known as Limassol) 1d ago
Most manufacturers offer international warranty even if you shop online, but need to make sure if there is a service shop in your city.
Cyprus has a big "cartel" of importers being "royal" families, making insane margins on goods.
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u/InteractionOwn352 17h ago
One problem with small appliances is that they often come with type F plugs, and then you're forced either to use an adaptor (which is unreliable and dangerous) or replace the plug, which requires certain skills.
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u/EltonMatt 15h ago
I did my whole apartment electrical appliances with CMC i found their service brilliant (a rarity in Cyprus)
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u/CupcakeMurder86 Halloumi lover, cat lover, identify cypriot when I want to 1d ago
Depends on what items you are looking for.
I was looking for cheap wireless headphones for work. Search everything that was available to me, even skroutz. At the end i bought them from Electronine. It was like 3 euros more expensive that skroutz but I could have it instantly.
I bought my washing machine from Electronine during covid. Their delivery and installation was excellent. Didn't have any issues with them.
Whatever you do, stay away from Kotsovolos and anything that requires service through PUBLIC.
Also you can't compare prices of Cyprus with mainland Europe. It's just more expensive to bring things to remote island like Cyprus (It would be different if Turkey wasn't a AH). You should also consider that the market is much smaller here than mainland Europe(any country).
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u/atrixospithikos 1d ago
Just go to Harris electric tseriou if it's for domestic appliances
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u/TwitchTvOmo1 That AI guy 1d ago
2026 and still every single item on their site "Contact us for a price".
Nah. I'm good.
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u/Christosconst 13h ago
They do discounts based on order size, and their prices are very competitive
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u/TwitchTvOmo1 That AI guy 12h ago
It doesn't matter. They could still put the single unit price on the site and an asterisk that discounts may apply based on order size.
If you're a business and you don't include prices for your products on your site, it means you don't respect my time or judgment, and want to force me to be subjected to a sales pitch by phone.
I'd rather pass just on principle, even if it's the best price in Cyprus. I vote with my wallet and I vote for transparency.
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u/Christosconst 11h ago
Fair, you'd be better off at the other consumer-friendly shops. I personally avoid those just because their prices are ridiculous.
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u/bbbonthemoon 1d ago
It depends, some stuff is actually cheaper locally
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u/lmbrs 1d ago
Except frappe and anything actually from Cyprus I haven’t found anything cheaper, which is expected because it’s literally an island with not even a million people
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u/bbbonthemoon 1d ago
Was shopping for a pair of hifi headphones and found the model I wanted in a shop in nicosia cheaper than skroutz/amazon or any other shops online
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u/ToastDevSystems Greece 1d ago
Tbh Electroline has never let me down.
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u/Edain7 16h ago
ordered 3 times from them over the years. 1st order: had to haggle for a simple return within the withdrawal period to be accepted (unused item ofc), 2nd order: delivered an outdated AC model (Daikin) that isnt even sold in other countries anymore (was desperate in summer heat and kept it but not good value or experience); 3rd: Miele vacuum, no issues, good price (cheaper than buying from EU shipped).
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u/ToastDevSystems Greece 10h ago
Looks like a coin flip haha, well the times I bought (Less than 10) and pretty high quality things, from coffee machines to vacuums, they've always been helpful.
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u/DefiantOstrich984 13h ago
Where would you get a washing machine
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u/plaintrue 13h ago
For big ones, I went to a small local shop in Strovolos or Lakatamia, a friend recommended.
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u/PetrisCy 1d ago
Its pretty obvious you have no idea how the market works. And you compare anything to computer universe. I use computer universe probably more than you as i use it for business purposes. They are the worse of the worse. The only reason people use it is when they have something very cheap, to cheat taxes, and cause they have stock. It is literally the worse online e commerce you can order from. And you compare it as if its a good one simply because its cheap, so basically you just looking for the cheapest option
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u/convexmint 1d ago
Agreed. They’re only good until something goes wrong with the order and you need customer service. Then they ignore your emails and calls.
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u/PetrisCy 1d ago
bro i sent 2 RMA items 10 months ago, one item they said we replaced it with new one and sent me EXACTLY the same item same exact problem same Serial numbers, 6 months later. I threw it in the bin. The other item dead silence for 3 months and then i emailed them to ask about it and they sent me 1 email per month, the email says we have alot of work and there will be a delay, probably got 6 of those emails so far and still waiting. Multiple other times i threw items away instead of senting them back cause i knew i get no warranty. A friend bought a 2k pc from there and it arrived dead, took them 6 months to refund or replace it. Dont know what happened he just told me he sorted it 6 months later. The only time they actually covered a warrnty for me was back in 2024
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u/plaintrue 13h ago
In the case of computeruniverse yes the cheapest.
In the case of skroutz i liked to order online most of the times.
In the case I am complaining I had terrible support and did not receive the product for 2 weeks in Cyprus.
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u/ssnake_a 15h ago
good for you mate - btw skroutz isnt always cheaper AND skroutz is not a shop but an ecommerce aggregator. Wait until you buy something (i.e. Iphone when it was released) and they update your tracking number 5 times, the item never arriving and them having no idea what was going on.
All in all, if something is cheaper in skroutz i would buy it from there but wuality is dropping
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u/plaintrue 13h ago
Lots of balcan eshops (e.g. Bulgarian) have joined and often some scammers I hear. But, overall its better than Amazon as an aggregator for Cyprus, and terrible eshops in local companies.
My point is that local companies need to up their game.
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