Just want to share as a guide or forewarning about ordering a Steam Deck OLED directly from the US. The post is a copy-paste from my own reddit post (in Filipino).
Steps and preparations I did before purchasing through the Steam Store US:
fully verified GCash account and activated the GCash AMEX virtual card; will be using this at the US Steam Store
About sa Steam Account, need mo talaga ng looks legit na steam US account. Gumamit ako VPN and signed-up sa browser ng account, hoping that the VPN US IP address is not flagged as VPN traffic. Then after the email verification and added some info na pwede ilagay, disconnected sa VPN and logged in with steam client to continue to complete some details and profile. Use the GCash AMEX to purchase at least $5 worth na game, then activate the steam guard (ginamit ko lang PH mobile number ko). Tapos wait roughly 10-15 days to check and observe if babawiin ung transaction and lapse the period na need activated ung steam guard. Yung billing address na gamitin mo is basically the US address info shown ni GCash for the AMEX card.
If wala pa buyandship account, sign-up for one and complete the instructions for you to get your own member ID and address you will use for shipping information. Yung portland address ang gamitin para tax-free yung purchase na gagawin mo.
Given wala naging problema yung 1st purchase mo and still appearing in US$ yung steam store pag login ka duon with client app na hindi naka-VPN, the next big step is to do the purchase nung mismong Deck. Make sure yung information ng address ni buyandship ang mailagay mo as shipping address and should exactly be the same. Wag mo piliin ung "recommended" address and stick with the one you encoded.
Pray na lumusot at maging successful yung purchase. Pag umabot na sa stage na for shipment na siya at tracking number, hindi pa siya ang endgame mo. It seems may instances na bawiin nila if mapansin nila anomalous ung transaction origin or duda sa shipping address information.
Pag may tracking number na, you would need that to submit kay buyandship to lodge your incoming parcel.
Given all is still well at shipped-out na siya (mine was via FedEx from CA to OR), had to wait na dumating siya mismo kay buynship, with matching bantay sa fedex tracking at whether mag-update si buynship na received parcel na talaga on their end.
Some add'l info to consider:
conversion rate ni GCash ay kung ano man current market rate... +3 pesos. So yung bili ko eh rate was 55.4, sa conversion ni GCash eh lumalabas 58.4/$. For better math appreciation, $550 would be equivalent to +1650 pesos offset dahil sa exchange rate, $650 would be +1950 pesos.
in a way risky ang pag-ship nung commodity and warranty might be the trouble. As of writing this post, eh inaantay ko pa nga dumating sa HK warehouse ni buyandship yung parcel ko. Even with their add-on na mala insurance (+1050) you still can't say how well things will go.
Baka by now, si buyandship eh nag-aalok na ng pasabuy ng steam deck OLED via Komodo Japan at a reasonable markup inclusive of shipping to Manila.
All this in hopes na nakatipid ng 4k man lang (for either 512gb or 1TB OLED model) after landed cost vs. sa mga benta na price ni DB or GamExtreme
So ayun, kung hindi makati ang palad at willing to wait mala-jollibee champ or mcdo chicken, antayin nyo na lang magbaha ng stock sa HK or Japan at baka mas mura pa.
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TLDR
Cost breakdown and landed cost:
Steam Deck 1TB OLED model - $649 = PHP 38,030.50 (approx 58.4/$ conversion GCash AMEX)
BuyandShip freight to Manila - PHP 2180 less 400 thanks to BDO promotion
BuyandShip+ insurance - PHP 1083
TOTAL LANDED COST: PHP 40,893.50
Timeline:
Purchased Steam Deck @ Store - Dec 23
Departed from Valve Warehouse - Dec 29
Arrived at BuyandShip Oregon - Jan 2
Arrived at BuyandShip HK - Jan 8
ETA Manila - swerte na kung Jan 15
TOTAL DURATION: almost a month
