RE: OT: Digital camera purchase from US

["Mark Harrison" <Mark.Harrison@xxxxxxx>]

Title: Message

Keyvan,

 

I've done this several times - I'm not convinced that there ARE big savings to be had here.

 

Be aware that it's not just shipping and VAT. To work out the "landed" price of an item:

 

- Take the price of the item

- Add the price of shipping and insurance

- Add the import duty (yes - you pay import duty on the shipping/insurance cost!)

- Add VAT (yes - you pay VAT on import duty - double whammy)

- Add a, normally £10, admin fee from the courier for dealing with the duty for you.

 

If you assume that a camera would attract 10% duty (I don't know whether it does - check with HMC&E), this could add another £40-50 to your costs. Add a £10 admin fee, and you have to query whether the savings are really there.

 

In the purchases I've made, the landed cost has generally been the same (in £) as the sale price (in $), so on that basis a $570 camera will cost you £570 after Gordon Brown has taken his cut.

 

Where US imports have been succesful on this group, there've generally been so for one of three reasons:

 

1: The item in question was not available in the UK (eg DDARs, Rios)

2: The item was imported in bulk with many group members buying en bloc, so shipping as a proportion came down

3: The item was MUCH lower priced in the States than a simple 1:1

 

I don't want to dis-hearten you, but be aware that there WILL be unexpected fees, and it WILL take a lot longer than you expect, since it'll inevitably end up at Heathrow for about 4 days waiting to clear customs, and you'll be phoning up the couriers each day, who will lie to you and claim it'll be ready shortly...

 

Finally, most US retailers don't want to export - it's a lot of hassle for them, for low-margin goods (electricals margins are typically about 10%, and the admin cost can exceed this.) Inevitably, their anti-fraud policies mean that they won't let you buy over the Internet - instead, you'll have to phone them up (and therefore incur the costs of an international phone call.)

 

If you DO decide to go ahead, then get the customs code >from paperwork. This will massively speed up the importing process.

 

Regards,

 

Mark

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Keyvan Rahimian [mailto:keyvan@xxxxxxx]
Sent: 18 September 2002 22:14
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxxSubject: [ukha_d] OT: Digital camera purchase from US

Hi

 

I am posting this question because I know a few of you buy stuff from US on the net.

I am considering the purchase of a Canon G2 and it sells for about £570.

I have seen it various US web stores for about $570. Even after shipping and VAT I should save around £90 on the UK price. I wonder if anyone has experience with this type of purchase and can point me to a trusted source.

Many thanks in advance.

 

Keyvan R

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