Buying Camera From The States?

[gasjkh2]

Can anyone tell me how the warranty stacks up ref new cameras purchased from the U.S.?

I am looking for a D300 and have found a website (B&H photo) with the D300 at 1800 US dollars which seeems a good price. Has anyone used this company?

Any help & advice would be appreciated?

Many thanks

[TBMike]

They are a well established company in the US. I have and would buy from them.

[markgrubb]

There have been threads on this before

Look at

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=4725&highlight=buying+cameras+from+abroad
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=65959&highlight=buying+cameras+from+abroad
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=37674&highlight=buying+cameras+from+abroad

[joannec]

Can anyone tell me how the warranty stacks up ref new cameras purchased from the U.S.?

I am looking for a D300 and have found a website (B&H photo) with the D300 at 1800 US dollars which seeems a good price. Has anyone used this company?

Any help & advice would be appreciated?

Many thanks

Don't forget that the electricity supply in the US is 110 volts, not 220 so any battery charger that plugs into the mains won't work here.

Also there is the matter of customs, you might have to pay import duty. Chances are they won't check but if they do you will have to pay the tax before you get the parcel.

Joanne

[Duke Leto]

Nikon do not support warranty on digital devices from the US (I bought a coolwalker from Ritz a few years agou who were selling 3rd party warranties because of this) and as I found out MACK warranties should be taken with a lot of alcohol and dark glasses on. Yes you will pay import duty even on used equipment. If you want to buy off shore far better from the far east with sellers offering to pay any additional charges that may be incurred and state this risking yet another morality debate. at least with the far east they ship it with a Nikon Warranty, not experienced whether this is actually worth anything so don't quote me.....................

[Nils K]

I thought of doing exactly the same, but B and H dont ship the D300 abroad. This is the message you get when calculating shipping costs: Due to the manufacturer’s restrictions, B&H Photo is unable to ship this item to an international destination

Bought one at my local shop last week: it's awesome.:king:

Good luck shopping!

[gasjkh2]

Thanks everyone.
I am now looking at Hong Kong then as we get "ripped off" in Rip Off Britain.

Why is there such a HUGE difference in price even after taking into consideration the exchange rate?

[Outboard]

Have you considered the possibility of a US visit and buying a D300 yourself?

[Leif]

Thanks everyone.
I am now looking at Hong Kong then as we get "ripped off" in Rip Off Britain.

Why is there such a HUGE difference in price even after taking into consideration the exchange rate?

Because they can get away with it.

[pe'rigin]

Thanks everyone.
I am now looking at Hong Kong then as we get "ripped off" in Rip Off Britain.

Why is there such a HUGE difference in price even after taking into consideration the exchange rate?


Import tax by HM Government.

Distributors & Shipping cost

Retailers cost

VAT by HM Customs & Excise

[Roy C]

Thanks everyone.
I am now looking at Hong Kong then as we get "ripped off" in Rip Off Britain.

Why is there such a HUGE difference in price even after taking into consideration the exchange rate?
This should read "ripp off Europe" and most of the world. People from all over the world apart from the US and far east complain about the same thing. In that respect the UK is no different than most places. If you think it is cheaper in mainland Europe why not nip over there and get one.

[Leif]

Import tax by HM Government.

Distributors & Shipping cost

Retailers cost

VAT by HM Customs & Excise

I've been looking at microscopes. A Meiji unit is $1500 in the US, which is just over £700. I was quoted £1450 in the UK. Exact same model. How can that be justified as anything other than ripping us off?

Incidentally the US also has distributors costs and retailers costs.

My suspicion is that Americans spend more than us on consumer goods (due to lower income tax) and that greater turnover allows reduced prices.

[Duke Leto]

Import tax by HM Government.

Distributors & Shipping cost

Retailers cost

VAT by HM Customs & Excise

Yep exactly right BUT look at the feedback that like of DigRev, Kea Photo etc get, 10s of thousands of people buy from the far east, its a dog eat dog world and I for one am not wealthy enough to chuck £100's plus away of my hard earned because a seller may be willing to reimburse any additional cost levied by the government B (:

[Duke Leto]

I've been looking at microscopes. A Meiji unit is $1500 in the US, which is just over £700. I was quoted £1450 in the UK. Exact same model. How can that be justified as anything other than ripping us off?

Incidentally the US also has distributors costs and retailers costs.

My suspicion is that Americans spend more than us on consumer goods (due to lower income tax) and that greater turnover allows reduced prices.

My American friends assure me that the US and Local Governments make up for the cheap goods in other ways and taxes 8-P

[orviskid]

good place, honest.

[joespy]

Hia Gas....don't know if this reaches you in time considering the dates. Just to tell you of my experience with Nikon warranties. I bought a D40x from HK via ebay, an excellent reputable dealer , no problems there. After 8wks the main PCB went down, the warranty I found out is invalid because Nikon have 3 world wide zones, Europe, Asia and the Americas. The camera is registered at the point of sale i.e. HK. I contacted the dealer in HK and explained, he told me to send the camera to him and he would return it to Nikon for repair under warranty, fair enough but when I checked out the shipping costs..I got a shock, £62 each way..! So I had a choice, pay that or pay to repair ot over here. I chose the latter for, I thought, better security and took it to Bligh's Optics in Leeds who I thought would repair it but they sent it to Nikon. Anyway it cost me £210 !
So much for, I thought, an original saving of £85 on ebay. There it is, I know there are success stories but we need to balance the equation......Would I do it again...not on your nelly...!!!! Regards Joe

[Duke Leto]

Hia Gas....don't know if this reaches you in time considering the dates. Just to tell you of my experience with Nikon warranties. I bought a D40x from HK via ebay, an excellent reputable dealer , no problems there. After 8wks the main PCB went down, the warranty I found out is invalid because Nikon have 3 world wide zones, Europe, Asia and the Americas. The camera is registered at the point of sale i.e. HK. I contacted the dealer in HK and explained, he told me to send the camera to him and he would return it to Nikon for repair under warranty, fair enough but when I checked out the shipping costs..I got a shock, £62 each way..! So I had a choice, pay that or pay to repair ot over here. I chose the latter for, I thought, better security and took it to Bligh's Optics in Leeds who I thought would repair it but they sent it to Nikon. Anyway it cost me £210 !
So much for, I thought, an original saving of £85 on ebay. There it is, I know there are success stories but we need to balance the equation......Would I do it again...not on your nelly...!!!! Regards Joe

Thats weird as long as you have the yellow international warranty slip it makes no odds?? that is why very few far east dealers will send it and offer 3rd party warranties instead. My D70s packed up after 13mths (my fault a story for another day) took it back and the authorised repaired didn't want to see my warranty!! Having used both Nikon and FixationUK I will say that IMHO I will always use Fixation every time, slick service, fast and courteous, Nikon were okay by very slow.

As the originator of this thread goes, there is a piece in this month Photography Monthly about the crackdown on imports from the US and the charges levied depending on what you buy. It makes no mention of imports from the Far East

[andrew_s]

Don't forget that the electricity supply in the US is 110 volts, not 220 so any battery charger that plugs into the mains won't work here.

These days almost all chargers and power supplies work on any voltage from 110 to 230. Plugs are different, but that's easily solved.

[Gentoo]

My American friends assure me that the US and Local Governments make up for the cheap goods in other ways and taxes 8-PYes and I can attest to this. In this country, you can potentially be taxed at least four times on the same money. Taxes are taken when you make the money in the first place. Then you use that money to but a car. You're taxed again when making a purchase. You sell that car some years later, you're taxed again as it is an income. If you put that money in the bank and it collects interest, you're taxed on the interest. That's four times on the same money! Things only seem cheaper if one only looks at price before taxes.

[Leif]

Yes and I can attest to this. In this country, you can potentially be taxed at least four times on the same money. Taxes are taken when you make the money in the first place. Then you use that money to but a car. You're taxed again when making a purchase. You sell that car some years later, you're taxed again as it is an income. If you put that money in the bank and it collects interest, you're taxed on the interest. That's four times on the same money! Things only seem cheaper if one only looks at price before taxes.

You might be right, but I'm not convinced.

We pay plenty of income tax. Let's assume an annual income of £30,000 (£40,000). You will receive £22,089.10 (£29,273.60) after tax. There is approx 5K tax free income, then tax rises to 40% above thresholds.

We also pay 17.5% VAT on most items, and fuel attracts silly tax. Assuming 95p per litre (we now pay about 10p more), then 63.7p of that is tax. There are other taxes: road tax, tax on insurance, tax on bank interest (40% for a higher rate tax payer), tax on capital gains (40% for a higher rate tax payer) and so on.

Of course a lot of people have two sets of books, or take cash in hand. In some areas that is commonplace.

[Leif]

I've just collected some microscope objectives from the Parcel Force depot. Cost was $240 (about £120) plus $36 shipping (about (£18) making about £138. The total tax payable was £52 comprising £28.44 VAT (more than 20%), £10.20 import duty and £13.50 Parcel Force Clearance Fee (almost as much as the shipping from Texas to England). So, the tax amounts to 38%.

Outrageous IMO.

Oh, and I had to drive 25 miles to Milton Keynes to collect them because I gave my home address to the seller, and I am at work during the day.

[redtail7]

These days almost all chargers and power supplies work on any voltage from 110 to 230. Plugs are different, but that's easily solved.

Last summer I took a vacation to Europe and took my D50 Just bought a foreign plug adaptor for $20 before going the charger is a dual voltage type and all worked well

[Gentoo]

You might be right, but I'm not convinced.

We pay plenty of income tax. Let's assume an annual income of £30,000 (£40,000). You will receive £22,089.10 (£29,273.60) after tax. There is approx 5K tax free income, then tax rises to 40% above thresholds.

We also pay 17.5% VAT on most items, and fuel attracts silly tax. Assuming 95p per litre (we now pay about 10p more), then 63.7p of that is tax. There are other taxes: road tax, tax on insurance, tax on bank interest (40% for a higher rate tax payer), tax on capital gains (40% for a higher rate tax payer) and so on.

Of course a lot of people have two sets of books, or take cash in hand. In some areas that is commonplace.Not to continue hijacking this thread and I apologize ahead of time to everyone else. What's property tax like in the UK? Each year American home owners pay, in addtion to the other taxes mentioned, an average of $5000 in property taxes. Then there are the state and local taxes.

[Leif]

Not to continue hijacking this thread and I apologize ahead of time to everyone else. What's property tax like in the UK? Each year American home owners pay, in addtion to the other taxes mentioned, an average of $5000 in property taxes. Then there are the state and local taxes.

Cripes. :(

We pay council tax and the amount depends on both the property type, and the area. In the area where I live (Bedfordshire) the amounts vary between £1,000 and £3,000, and almost everyone pays between £2,000 ($4,000) and £3,000 ($6,000).

We do not pay tax when we sell our main place of residence, but if we die, then anything over about £260,000 in the total estate value is taxed at 40%.

[Duke Leto]

I feel a tad responsible a it was my earlier comment which triggered the tangent thread...... My friend as UK resident sold up quite some time ago and moved and married in the US, when I was in Philidelphia visiting in 2006 she was in the process of moving so had a conversation on the cost of living, she won the debate hands down but it varyies from state to state unlike the UK, gotta say she is taxed more than I am

[Leif]

Well I think the main question has been answered, namely that taking into account taxes and shipping, it is not worth buying a D300 from the US, unless you are there on a visit, and do not declare it on your return.

And I'm sure I read on a notice at the Parcel Force depot in Milton Keynes that presents sent from overseas are subject to tax.

[andrew_s]

I've just collected some microscope objectives from the Parcel Force depot. Cost was $240 (about £120) plus $36 shipping (about (£18) making about £138. The total tax payable was £52 comprising £28.44 VAT (more than 20%), £10.20 import duty and £13.50 Parcel Force Clearance Fee (almost as much as the shipping from Texas to England). So, the tax amounts to 38%.

The VAT is correct at 17.5% - you also pay it on the clearance fee and on the duty (so you are being taxed on your taxes).

[Duke Leto]

Well I think the main question has been answered, namely that taking into account taxes and shipping, it is not worth buying a D300 from the US, unless you are there on a visit, and do not declare it on your return.

And I'm sure I read on a notice at the Parcel Force depot in Milton Keynes that presents sent from overseas are subject to tax.

In fear of opening up a moral / legal thread I notice that HK sellers on EBay are now shipping D300s at sub £1000 prices inc shipping, Nikon Warranty and no duty to pay (yeah I know so don't shoot the messanger)

[Leif]

The VAT is correct at 17.5% - you also pay it on the clearance fee and on the duty (so you are being taxed on your taxes).

The more I understand about taxation, the worse it gets! Thanks for the explanation.

[Leif]

In fear of opening up a moral / legal thread I notice that HK sellers on EBay are now shipping D300s at sub £1000 prices inc shipping, Nikon Warranty and no duty to pay (yeah I know so don't shoot the messanger)

Yeah but you can get them for £1060 in the UK with a proper warranty. As far as I know the Nikon warranty is not valid in the UK. (Despite the lies from one HK seller.)

[rioja]

In fear of opening up a moral / legal thread I notice that HK sellers on EBay are now shipping D300s at sub £1000 prices inc shipping, Nikon Warranty and no duty to pay (yeah I know so don't shoot the messanger)

You can buy the D300 in Britain now for less than £1000.
Interesting comments as I am currently about to buy a big lens from someone somewhere !
I find it hard to believe that a $7000 dollar ( plus local tax which can't be that much in NY) lens becomes $10500 over here !
An holiday to go with the purchase would keep my o/h happy too !

[Duke Leto]

If you mean carrying one back in to the UK after a US trip you will be liable for the import tax n vat upon entry....... be careful
As for D300 prices it seems that there is now only £90.00 between the far east and the UK, about time that we were able to buy on an equal platform..... and yes the warranty is invalid as it is with all Nikon digital gear (but not lenses) which is why buying in the US for export normally warrants a 3rd party warranty from Mack buts thats another thread