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Canon 100-400 £999 in UK only £690 in USA (1 Viewer)

S

Suffolkringer

Inland birding is hard work!!
Hi there

I am hoping people might be able to help me out here? Just looking at amazon.com and the Canon 100-400 IS lens which is £999 in UK works out at only £690 on amazon.com!!!!

Am I missing something here? Would it work on UK 400d? If I know someone who might be visiting there relatives in the states does it seem visable for them to buy one and for him to bring it back for me?

Please let me know if I am being stupid or if and why its so much cheaper than UK

Cheers
Jon
 
Yes the lens would work.

It is more expensive because of VAT, import duty and cost of doing business. UK people expect and do get paid better than people in the USA, so cost of living is higher. Land and property values are inflated because the UK is, in reality, a small, highly populated island.

With VAT and Import duty the lens will currently cost you about £860 + shipping (I think...).

GBP-USD exchange rates are currently inflated so you are getting a real bargain buying from the USA at the moment. If you calculate the GBP value at an average exchange rate of 1:1.7, it works out a little different.

$1400 = £823

Add a 'typical' state sales tax of 7% and it is the equivalent of £880.

Now lets try the figures comparing cost of living where I live now, compared to when I lived in the UK - it is about 85%.

85% of £999 = £850

In reality, not so cheap is it?
 
Well we can hardly blame Gordon Brown for this, Matt... he didn't invent taxation.

Shopping around helps, Jon - Ian Kerr (Kerso - he runs the "Flash Camera" Ebay shop) frequently carries the 100-400mm, and sells it for about £885.

In fact IIRC his most recent price was £850.

He's based in Fife incidentally, but obtains his stock in the US.
 
Last edited:
Mark, Sorry but I have to disagree with you. I have bought all of my lenses from the States and even with Import Duty and VAT they are still cheaper ! I was not even charged Import Duty or VAT on the first two I bought but was well and truly hammered on the third.
I probably misunderstood your maths but the bottom line is the same lens is £300.00 cheaper in the States than it is here. Keith has a point that by using Kerso you can save a considerable amount. However even Kerso hovers roughly between the price in the States and the price here and relies, I suspect, on the fact that the goods are in Scotland and he has a proven track record.
 
JohnZ said:
I was not even charged Import Duty or VAT on the first two I bought but was well and truly hammered on the third.
Click to expand...

Hi John,

I've had similar.....most of the time customs doesn't look too closely but when they do you pay:C. It is risky but can payoff, just be forewarned.

Joanne
 
JohnZ said:
Mark, Sorry but I have to disagree with you. I have bought all of my lenses from the States and even with Import Duty and VAT they are still cheaper ! I was not even charged Import Duty or VAT on the first two I bought but was well and truly hammered on the third.
I probably misunderstood your maths but the bottom line is the same lens is £300.00 cheaper in the States than it is here. Keith has a point that by using Kerso you can save a considerable amount. However even Kerso hovers roughly between the price in the States and the price here and relies, I suspect, on the fact that the goods are in Scotland and he has a proven track record.
Click to expand...

John, as I said above, the exchange rate is currently very favourable for you in the UK, so the price of lenses looks very good. In fact, I said it would be about £860 + shipping with import and VAT...which is clearly cheaper than £999.

I did not say the lenses from your perspective living in the UK aren't cheaper - but from mine, living over here at the moment, they are not.

Also remember that the rules for sales tax are at the state level in the USA and are not included in the price you see on the shelf. If you are shipping mail/internet ordered goods out of state, you do not have to pay sales tax. This is different to the way we see VAT in the UK.

My final set of numbers were trying to rally against the expected (and not very constructive) 'rip off Britain' posts this question will get and try to put a little perspective on some of the price difference, without diving into cost of healthcare, education, taxation etc

With regard to not getting charged import duty and VAT - don't shout too loudly about it - I think that legally you are resposible for declaring and paying it...even if the people in customs 'missed' it when it arrived. ;)
 
Last edited:
deshojo said:
Prices in the US are cheaper because Americans just won't pay the prices we will - "rip off Britain" continues.
Click to expand...
If you feel like that you should at least be accurate and make it "rip off Europe" or "rip off most of the western world except the States". I have seen post from all over the world complaining of the price they have to pay for photographic gear compared to the States.
If you think Britain is a rip-off, why not bring one back from your hol's in say Spain or France or anywhere else in the EU (I have cringed at some of the prices in Spain).
And finally I would suggest that this is not the place to play politics.
 
Come on Keith and Roy, can't you let a middle aged man with baby induced sleep deprivation have a bad tempered, off-topic rant now and again? ;)
Point taken though, I did rather go off on one!

Cheers,
Matt
 
deshojo said:
Come on Keith and Roy, can't you let a middle aged man with baby induced sleep deprivation have a bad tempered, off-topic rant now and again? ;)
Point taken though, I did rather go off on one!

Cheers,
Matt
Click to expand...
Thats fair enough Matt, we all like a rant at time.:t:
my wife reckons I am turning into a 'grumpy old man' which is probably why I had a go;) Dont you think the Stoney in my Avatar looks a bit Grumpy ?
 
Suffolkringer said:
Hi there

I am hoping people might be able to help me out here? Just looking at amazon.com and the Canon 100-400 IS lens which is £999 in UK works out at only £690 on amazon.com!!!!

Am I missing something here? Would it work on UK 400d? If I know someone who might be visiting there relatives in the states does it seem visable for them to buy one and for him to bring it back for me?

Please let me know if I am being stupid or if and why its so much cheaper than UK

Cheers
Jon
Click to expand...

Jon, That lens will work well with your 400D and give you a great reach at the long end.

If you do have friends visiting USA you will save a bundle.

They will usually have to pay sales tax for the State they are in unless shipped out of state.

You or they will take a % card handling hit if using a credit card.

Tip:
Have them mail back the flattened box and ALL of the paper work to you.
and stash the polystyrene lens support in their baggage and ideally have them carry on the lens wrapped up in bubble wrap. Should work ;)

Jamie
 
I can reiterate what Keith says about Kerso. Have just had prompt service from him for the 100-400mm zoom lens and at a very good price! :t:
He even telephoned to confirm the order.
 
It should be said that if you buy a lens in the US and import it you should declare it and pay import duty and VAT (may still be cheaper than buying in the UK). Dodging the import tax and VAt is illegal. If you have a problem with the lens Canon will not touch it under warranty if it has not had the proper taxes paid on it.
 
I bought mine from Digital Rev in Hong Kong, paid the VAT/Duty and reclaimed it from Digital Rev using their "No VAT Guarantee". Their current price is £785 delivered and includes a 3 year international warranty.

http://search.ebay.co.uk/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&catref=C6&saetm=1188028146&saslt=2&from=R10&fstype=1&_trksid=m37&satitle=canon+100*+400*+%28tax*%2Cduty*%2Cvat*%2Cnotax*%2Cnoduty*%2Cnovat*%29&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&a25563=-24&a14=-24&a56136=-24&a25564=-24&a26446=-24&alist=a25563%2Ca14%2Ca41%2Ca56136%2Ca25564%2Ca3801%2Ca26446&pfmode=1&reqtype=1&gcs=1420&pfid=2120&pf_query=canon+100*+400*+%28tax*%2Cduty*%2Cvat*%2Cnotax*%2Cnoduty*%2Cnovat*%29&floc=1&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sabfmts=1&fobfmt=1&saobfmts=insif&ga10244=10425&price=1&saprclo=500&saprchi=&fsop=3%26fsoo%3D1&coaction=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search
 
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