Buying Lenses in the UK vs. US

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xil3

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I was just comparing the prices, and noticed that most of the places in the UK seem to have a markup of 50-100+% on lenses and other camera accessories...

Is it just me or is there something seriously wrong with this?

I'm thinking it's cheaper to buy a round-trip flight to the US and buy the lens, rather than buying it here.

Any thoughts?
 
Yes it is true we are an expensive nation, import duty and VAT add to the costs of things brought in.

If you buy in the USA and bring the stuff back, you could potentially get clobbered for import duty and VAT, you may not though. If you are saving enough when doing this to justify flights, even if you do get caught with the duty etc then go for it.

Be aware, sigma generally will not homour a warranty unless they have proof duty has been paid on the item, Canon only have full international warranty on L series lenses not sure what Nikon's stance is on this.

There are several companies and individuals that import equipment into the UK and seem to do decent prices, whether this is because the duty/vat is avoided or soaked into the cost i do not know.
 
IanC_UK said:
Yes it is true we are an expensive nation, import duty and VAT add to the costs of things brought in.

If you buy in the USA and bring the stuff back, you could potentially get clobbered for import duty and VAT, you may not though. If you are saving enough when doing this to justify flights, even if you do get caught with the duty etc then go for it.

Be aware, sigma generally will not homour a warranty unless they have proof duty has been paid on the item, Canon only have full international warranty on L series lenses not sure what Nikon's stance is on this.

There are several companies and individuals that import equipment into the UK and seem to do decent prices, whether this is because the duty/vat is avoided or soaked into the cost i do not know.
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Yeah, that makes sense.

Also, I have family in Canada, so I was thinking to order a few lenses to their place of residence, and then they can send them to me as a 'gift'.
 
xil3 said:
Yeah, that makes sense.

Also, I have family in Canada, so I was thinking to order a few lenses to their place of residence, and then they can send them to me as a 'gift'.
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or contact Kerso
he seems to get them cheap, as in US style prices but they get shipped from Scotland so no extra tax
 
IIRC there is a monetary restriction on the use of gift, can't remember what but I thought maybe £50.
 
"gift" is not a way of tax avoidance!

The limit for duty is £ 18 (from memory) for normal items or £ 36 if marked as a gift. Anything over that is liable for duty, vat & handling fee. Many things do slip through the net, but if you buy outside the EU you must expect to pay VAT (bonus if you're one of the lucky ones).

If the item was lost or damaged in transit, people may wonder why you were claiming for damage of £ 500 on an item with declared value of £ 25

Many of the Hong Kong suppliers mark the item as being sent as repair as this is one way of avoiding duty.

When we receive a car from America or something for renovation it comes in duty and tax free under a special scheme but the car must leave within a set period otherwise they start asking questions. Cars are a bit bigger and never slip through the net...
 
Rather than a round trip to the US of A, a PM to Kerso might be a plan...
 
I was going to start a thread like this nearer to the time, but I am planning a visit to New York later in the year and was going to pick up a 70-200 F2.8. I'm assuming I'd need to pay duty on it, would that just be a case of going through the goods to declare channel when arriving back here? Or do I need to do something before I leave?
 
Hi,

Have seen equipment sent back as 'repaired' and this avoids customs I think.

Mike.
 
i bought some equipment in ny and just un packed it and put it in wth the rest of my kit no questions asked.
 
Did any of you see Canon US is raising the US$ price of lenses because of the weak dollar... about 10% apparently.
 
desantnik said:
Did any of you see Canon US is raising the US$ price of lenses because of the weak dollar... about 10% apparently.
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Depends on the lens... some are only going up by 2-3%, others by more.

In any case, drop Kerso a line. I recently visited the States and, for me at least, the saving was minimal compared to his prices. It just wasn't worth the hassle of possibly getting hit by customs.
 
Craikeybaby said:
I was going to start a thread like this nearer to the time, but I am planning a visit to New York later in the year and was going to pick up a 70-200 F2.8. I'm assuming I'd need to pay duty on it, would that just be a case of going through the goods to declare channel when arriving back here? Or do I need to do something before I leave?
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Boy, have you just opened the flood gates. So do we put our orders in now or nearer the time. ;):D:D:D
 
1. You will need to pay local sales tax in the US if you pick up the equipment you buy, the only way to avoid that is to have it shipped to another state, and people like B+H in New York won't do that on a UK credit card unless it's going to a private or company address, in other words not to a hotel in another state, unless you pitch up in person and organise that.
2. If you bring it in to the UK and declare it, you will pay VAT at 17.5% and duty depending on the item- nil on camera bodies but 5% I think on lenses.
3. Although you will almost certainly get away with it, not declaring it and being caught is an offence, and frankly IMO not worth it.
4. As said above Ian Kerr (kerso) takes care of all the hassle, is legitimate, goods are covered by warranty, cashback is available, and saves 14hrs or so cooped up in cattle class. I know lots of us here use him, and frankly other ways of getting equipment may be slightly cheaper, but the sheer convenience is worth a lot. I see other traders offering special deals etc, and I suppose the only reason people buy from them is that they haven't read other threads like this.
Also you need to take in to the equation that your credit card company will not give you the spot rate in the newspapers, whereas that doesn't apply if you buy in sterling in the UK.

Hope that helps
George
 
I've used Kerso a few times (got a delivery from him yesterday infact) I just thought it might be better to get the lens myself when I was there. I would pay the tax on getting to the UK as it isn't worth running the risk. It looks like the Kerso may be just as simple...
 
A colleague of mine last year bought a couple of Ipod's for his daughters whilst he was in the US.

He may have purchased them at the airport in the states. Not thinking anything of and assuming anyway they were gifts he walked through the nothing to declare channel. Now he doesn't look like an international drug smuggler or terrorist but he got pulled by the custom.

It was an embarrassing 30 mins whilst the customs checked his luggage and informed him that they could
1 Fine him
2 Confiscate the Ipod s

Fortunately he convinced them it was a genuine mistake, so they just charged import duty and VAT

He reckons it would have been cheaper to buy them in the UK.
 
Craikeybaby said:
I was going to start a thread like this nearer to the time, but I am planning a visit to New York later in the year and was going to pick up a 70-200 F2.8. I'm assuming I'd need to pay duty on it, would that just be a case of going through the goods to declare channel when arriving back here? Or do I need to do something before I leave?
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I would get a price from Kerso, as it may be expensive buying in the USA and paying your tax's.

Assuming Canon 70-200 2.8 (non IS) is $1190 in usa.
so

$1190 + 8% NY sales tax = $ 1285.20

$1285.20 converted to £ using the official source for the time of this post = £ 650.43

£650.34 + 6.7% Import tax + 17.5% VAT

£650.43 + 6.7% Tax = £694.00

£694.00 + 17.5% VAT = £815.45

I'm sure Kerso would be cheaper than that.
If you dont pay your tax on return to uk its a more respectable £650.43, but that wouldnt be right. :shrug:

Dont forget these could go up or down depending upon the exchange rate on the day you arrive in the UK.
 
Thanks mho, I will certainly get a quote from Kerso and do the maths before I go!
 
A lot of the ebay suppliers in Hong Kong offer to refund any import duty/vat so they can work out pretty cheap for lenses and bodies.
 
I'm finding the HK are no longer offering the unmissable bargains they did originally and I haven't bought that route for a while. If you shop around you can often get stuff in the Uk only a tad more expensive but with none of the hassle. Ditto the US. However, if you want to buy there and run risks of getting caught on import then you can buy off Amazon US and have them ship wherever and then pick up when you get there, so avoiding the tax. Buying B&H and then adding local tax, plus VAT, plus any duty is rarely worth it according to the many times I have done that calculation ;-) And there is no 50-100% mark up of Uk v's US prices. I think that is fantasy. Check camerapricebuster.co.uk and you will see a bit divergence of prices, eg things I looked at last day or so: 40D £599 or £789; 24mm 2.8 £219 or £355; Sigma 17-70mm £199 or £254. So, shopping around is worth doing and you get the Uk receipt and warranty ;-)
 
Why not just buy the stuff out there (wherever you are going) - open all the boxes, whack the kit in your carry on camera bag, and hey presto - nothing looks out of the ordinary.

If you want the boxes, fold them flat, and post them to yourself!
 
condyk, have a look at kerso's prices, anyone that says there is no difference between US and UK prices is living in a dream.....so waste your money if you must.... US warranies generaly although not advertised will hold up worldwide.
 
And Craikey, see my post above.
 
George said:
condyk, have a look at kerso's prices, anyone that says there is no difference between US and UK prices is living in a dream.....so waste your money if you must.... US warranies generaly although not advertised will hold up worldwide.
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I was one of Ian's very first customers, have bought many items from him over the last 2-3 years and I usually ask him to quote for new stuff. I just ordered another 17-40mm off him in fact. The reality is that he isn't always cheapest even against UK stock, but he is usually best option when there are Canon cashbacks around.

I don't need to be told I'm livin' in a dream either thanks mate. But let's unpick your confident assertion ... lets take the three recent pricing examples I gave above and see if your argument holds any water in the real world. I'll use B&H prices as easy for you to check too:

Sigma 17-70mm - $389.00 = £194.50, but then you must add local NYC tax when you buy, and VAT and Duty on import!

Canon 40D body only - 1,139.95 = £569.97, but then you must add local NYC tax when you buy, and VAT and Duty on import. Oh, don't forget there is £100 cash-back in the UK too just now!

Canon 24mm 2.8 - $305 = £152.50, but then you must add local NYC tax when you buy, and VAT and Duty on import.

Best UK prices today are Sigma 17-70mm £199, 40D £599 (£499 with cashback!), 24mm 2.8 £219.

So unless you fly over, buy out of state and arrange shipping to wherever you are to avoid the local tax and then walk through Customs without declaring VAT/Duty then where is the saving? And don't forget you still ain't paid for your plane ticket :shrug: Even if you buy direct and have it shipped to the UK, after going through all the ID checkin' and credit card copy faxing first, you must add on substantial P&P, you're unlikely to avoid import charges (some will) AND you will be charged a collection fee by the courier. Oh, and are you gonna pay to have the boxes shipped over too? Your choice.

So, I'm really wondering how I am living in dream land here ;-)
 
condyk, what are Ians prices on these?.... He seems to give us pretty good deals, I think. Buying directly and legally in the States may not be the best option, Ian is good but for a big purchase, look at all the options.

BTW, sorry was not meaning to be pedantic, long lunch today and a bit of wine......!!!
 
I dunno prices on the above as didn't ask him this time. I decided to wait on the 40D as I am wonderin' why they are so cheap all of a sudden and whether we got a new body due sometime soon to compete with the D300 ... I don't need one 'til my next safari end August so no rush, but if no news on a replacement will probably pick one up before the rebates end in June. I was checkin' the 17-70mm 'cause I just put mine up for sale. And the 24mm I got one off eBay rather than new ;-)

However, here's an example for ya: the 17-40mm I just got off Ian for £390 delivered as paid by bank transfer. US/B&H price is $700 = £350 plus NYC tax, then VAT, Duty, whatever. The best UK retail price seems to be £458.99. There is also a £40 Cashback at the mo'. So Ian is definately best buy right now, plus the £40 cashback makes it £340 plus delivery.

My point above, and I make it based on lots of research into it, is to help save people money and held them avoid the delusion that US prices are somehow relevant to their buying decisions. Unless you go there on holiday anyway and avoid customes it just isn't worth getting knickers in a twist over. And there is also Quidco which can give added discounts on some of the prices featured on camerapricebuster.co.uk. Always worth taking 30 minutes or so doin' a bit of shopping around. By paying the lowest possible prices each time, while treating people fairly, all of us should be able to see our lenses especially as assets rather than worry about depreciation each time we upgrade.
 
I thought that when you apply for a cashback the lens must have been a UK lens, so how can he be importing USA lenses?
 
IanC_UK said:
Canon only have full international warranty on L series lenses not sure what Nikon's stance is on this.
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I hear this statement made on a lot of forums and is not that simple.If you go to B&H and buy any USA lens it will have a international warranty L or not,they also sell what they call gray imports which have return to store warranty, if you go to
onestop digital 90% of the lenses have a 6 month return to HK warranty so its not as simple as all L lenses have a international warranty as they do not. I don't use Nikon so im not sure on tat one.

.
 
malla1962 said:
I hear this statement made on a lot of forums and is not that simple.If you go to B&H and buy any USA lens it will have a international warranty L or not,they also sell what they call gray imports which have return to store warranty, if you go to
onestop digital 90% of the lenses have a 6 month return to HK warranty so its not as simple as all L lenses have a international warranty as they do not. I don't use Nikon so im not sure on tat one.

.
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All Canon lens's have a worldwide warranty with Canon, ie you can buy where ever you want in the world and canon will fix them for 12 months.

If you buy a lens from B+H and its a USA one it will come with a USA / international warranty card. If its an Import it will come from Hong Kong probably and will have a warranty card for over there.

But to get it serviced by canon under warranty you dont need the service card.

I had my 400 f2.8 calibrated by lehmans under warranty and they just went on my receipt from B+H. And mine was a so called import from B+H, as they are cheaper than the usa ones as they get them cheaper than Canon USA sell them to them.
 
mho said:
All Canon lens's have a worldwide warranty with Canon, ie you can buy where ever you want in the world and canon will fix them for 12 months.

If you buy a lens from B+H and its a USA one it will come with a USA / international warranty card. If its an Import it will come from Hong Kong probably and will have a warranty card for over there.

But to get it serviced by canon under warranty you dont need the service card.

I had my 400 f2.8 calibrated by lehmans under warranty and they just went on my receipt from B+H. And mine was a so called import from B+H, as they are cheaper than the usa ones as they get them cheaper than Canon USA sell them to them.
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Then try getting one done at CPS and see what happens, I guess you got lucky.Send them a lens with a HK receipt and you will pay.;)
 
malla1962 said:
Then try getting one done at CPS and see what happens, I guess you got lucky.Send them a lens with a HK receipt and you will pay.;)
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I have sent quite a bit of stuff to Canon, fixation, lehmans for calibration / repair and all which were under warranty have been done under warranty, not one item of canon equipment I own was purchased from a UK source.
 
Me too, all with US or kerso receipts, to Ellestree and to CPS.

Service been excellent, and also like mho, never been asked to pay.

Maybe HK is different, however.

George
 
xil3 said:
Also, I have family in Canada, so I was thinking to order a few lenses to their place of residence, and then they can send them to me as a 'gift'.
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Bummer, dude. Prices in Canada are still hiked up, despite the US dollar being almost 1-to-1.
 
My brother jets out to La Vegas twice a month on work and has offered to pick me up some kit if I tell him what I want. If it's like most things, with the pound going 2-1 against the dollar, a US buy would be a bargain, even with sales/import tax. The only concern is the warranty thing... but then again, insurance through E & L might solve any probs.

"Oops, I dropped it - please give me another". Think that woudl work?...

If you can get the US thing to work for you, it's a great bargain. Bought £500 (UK RRP) of snowboard gear in January and even with UPS chagring me import duty on delivery, the gear still came in at under £270.
 
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