Camera shop, Tenerife

Ady N

Ady N

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Anyone had any experience buying gear on this duty free island and how did the duty free Euro price compare with the UK? Also any recommendations for shops in the south of the island?
 
I don't have any experience of camera prices, however I looked into buying a Rolex when I was out there a few years back, when the pound was strong against the Euro, and the "tax-free" price at £2650 worked out at £300 more than the same item could be bought new and tax-paid from an authorised dealer in the UK......

It's a while since I've been over, but I can't really recall seeing any camera shops with anything more than compacts in them.
 
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Duty free prices at various airports are often inflated but I thought I might price up a D700 as I am in the market for one. One Stop Direct is a good deal and I have used before but am going to tenerife in June hence the question - you never know (fags are very cheap!).

You recently acquired a D700 in my price range via the forum - I was too late!!
 
I would be very cautious about buying over there - there's a lot of fakes and rip-offs.

Jak x
 
i bought a lens in tenerife about 3 years ago... it was from an electronics store in a nice posh shopping mall called Plaza Del Duque - near Adeje.

anyway, the guy in the shop quite willingly went online and we browsed the likes of jessops website and we compared prices - he knocked me about 10% off what jessops charged, ordered it and i went back about 3 days later to collect. To be honest, i could have probably got it for similar money in the uk, but of course on holiday i just went with the flow.

don't think there's much if anything to be saved.
you could bring me 200 Marlboro Lights back though :D
 
Be aware buying cameras in the Canary Isle's is fraught with danger. Just do a google and you'll find lots of examples.

I was nearly caught out when buying a camera for my wife. The con involved paying for the item, then the sales man demonstrating the camera (to ensure you know how it works), then introduce another camera as a better deal (which is obviously a Chinese rip off) and then refuse to sell you the original camera.

As they had my credit card details ect I immediately panicked but fortunately was able to cancel card.
 
Yep, we nearly got caught with that in Tenerife with a video camera - apparently it's a well known scam.

Jak xx
 
I was there about 3 month ago, there seems to be a camera shop on ever corner,to me they look pretty dodgy.
 
There's one down the bottom of what is Known as "veronica's strip" between Los Christianos, and Playas da la Americas (oops spelling!) and i know for a fact they sell the real stuff. I called Nikon Europe before purchasing a lens out there, and even gave them the serial number before i purchased it to make sure it was genuine. It's a proper store though and you pay more there than the little shops that advertise out there, and they are registered as Nikon suppliers. There's loads of very dodgy little "camera stores" all over the place where all the tourists are, though, and they will try to con you. Be warned, they love to con you out there.
 
Thanks for the replies. I sent my dad on a pricing mission and results were similar prices to the UK.
It seems my cheapest option is one stop Digital with payment by a new Amex Platinum card that gives 5% cashback so around £1,400.
 
Leftcurl - the wife's case will be full of Superkings, sorry!
 
I haven't been there for a few years but a common scam with cameras was to offer you the camera at a really good price and then once you say yes, they tell you that the battery needed is an extra £100. When you tell them that it should already come with a battery they become quite aggressive.

I've even heard of them locking the door until you buy.
 
I havent used this store but Visanta in Las Americas is meant to be a reputable shop, however do some googling to check that it is still the case, just be careful as there are many rip off camera stores
 
we were approached by a very 'friendly' Indian/Pakistani person who offered a Sony video camera for 29euors - too good to be true but we still handed the money over!. He then asked us to the back of the shop for a technical demonstration and asked for 85euros for a battery. He said the guarantee was valid in Argon - I asked how it could be when I didn't have an Argos receipt (no reply) I also asked if the cameras weres fakes (shock and horror!!!!) my husband started talking about pixels and he wasn't convinced by the answers. We were given a free coke and beer and when we refused to part with any more money I asked for a refund - which was given to us (I was really suprised at this) - however we were followed out by a young punk of Indian/Pakistani origin whose final dying kick to us was "when you have 2,000 euros come back and I will sell you a camera like mine" (as if?) he also told us his father owned 30 shops - presumably because he cheats holiday makers - one poor guy told us he ended up pay int 285euros for a Sharp camers gift wrapped' for his daughter - they had been visiting the island for 30 years and it was the first time they had been scammed - believe me - those guys are smooth talkers. As an aside I bought a cheap cover for my blackberry - only 5euros from another Indian/Pakistani guy - guess what - when I got it home it didn't fit even though I was assured it would fit - DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM INDIAN OR PAKISTANI shopkeepers on the island - I am not racist but twice bitten one does get wise and I have read other similar comments. Before you go on holiday google the place and scams ie Tenerife scams - forewarned is forarmed
 
Canary Islands has been a tourist destination for ages now, so everything is slanted towards taking money of visitors, doing your homework, knowing exactly what you want and how much it costs, finding the reputable shops and haggling is a must if you want to take advantage of the tax free product and avoid disappointment.
 
Don't forget that you need to pay the duty (and possibly VAT and import duty) when you bring it back here.

Canary Islands aren't classified as being in the EU, even though they use the Euro. Just check the cigarette allowance, it is only 200 per person.

You could risk getting through Customs without declaring but if get caught there are penalties to pay on top.
 
Ploddles said:
Don't forget that you need to pay the duty (and possibly VAT and import duty) when you bring it back here.

Canary Islands aren't classified as being in the EU, even though they use the Euro. Just check the cigarette allowance, it is only 200 per person.

You could risk getting through Customs without declaring but if get caught there are penalties to pay on top.
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You sure? It is one of Spain's Autonomous Communities....
 
Ricardodaforce said:
You sure? It is one of Spain's Autonomous Communities....
Click to expand...

From HMRC
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014&propertyType=document
4.3 What are the 'Special Territories'?
These are countries that are part of the EU for customs purposes, but not for fiscal purposes. Goods imported from these countries therefore are free of customs duty, but subject to excise duty and import VAT. The ‘Special Territories’ are:

The Ǻland Islands (Finland)
The Canary Islands (Spain)
The Channel Islands*
The French Overseas Departments of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique and Reunion
Mount Athos also known as Agion Poros (Greece)
Commercial consignments sent to the UK from the Channel Islands do not benefit from any relief of import VAT - please see paragraph 2.3.
Click to expand...
 
Molly47 said:
I havent used this store but Visanta in Las Americas is meant to be a reputable shop, however do some googling to check that it is still the case, just be careful as there are many rip off camera stores
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I had my father, who isn't too familiar with cameras, buy a lens from Visanta in GC on my behalf, and the sales guy pushed a UV filter too, it was a good price so I agreed (over the phone). The sales guy handed over the box and receipt and said the UV filter was inside, but of course it wasn't.

The trick is they often ask the customer when they're flying home, they may say the item isn't in stock, but they can get one in on the day the are due to fly etc. They then know they can pull a fast one, and forget about it - no comeback.

In this case the mistake was the sales guy just asked my father when he was going home, and he didn't ask if he'd be back two weeks later... ;) :D

Great deals, but you'd need your wits about you. ;)
 
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