Flash Brackets

MikeeB

MikeeB

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Mike Whitmore
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I'm after a flash/umbrella bracket and a light stand. And a white shoot through umbrella. But after looking on eBay I've conceded that I won't find one on there that isn't from Hong Kong or China. The thought of being charged £20 customs fees on a measly £5 bracket isn't one I want to have happen to me.

Can anyone suggest somewhere I may find some to purchase from within the UK?

Thanks :)
 
Hi Mikee

I was always under the impression that at and import duty didnt apply to owt under £18 in value so I`m sure you shouldnt pay £20 for import duty. What does cheese me off about some of these characters from HK who ply their wares on ebay is the extortionate amount they charge for postage....I mean £35 to post an Mb-D10 from one HK supplier and only £12 from another.....:razz:

Same with some of the cams....One supplier is charging £790 for a D300(which I am after) but £129 for postage!!!!!!:eek:

go figure cos as sure as God made little green apples theres no way it costs £129 to post a camera from HK! Methinks they are fleecing people and making unreasonable profits though outrageous postage amounts.

Bessy regs

Kenny
 
Kenny said:
Hi Mikee

I was always under the impression that at and import duty didnt apply to owt under £18 in value so I`m sure you shouldnt pay £20 for import duty. What does cheese me off about some of these characters from HK who ply their wares on ebay is the extortionate amount they charge for postage....I mean £35 to post an Mb-D10 from one HK supplier and only £12 from another.....:razz:

Same with some of the cams....One supplier is charging £790 for a D300(which I am after) but £129 for postage!!!!!!:eek:

go figure cos as sure as God made little green apples theres no way it costs £129 to post a camera from HK! Methinks they are fleecing people and making unreasonable profits though outrageous postage amounts.

Bessy regs

Kenny
Click to expand...

i have noticed this, but if you look, i think the actual product is cheaper on the higher postage items, sort of avoiding ebay fees and making themselves look cheaper.

as for original post, i do think your covered up to a tenner, but if they try to slapp £20 on it, then let them send it back to the supplier.
the HK sellers want your business so they undervalue most things andmark as gifts or repaired items to avoid this for you.
 
I haven't had any tax charged on things like umbrellas, but I did once have Fedex try to extract £75 tax on a £95 item :thinking:

Even after getting HM Customs involved (or Customs and Exercise as the eejit from Fedex kept calling them) Fedex wouldn't back down. Eventually I gave them an ultimatum - accept the amount calculated by HM Customs or get nothing....guess which they chose :lol:

Back to umbrellas etc....I bought one of the cheapy umbrella holders from HK (about £6 delivered) and it was total crap, in future I'll stick with Manfrotto ones at about £17 from a UK seller. The umbrellas themselves seem to be decent enough quality though
 
Thanks for the replies all, some interesting feedback.

So its reckoned that I should avoid import duty if I bought my umbrella and light stand from HK? Suppose its worth a shot then. I'll take your advice on the bracket from HK though Flash in the Pan, if they were really that bad I'd rather have something longer lasting and durable. I'll ask the seller if they'll mark it as a gift too as it worked for me in the past when I bought my airsofting equipment from over there.

Kenny, I know what you mean about the postage costs from some HK sellers its ridiculous. And I thought eBay were clamping down on them. Still, the D200 grips come in at a decent price even with postage so I'll be getting one of them soon :D
 
You might be quite happy with it for the money, I don't know, all I can say is feel it was just money wasted when good quality ones that will last are only a few pounds more.

I wouldn't get wound up about the postage costs from HK, it's the total paid that matters not how they divide it up.

Have a look at Mr Studio01 on Ebay, I've been pleased with the quality of stuff I've received from them, not the cheapest, but not too bad
 
I wasnt charged any import duty when i purchased from hong kong-just usual vat. Mind you it was a £1200 order.
 
Becareful with sellers marking things as 'Gifts'. If customs think its not a gift they can fine you as the purchaser! Up to £18 there shouldn't be any VAT charges.
 
Lightstand for £10 + p&p from UK....

http://www.cameras2u.com/Store/s597...sh/Lighting-Stand-2-S-(85-243cm)/details.aspx

2 X umbrella flash brackets for ~£10 delivered from Hong Kong

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....o=CRX&its=S%2BI%2BSS&itu=ISS%2BUCI%2BSI&otn=4

White shoothrough umbrella with silver/black backing for £16 delivered from Hong Kong....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Reflector-Tra...oryZ3860QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I bought these items in the last couple of weeks. "Cheap" sums them up but they are OK for a budget setup. I actually bought three stands, two for flash guns and brollies, and one for a reflector holder. I bought the two brollies separately in order to keep each delivery under £18.

I've bought several things from eBay Hong Kong traders recently and everything has turned up in good working order - flash brackets, diffusers, ETTL sync cords, plus the brollies and flash/brolly stands. Quickest delivery was around 3 working days, while the slowest (the brollies) was just under two weeks, but they did need signing for, so the postage charge seems fair.
 
Interesting.

Thanks for the links Tim :D
 
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