Buying photo equipment on amazon.com

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Cat(h) - 29 May 2007 14:35 GMT

I am just wondering whether anyone has experience in purchasing photo
equipment from amazon.com (note, the US, not the UK site)?
It looks awfully tempting, due to exchange rate and lower prices, and
I am just wondering whether there are pitfalls, such as massive
delivery cost (quite hard to find on the site), slapping of unexpected
taxes on arrival (?), outrageously lengthy delivery times, etc...

Can anyone help?

Many thanks in advance,

Cat(h)

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Richard Polhill - 29 May 2007 14:43 GMT

> I am just wondering whether anyone has experience in purchasing photo
> equipment from amazon.com (note, the US, not the UK site)?
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Cat(h)

Gordon Brown will f.ck you over for tax on import. It is just his way, bless him.

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Cat(h) - 29 May 2007 14:49 GMT

On May 29, 2:43 pm, Richard Polhill
<richard.n...@polhill.vispa.invalid> wrote:

> > I am just wondering whether anyone has experience in purchasing photo
> > equipment from amazon.com (note, the US, not the UK site)?
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Gordon Brown will f.ck you over for tax on import. It is just his way, bless him.

Hmmm... Brian Cowen, mebbe... but then again, just like you, we're
between Governments at the mo.

So, what tax on import? Tariff? VAT?

Cat(h)

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Richard Polhill - 29 May 2007 14:59 GMT

> On May 29, 2:43 pm, Richard Polhill
> <richard.n...@polhill.vispa.invalid> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> Cat(h)

Import duty and VAT.

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Adrian Boliston - 30 May 2007 20:53 GMT

> Gordon Brown will f.ck you over for tax on import. It is just his way,
> bless him.

A lot of overseas suppliers guarantee that they will refund any import duty
in full, so it might pay to look out for this sort of guarantee.

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Rob Morley - 29 May 2007 17:24 GMT

In article <1180445703.373485.44970@p47g2000hsd.googlegroups.com>, Cat
(h)
cathy_ie@yahoo.com says...

> I am just wondering whether anyone has experience in purchasing photo
> equipment from amazon.com (note, the US, not the UK site)?
> It looks awfully tempting, due to exchange rate and lower prices, and
> I am just wondering whether there are pitfalls, such as massive
> delivery cost (quite hard to find on the site), slapping of unexpected
> taxes on arrival (?), outrageously lengthy delivery times, etc...

Have you tried going through the motions? When I tried buying something
from Amazon USA it wouldn't let me.
If you do manage to place an order you can expect to have to pay import
duty (something like 10%? - the Tariff used to be freely available
online, but now it's a paid subscription) and VAT on the total cost
including carriage, and a handling charge to the carrier for arranging
the customs clearance.

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Cat(h) - 29 May 2007 18:17 GMT

> In article <1180445703.373485.44...@p47g2000hsd.googlegroups.com>, Cat
> (h)
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> including carriage, and a handling charge to the carrier for arranging
> the customs clearance.

Thank you Rob and Richard. I have managed to find out the delivery
charge, which is nearly $70 to Europe, and allowing for the extra
taxes above, it takes a lot of the shine off the attractive list
price...
I reckon I'll be buying local, then :-)

Thanks again!
Cat(h)

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Brian - 29 May 2007 21:17 GMT

>> In article <1180445703.373485.44...@p47g2000hsd.googlegroups.com>, Cat
>> (h)
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>Thanks again!
>Cat(h)

I've bought from Amazon.com for delivery to a holiday address in the
US and saved almost 50% on the Amazon.co.uk price. I've also bought
from an eBay shop selling new US imported goods much cheaper than UK
prices.

Brian

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Alan Clifford - 30 May 2007 01:06 GMT

C>
C> Thank you Rob and Richard. I have managed to find out the delivery
C> charge, which is nearly $70 to Europe, and allowing for the extra
C> taxes above, it takes a lot of the shine off the attractive list
C> price...
C> I reckon I'll be buying local, then :-)
C>

Not that I'd recommend it but I read somewhere that the thing to do is to
enter your UK address but put in a valid US zip code. The theory is that
the package is taken to the zip code address, the postman sees it has been
misdirected and sends it on to you here. And you haven't paid the
overseas delivery charge.

Signature

Alan

( If replying by mail, please note that all "sardines" are canned.
However, unless this a very old message, a "tuna" will swim right
through. )

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Cat(h) - 30 May 2007 12:16 GMT

> C>
> C> Thank you Rob and Richard. I have managed to find out the delivery
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> --

That all sounds a bit chancy... I think I'd rather pay a little more,
and be sure that my item will not be travelling around the world for
months, or get lost altogether.

Thanks anyway.

Cat(h)

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Trev - 30 May 2007 12:48 GMT

>> C>
>> C> Thank you Rob and Richard. I have managed to find out the delivery
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> Cat(h)

Well buying from Amazon UK means it might be coming from Pixmania (France )
saving money because of the EU rate but still including all fees and giving
you the UK Consumer protection should it have a fault.
Posting back to the US to have a fault fixed could be a costly pain

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Michael J Davis - 30 May 2007 14:23 GMT

Trev <trevbowdenAT.dsl.pipex.COM@?.?.invalid> observed

>>> C>
>>> C> Thank you Rob and Richard. I have managed to find out the delivery
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
>you the UK Consumer protection should it have a fault.
>Posting back to the US to have a fault fixed could be a costly pain

I've purchased twice from Pixmania - very happy with purchases, although
watch out for foreign instruction books. My Panasonic FZ5 came with all
European languages except English. It's clearly in their T&C - and I'd
already downloaded a PDF.

There was a minor problem (they sent two cameras in separate deliveries
- only charged for one - and I had a little difficulty in persuading
them that the one I wanted to return wasn't *mine*!) which was resolved
with no trouble - carrier collected - and a note of thanks from them. It
was almost like dealing with humans!

Yes, I know that the enquiry was about Amazon - but they don't employ
humans do they?

Mike

[The reply-to address is valid for 30 days from this posting]

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Cat(h) - 30 May 2007 17:25 GMT

> Trev <trevbowdenAT.dsl.pipex.COM@?.?.invalid> observed
>
[quoted text clipped - 45 lines]
>
> [The reply-to address is valid for 30 days from this posting]

Thank you Mike and Trev.
I bought my Canon G5 from Amazon.co.uk and was very pleased with the
service - far better value than I could buy in Ireland, prompt
delivery, I was able to track my order all the way, so I am quite
positively disposed towards the amazon.co.uk bots :-)
I'll check out pixmania.

Cat(h)

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