Where do you buy your Cameras/Lenses from?

D.P. said:
Buying from HK just doesn't make sense, and if you do circumvent paying import duty and taxes then you are breaking the law.
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Doesn't make sense on what level?

They come with international warranty.
They are cheaper.
They are real legit lenses.

Who is breaking the law? The consumer or the retailer?

I presume you mean the retailer? As a consumer you have no control on what the sender writes on the custom declaration form. As a consumer you pay whatever the tax bill came to when it arrives.

I had to pay a small fortune when my monopod arrived from the states, I got no problem with that as there was no stock in the UK at the time and the total worked out the same as buying it here.

As you are aware, living in the UK, as oppose to the US where you are, prices here are higher. I wonder if your opinion would be the same if you move back here again.
 
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Yeah I was going to point out the same D.P., I recall you saying you are in the US, where prices are a little better than here in the UK, so there is less incentive to buy from abroad. The HK retailers certainly seem to target UK customers, which I don't see them doing so much with US customers.
 
Just bought a Canon 17-55mm F/2.8 from Amazon, currently selling for £595 plus £55 Canon cashback. Even at £595 it's cheaper than DigitalRev. I'd act quick though as I can't see it staying at that price for long.
 
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Raymond Lin said:
Doesn't make sense on what level?

They come with international warranty.
They are cheaper.
They are real legit lenses.

Who is breaking the law? The consumer or the retailer?

I presume you mean the retailer? As a consumer you have no control on what the sender writes on the custom declaration form. As a consumer you pay whatever the tax bill came to when it arrives.

I had to pay a small fortune when my monopod arrived from the states, I got no problem with that as there was no stock in the UK at the time and the total worked out the same as buying it here.

As you are aware, living in the UK, as oppose to the US where you are, prices here are higher. I wonder if your opinion would be the same if you move back here again.
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Both the consumer and retailer are breaking the law. As a consumer you have to declare the value of the good and pay the tax and duty, even if UK customs do not pick up on the goods. It is no different to self employed people declaring their own income and paying income tax, or people running their diesel car from vegetable oil who still have to pay fuel duty.

If you don't want to commit tax fraud it is your duty to follow the law, declare taxes of goods that you have imported and pay any relevant taxes.

Do I expect everyone to do that and would I do that myself, no. But that doesn't detract from the fact that it is fraud.


I am well aware it is cheaper buying from HK, but that is because you are not paying 20% VAT and any other duties imposed on electronics goods, plus wages of the workers are less and you have questionable warranty. Any UK supplier has to abide by UK tax laws and business regulations.


Oh yeah, and if you really want to avoid the tax and you are charging for photography then setup a Bussines with VAT exemption on work related hardware.
 
Nexus said:
Yeah I was going to point out the same D.P., I recall you saying you are in the US, where prices are a little better than here in the UK, so there is less incentive to buy from abroad. The HK retailers certainly seem to target UK customers, which I don't see them doing so much with US customers.
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As I said, the biggest difference is the level of tax and duty which you effectively avoid going through HK, but it is technically fraud. I really don't care, but people should no what they are doing.

Furthermore, people complain that their high street shops are disappearing or don't stock a wide range of gear, but then buy from HK instead of supporting their local shops. This isn't always possible where I now live there are no usable camera shops (recent purchases were from Bh photovideo)
 
D.P. said:
Both the consumer and retailer are breaking the law. As a consumer you have to declare the value of the good and pay the tax and duty, even if UK customs do not pick up on the goods. It is no different to self employed people declaring their own income and paying income tax, or people running their diesel car from vegetable oil who still have to pay fuel duty.

If you don't want to commit tax fraud it is your duty to follow the law, declare taxes of goods that you have imported and pay any relevant taxes.

Do I expect everyone to do that and would I do that myself, no. But that doesn't detract from the fact that it is fraud.


I am well aware it is cheaper buying from HK, but that is because you are not paying 20% VAT and any other duties imposed on electronics goods, plus wages of the workers are less and you have questionable warranty. Any UK supplier has to abide by UK tax laws and business regulations.


Oh yeah, and if you really want to avoid the tax and you are charging for photography then setup a Bussines with VAT exemption on work related hardware.
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A very academic answer, but back in the real world.

You saying you would take goods that customs missed, go back with a cheque book back to and offer to pay every time they missed it?

Like I said, who fills out the custom declaration form? I don't remember ever required to fill one and declare to the courier what is in my package BEFORE i can have it whilst standing there in my PJ signing a parcel from the postman, do you?

p.s. I am not a tax lawyer so I don't know what qualify as tax fraud, but I am not sure if a simple ordering of goods and receiving them qualify as one. With fraud, as you put it several times, as oppose to neglect to paying taxes and the taxman come after it, don't the act of fraud itself require intent? When their website says all taxes are paid on their end and I fully intend to pay any taxes when it arrives, how is it fraud? (On a real world, not an academic one)

Plus I am not sure how HMRC can reach over to another country either with our law. So on an academic level I don't even know what you are saying is 100% correct. I do know what I get goods where I think it is value for money, whether it is my breakfast croissant or my electronics. It aren't always the cheapest, I bought PW from WEX, 5D from Amazon, lenses from Jessops but to call people committing fraud when you don't have to pay the prices we do, when you have B&H then it reads like you are writing all that on an outsider perspective and with such academic answer and dare I say it, on all written sitting on a high horse.

Sorry.
 
I will actually be happy when they nail these places down. I'm sick of people trying to haggle import prices from ******* on every thing for sale :D

It's driven down used prices.

Canon Uk should get their act together and offer a longer UK warranty with a Vat receipt and nail these places down. Or stop offering international warranties.

I used digital rev once and don't think I ever will again.
 
What does everyone do for insurance? Are Photoguard ok?

Reason I ask is that I cannot get my incoming 400mm insured on my house policy at a good rate (extra £50 per month) but I don't want to change my policy as it's the old style M&S one they don't underwrite anymore which covers all our bikes with no limit on value. The new one would cost us loads.

Photoguard quote me £199 for the year to cover the 400mm which is fine, but are they good?
 
I'm on photoguard, I've heard good things with them with regards to claims so yes, they are good. And I heard good things with aaduki as well.
 
Remember to take out the option insurance for transport in the car too, I think that is extra, and make sure it's not stored in plain sight, and your boot need a parcel shelf.

If the total amount for gear is over £15k, you need a 5 lever lock on your doors in your home.
 
All other gear is protected under our home insurance which has full accidental damage away from home etc cover. Only going to cover the lens. For some reason it would cost another 80 quid per month to cover on home but apparently this is because they want us to move off their old product :p

Good point on the car I think our car insurance valuable items limit tops out at a few k or something
 
jonneymendoza said:
I use to use Jacobs. Was well and truly gutted when they closed shop


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I'd not even paid attention to the fact they had closed down. I remember last time I went to their New Oxford Street store which is opposite Jessops they had a closed sign, but I had no idea why. They only totally refurbished the place in the past year too. I always preferred spending money in there than Jessops.
 
Nexus said:
I'd not even paid attention to the fact they had closed down. I remember last time I went to their New Oxford Street store which is opposite Jessops they had a closed sign, but I had no idea why. They only totally refurbished the place in the past year too. I always preferred spending money in there than Jessops.
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likewise.

i bought my first L lens from jacobs down in monument central London. I also was thinking of buying my 5D3 there too!

great service and great range of unique products.

i must admit though, the absolute best place i went to was down in downtown Orlando. THAT PLACE WAS A GOLD MINE!!

it had everything! from all the lenses and camera's u can think of to light stands, unbrella's and freaking chemicals to develope your film
 
Well just back from visiting all the shops in Swindon and what a huge waste of time that was as none of the 3 shops I went into (T4, Great Western and Jessops) had any of the 5 things I wanted to either buy or look at.

Although, being Christmas, I can understand them being a little busy and I should have phoned them all 1st but what I found strange, from a "keep the high street open" point of view, is that they all recommended that I use their internet shops to order everything instead as none would get a restock until January.

I wanted to buy a Canon 70-200 F4, Tamron 17-50 F2.8, 2x UV Filters and look at the Canon 7D.
 
Slightly surprised! Went into jessops today nearby, and they had both the 7D and the 70-200 f4. They also had loads of Tamrons, but wasn't looking at them too much...

That's a smaller jessops than the one at Uni as well, where they had more stuff! (Think they even had a 5diii in that one)

kd
 
I usually find that high street shops are a waste of time. The only occasions I'll even consider high street shops for anything other than food and clothes is if I need something on the same day.
 
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