I must have the worst of luck or just one curse over my head. I again tempted to get a Canon XL1s from a company, and ordered it at a reasonable price from a company I have used before, and had no service problems from them.

However they said [the same as a few other sites] and stated:
"Apologises for delay in processing your order No. XXXXX, because the item you have ordered is currently out of stock with the manufacturers." And that it could take a few weeks to wait!

Have Canon not paid their workers? or have they gone on strike? or perhaps moving location to Mainland China as a lot of electrical companies are doing? Or is the world just buying all the XL1s like they have a chance to get a Willy Wonka Golden Ticket inside?

Anyone know whats going on in the World of Canon regarding PAL version XL1s???? I feel like a child thats been told - sorry but santa is delayed! You will just have to wait!

Canon Japan is a very conservative company and has a notorius habit of underproducing. This situation is much worse in their professional still photo camera division, where customers sometimes wait for weeks to take delivery of new product. Rest assured that it's worth the wait. Try contacting Optex UK as they usually have stock.

Where did you order it from?

Canon is also one of the few camera companies to report a profit. They also manage inventory levels very closely, in this type of economy that is probably a wise management decision.

It could also be that the price is still too good to be true. It's very easy to sell products you don't have at a low price, a common camera store practice. Are all the retailers in the UK out of XL1S or just the low, low price ones?

Ordered it from www.rgbdirect.co.uk..... Just never said as to be advertising a non-sponsor as a previous post requested.

They were listed by WHICH?, which until recently were an independent organisation in UK that assured quailty of service and that a company under their banner or logo, met their criterior to be a company that met all Trading Standards and Consumer Rights and Laws. But due to poor funding (they were Non-Government funded) they have just recently been dissolved. But for a company to pass and legally use their logo had to pass tests. They are also in regular UKs most popular Camcorder Magazines. Im sure i got a gear from them last year and never had any problems at all. So guess they are just awaiting stock from Canon. They just sell general consumer type products, not specialists, or cater for professional market, so dont have camcorder accessories or specialist gear.

I did ask a few sites, who stated they had no cameras either and were awaiting stock from manufactures as well. So looks like I just have to wait.

The XL1s is £2199.99 inc VAT (tax) and P&P. I checked out OPTEX as people said, but there its £2350.00. So about £150 ($225 USD) more, which is cost of a few batteries, or onwards to price of MA-200 or Microphone. So I guess I could just manage to bare the wait for that amount.