Sony EX1R Ship to Australia via the US??

Bob Grant · December 8th, 2009, 05:07 PM

If you're running a business then GST is irrelevant in Australia.
If you import something and don't pay the GST then you cannot claim it back. If you do pay the GST then you get it back, simple. Australian customs haven't charged me GST or import duty in years because it seems my ABN is registered with them, I think Fedex took care of that for me.

Christian Filippone · December 8th, 2009, 08:05 PM

Paul,

quote "All you're doing is looking at the raw price & whinging - do some research and find out the real cost of getting the camera into the country!"

whinging....hmmmm so you think I should shut up & buy the camera at whatever price they decide to give to me? Sorry but I'm not a zombie! I think the main reason we get ripped off is for people like you that just accept it as it is & pay whatever price they throw at you!!
Maybe if a few more people complained about the high prices & More people bought from the US only (which many were doing until the rules changed) they might just bring the prices to a more reasonable price like our American friends. Also I buy a lot of stuff from overseas so you didn't have to go to the Australian customs website to copy & paste half of their info to try teach how the tax system works. Lol

"I'm not saying we're getting a fair deal, most times there is an excessive markup - I buy most of my stuff from B&H......"

Stop whinging!! :)

I was in New York no more than 4 months ago I bought my Sony Ex1 from B&H for $6099 + 8% NY tax. I ended up paying about $7500 Aussie. I put in a camera bag brought into Australia & did not pay Gst. At that time Ex1 were averaging in sales from $10500 to $11500.
I saved just under $3000 buying in the US. I got a taste to what it feels to get a brand new camera at a price that we should be getting It for & now I want more.

Charles Newcombe,

"it would want to be driving on the wrong side of the road all the time, and all the data would flow backwards"

lol! The EXR1 has a new feature that flips the image so this should solve that issue. :)

Alastair Traill · December 9th, 2009, 07:01 AM

Quote: -
"I put in a camera bag brought into Australia & did not pay Gst".

The more business a dealer gets the more he can think about lowering his prices. Having to compete with other dealers is further inducement to cut prices. The more people like yourself who trip off overseas to cash in on larger markets the less likely is that the Melbourne dealers can make their goods cheaper.

Personally I am glad that we have dealers where we can inspects their wares and ask a lot of questions before purchase. On-line purchasing may be cheaper but I still prefer a face-to-face deal where I can get some idea of how I will be treated in the event of problems.

Finally we all have to pay our taxes (even GST) and the penalties for evasion are severe.

David Issko · December 9th, 2009, 02:58 PM

This thread instantly brings to mind Apple's Australia/USA pricing differences.

Who doesn't want to save money wherever they can?

I know it's not always as simplistic as that either. If the camera or other important piece of kit goes down, how long till it's fixed or temporarily replaced. Mind you, at the professional level we are at, most of us would have a backup camera for this reason.

It is up to each of us to decide where to purchase from but sound advice from others is and should be welcome in helping one to make an important financial decision. Bickering is not helpful.

Yes by buying locally you will, in part, support local economy but because the lion's share of the funds goes overseas (Sony, Fujinon, Canon) it may not be a factor in determining who to buy from.

However, as one or 2 pointed out, local warranty and firmware upgrades may be the difference between buying here or there.

Christian, I understand the point of your post but it is always better to post with facts rather than guessing local pricing. As we know, RRP has nothing to do with 'street prices'.

Personally for me, I feel more comfortable buying such a camera from my local supplier.
You can nut out a deal.

Best wishes

David Knaggs · December 14th, 2009, 07:36 PM

There's much better news for the Aussie dealers with the release of the PMW-EX1R.

Sony Australia has dropped their retail price from about $12,500 with the EX1 to about $10,500 for the EX1R.

Videoguys Australia have the EX1R listed at $9,000 (or $8,999 if you want to get really nitpicky) and you could possibly negotiate a few hundred dollars off that to bring it to around $8,500 maybe.

VideoGuys Australia | Sony PMW-EX1R 1/2-inch Full-HD Camcorder with SxS PRO Solid State Recording

Videoguys previously had the EX1 listed for $10,000. Yet GlobalmediaPro in NZ and Expandore in Singapore were selling the EX1 for about $6,300 and you would pay 10% GST of $630 when it entered the country - about $7,000. That disparity of about $3,000 (on paper) would have seen many buying from these overseas dealers.

But the overseas dealers are now charging an extra $250 for the EX1R (as opposed to $1,000 LESS by the Aussie dealers) and if you add to that the freight costs plus an international warranty (about $500 for those two) the overseas price is about A$7,800.

Compare that to a negotiated price of around $8,500 from an Aussie dealer, PLUS the security of a local warranty from Sony Australia, and I think the vast majority will buy from the local dealers.

I'm hoping that Apple Australia will follow suit when they release the next round of Mac Pros.

December 8th, 2009, 08:05 PM	#17
Christian Filippone New Boot Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 14	Paul, quote "All you're doing is looking at the raw price & whinging - do some research and find out the real cost of getting the camera into the country!" whinging....hmmmm so you think I should shut up & buy the camera at whatever price they decide to give to me? Sorry but I'm not a zombie! I think the main reason we get ripped off is for people like you that just accept it as it is & pay whatever price they throw at you!! Maybe if a few more people complained about the high prices & More people bought from the US only (which many were doing until the rules changed) they might just bring the prices to a more reasonable price like our American friends. Also I buy a lot of stuff from overseas so you didn't have to go to the Australian customs website to copy & paste half of their info to try teach how the tax system works. Lol "I'm not saying we're getting a fair deal, most times there is an excessive markup - I buy most of my stuff from B&H......" Stop whinging!! :) I was in New York no more than 4 months ago I bought my Sony Ex1 from B&H for $6099 + 8% NY tax. I ended up paying about $7500 Aussie. I put in a camera bag brought into Australia & did not pay Gst. At that time Ex1 were averaging in sales from $10500 to $11500. I saved just under $3000 buying in the US. I got a taste to what it feels to get a brand new camera at a price that we should be getting It for & now I want more. Charles Newcombe, "it would want to be driving on the wrong side of the road all the time, and all the data would flow backwards" lol! The EXR1 has a new feature that flips the image so this should solve that issue. :) Last edited by Christian Filippone; December 8th, 2009 at 11:09 PM.

December 9th, 2009, 02:58 PM	#19
David Issko Major Player Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 393	This thread instantly brings to mind Apple's Australia/USA pricing differences. Who doesn't want to save money wherever they can? I know it's not always as simplistic as that either. If the camera or other important piece of kit goes down, how long till it's fixed or temporarily replaced. Mind you, at the professional level we are at, most of us would have a backup camera for this reason. It is up to each of us to decide where to purchase from but sound advice from others is and should be welcome in helping one to make an important financial decision. Bickering is not helpful. Yes by buying locally you will, in part, support local economy but because the lion's share of the funds goes overseas (Sony, Fujinon, Canon) it may not be a factor in determining who to buy from. However, as one or 2 pointed out, local warranty and firmware upgrades may be the difference between buying here or there. Christian, I understand the point of your post but it is always better to post with facts rather than guessing local pricing. As we know, RRP has nothing to do with 'street prices'. Personally for me, I feel more comfortable buying such a camera from my local supplier. You can nut out a deal. Best wishes __________________ David Issko Edit 1 Video Productions

December 8th, 2009, 05:07 PM	#16
Bob Grant Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 1,570	If you're running a business then GST is irrelevant in Australia. If you import something and don't pay the GST then you cannot claim it back. If you do pay the GST then you get it back, simple. Australian customs haven't charged me GST or import duty in years because it seems my ABN is registered with them, I think Fedex took care of that for me.

December 9th, 2009, 07:01 AM	#18
Alastair Traill Major Player Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 626	Quote: - "I put in a camera bag brought into Australia & did not pay Gst". The more business a dealer gets the more he can think about lowering his prices. Having to compete with other dealers is further inducement to cut prices. The more people like yourself who trip off overseas to cash in on larger markets the less likely is that the Melbourne dealers can make their goods cheaper. Personally I am glad that we have dealers where we can inspects their wares and ask a lot of questions before purchase. On-line purchasing may be cheaper but I still prefer a face-to-face deal where I can get some idea of how I will be treated in the event of problems. Finally we all have to pay our taxes (even GST) and the penalties for evasion are severe.

December 14th, 2009, 07:36 PM	#20
David Knaggs Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 826	There's much better news for the Aussie dealers with the release of the PMW-EX1R. Sony Australia has dropped their retail price from about $12,500 with the EX1 to about $10,500 for the EX1R. Videoguys Australia have the EX1R listed at $9,000 (or $8,999 if you want to get really nitpicky) and you could possibly negotiate a few hundred dollars off that to bring it to around $8,500 maybe. VideoGuys Australia \| Sony PMW-EX1R 1/2-inch Full-HD Camcorder with SxS PRO Solid State Recording Videoguys previously had the EX1 listed for $10,000. Yet GlobalmediaPro in NZ and Expandore in Singapore were selling the EX1 for about $6,300 and you would pay 10% GST of $630 when it entered the country - about $7,000. That disparity of about $3,000 (on paper) would have seen many buying from these overseas dealers. But the overseas dealers are now charging an extra $250 for the EX1R (as opposed to $1,000 LESS by the Aussie dealers) and if you add to that the freight costs plus an international warranty (about $500 for those two) the overseas price is about A$7,800. Compare that to a negotiated price of around $8,500 from an Aussie dealer, PLUS the security of a local warranty from Sony Australia, and I think the vast majority will buy from the local dealers. I'm hoping that Apple Australia will follow suit when they release the next round of Mac Pros.