How does the UK get away with their prices?

[Clive McLaughlin]

I've my eye on the forthcoming Sony HDR-CX900.

The pre-order in the US is $1500. Current conversion rates make that £900. The pre-order in the UK is £1300.

To provide context for you americans on here, that equates to $2170.

I just hope DigitalRev decide to sell it.

How much would it cost me to ship it from states I wonder?

[Chris Harding]

Hi Clive

Down Under it only says "coming soon" no prices yet so I cannot compare the prices we might pay. Does your 1300 include VAT?? Maybe that's the big difference so the Government can fund itself?

Just a small point is this model PAL/NTSC switchable? I could have bought my EA-50's from the USA as my models can be switched to either 50 or 60 depending where you are using it but I haven't seen specs on the new CX900.

It might pay to see what an older model from B&H would cost you in shipping (should be the same weight) and if you would also get zapped VAT at Customs. If I outsource anything over $1000 here I have to pay 10% GST to Customs but no import/duty taxes.

Chris

[Dave Partington]

The difference is compounded by several things.

First, the US price does not include any sales tax.

Secondly, as a video camera I understand that it will be subject to 14% import duty when ever it comes in to Europe, so if you plan on ordering from the USA then also plan on that being applied BEFORE VAT, which then gets added on top. It's this tax that limits DSLRs to 29:59 in order to avoid it.

Since the 14% is a business cost to who ever imports it, they will add their own profit markup on the tax as well as the goods.

Then add VAT @ 20%.

Once you have those added the difference is still there, but nowhere near as much. Maybe somewhere in the £1250 range. Then consider economies of scale by having a single market of 250 million people instead of the fragmented market or Europe and specifically the UK which also adds cost. And of course they have to hedge currencies too.

I'm not defending it, but at least when you think it through it's understandable, if not any less palatable.

[Clive McLaughlin]

So moral of the story is, never look at US prices, it will only give you false hope of a bargain!


Also, does anyone know how quick off the mark sites like DigitalRev are on new release products? Is there a delay between release date and grey import stock?

[Chris Harding]

Hi Guys

That's quite a rough deal! 14% on the base price PLUS 20% VAT on the price+duty ..quite a heavy load!

I think it was Noa in Belgium who was quoting tax prices in the high 20's when he buys cameras.

Luckily locally all we have to contend with is 10% Sales Tax and as mentioned, you are exempt if the item is under a grand so often overseas suppliers will send you a tax invoice for say $900 so they get your business and you don't have to pay tax ... even for Pro use, cameras imported here are still duty free.

It's a tough call when they over tax what they call "luxury items" but they often don't realise that they are not expensive tous but tools that earn you a living! Cameras for pros that are needed to earn your only income (not hobbists) should really be exempt from VAT as you will earn an income from them and the Government then make their revenue from taxing your income ..doesn't seem fair!!

Chris

[Peter Riding]

Yep, everyone's creaming off every bit they can as well.

It starts with a poor exchange rate if you buy with a credit card in a foreign currency. I buy all my wedding albums from Italy by cheque because if I use a credit card it costs about £25 more simply down to the banks lousy Euro - £ exchange rate that they hope you won't notice.

There are often processing fees imposed by the carrier in addition to duty etc. So when I bought one of the excellent Mogopod tripod feet for my existing monopod the product was only $65. The seller added $15 shipping. So far so good. Paypal charged me £49.76 for that $80 purchase, giving themselves an extra £2. Fedex charged me £18.68 to deliver it; of that £7.93 was the duty and £10.75 they kept for themselves.

http://mogopod.com/collections/front...nd-for-mogopod

Anything other than the smallest of items does seem to attract the duty / vat mop-up now.

Pete

[Rob Cantwell]

i use this site when i'm looking at equipment outside the EU, Import duty & taxes for Camera equipment
also spare a thought for us in the Republic of Ireland - we're on 23% VAT (thanks to the greed of the privileged class in this fine land)
I've got some stuff from B&H and they'll handle all the VAT and Duty for you, if you want, the only down side is the shipping is a bit expensive, but it arrives really fast, usually in one or two days.

[Peter Rush]

Don't forget to add the £8 royal mail 'handling' charge unless it arrives with a different courier!

[Dave Partington]

Originally Posted by Clive McLaughlin

So moral of the story is, never look at US prices, it will only give you false hope of a bargain!

If you think pounds for dollars and then maybe get a bit back (maybe 10%) you won't go far wrong.

[Donald McPherson]

Just catch a return flight to USA and buy the thing. You will still have change at the end of the day.

[John Nantz]

Re: "Just catch a return flight to USA and buy the thing."

Well, maybe, but be careful and check things out. Back in the '60s (that's 1960s for the young folks), some of us in the US were buying their gear, like Nikons, overseas and were bringing them back to the US, or having them shipped here, but one of the problems was the Warranty. Some state-side importers or distributors wouldn't accept the camera for warranty work. That was then but what is it like now?

Hopefully, with a good good brand knows for being rugged that wouldn't be much of a problem. Or, if there are alternative repair places available.

As an aside, I remember being in New Zealand in '67 and finding out that a Mustang cost the equivalent of about $9,000 there while (whilest?) it cost only $3,000 in the US, about a 3x markeup. Also, a Nikon there was also had about 3x markup and the shipping on a Nikon (although it was a brick) wasn't as dear (is that word still used?) as compared to a car.

On the other hand, a ~ 1930 Model A touring car with cowl lights and plate glass windshield deflectors, still in good running original condition, would have cost less than £100 (quid) (plus shipping). I wanted so bad to bring one back. Right hand drive (but could have been easily switched over).

We've been watching a lot of the "Downton Abbey" series lately.

[Dave Partington]

Originally Posted by Donald McPherson

Just catch a return flight to USA and buy the thing. You will still have change at the end of the day.

Have you actually seen how much flights are nowadays once you add the taxes for the flight?

Then add in the $50 each way from JFK to B&H, and if you need to stay over then there's the hotel, and at least a couple of meals.

It's easy to say just fly over but when ever I've looked in to it there was no way it was ever going to be cheaper at the current exchange rates.

Not to mention that you left all hope of warranty repair back in the USA ;)

OTOH B&H is like a big kid's toy room. Been a few times....

[Paul R Johnson]

A few years ago I wanted a specific model of a Yamaha mixer - a very large heavy one that I could find in the US, and Germany, but not in the UK or France. Yamaha refused to order one in from Yamaha anywhere else, and even told me that if I sourced one from Yamaha other than Yamaha UK, they would not service it even chargeable, let alone under warranty!

However - some US prices are really cheaper, by a long way, and sen with VAT, duty and other incidentals, we get stung here. I love software - you see a great deal, they detect you are in England and the deal evaporates and when you get diverted to the UK webstore, the price has gone up - and it's a software download, not a real product. I craftily downloaded one product - available at $99 dollars using one of the IP address maskers, that made me appear to be in the US, but when I registered it - the damn thing recognised somehow I was in Europe and refused to activate me. Hate it!

[Robert Benda]

Just so you fellows overseas get what us Yanks are on about...

We don't have a VAT - or at least we don't see anything about it when we buy goods. MOST states/counties/cities will have a sales tax - mine area is 7.25% - but I can still buy items on Amazon and NOT pay sales tax (that will end soon). Actually, I believe that law says I'm supposed to calculate the sales tax I *should* have payed and declare it on my annual tax form (ha!).

So, when I go online and buy a 2nd Canon 70D, the $1099 price I see listed is exactly what I'll pay, because I have Amazon Prime, so 2 day shipping is free for me, and UPS will leave it on my porch, no additional fees.

[Nigel Barker]

The camcorder import duty is only 4.7%.

In Europe we have a different socialised model of society to the US as we expect the state to provide more for our citizens therefore we pay more in taxes so prices are not comparable. We pay higher sales tax so that amongst other things we have free health care and don't get bankrupted by falling ill.

Cheating the system by smuggling goods is an antisocial act & of course a criminal offence.