That’s it, the deed is done (Update # 2) sGu I love you

[neil_r]

I placed my order for the EOS1D Mk II with Park Cameras (of Burgess Hill) on the 9th February 2004, I have had several telephone conversations and e-mail exchanges with them and yesterday they told me that I may but lucky in August, but that they doubt it.

This morning B&H website showed that they were in stock, I phoned at 09:00 hrs US time and placed the order, I have just phoned now and they confirm that the payment has been authorised and the camera dispatched, should be with me in 5 days. Unfortunately too late for the UK MotoGP in Donongton this weekend.

The deal is costing me £1005.00 (UKP) less than if I had bought it in the UK so even if hit for tax I am still quids in.

So after waiting the best part of 5 months another 5 days won’t kill me.

Now to get my deposit back from Park Cameras….

Fingers crossed

N

[arumdevil]

if you can get away with calling it a Computer peripheral/accessory you wont have to pay import duty. Seems a bit optimistic though :D

[samdring]

nice one Neil :D

[Mogwyth]

Actualy there is no duty on digital cameras, only the dreaded VAT and that can depend on the declared value and whether they open it or accept the declared value.

[robekert]

Good form Neil. (Me trying to sound British) You will thoroughly enjoy the camera. It is a fantastic tool. I admire your patience.........5 months :( Good things come to those who wait, and god knows you have waited.

Cheers,
Rob

[arumdevil]

Actualy there is no duty on digital cameras, only the dreaded VAT and that can depend on the declared value and whether they open it or accept the declared value.

ah, fantastic. i stand corrected.

congrats neil. Wish I could afford one :(

[Cadwell]

Excellent news Neil, I am pleased for you :D I hope you have great success with the camera!

How are you handling the warranty issue or are you not concerned? I understood that Canon had stated that they would not honour a US warranty on camera bodies in the UK.

It was in this thread http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=35107 that I read the warranty comments (the last two posts from KennyG and PaulB)

[Mogwyth]

My D Rebel/300D came from Canada and has a MackCam international warrenty with UK servicing. It may well be worth asking about this as Canon have told me that they will only honour warranties on European issue goods from European sources.

[neil_r]

How are you handling the warranty issue or are you not concerned? I understood that Canon had stated that they would not honour a US warranty on camera bodies in the UK.

Spot on Cadwell, the US warranty is worthless as far as Canon UK are concerned, (so much for Globalisation) If I hit any problems it is back to Canon USA via a friend !!

Mogwyth

Diolch yn fawr i chwi, but I think I have it sorted


N

[sGu]

nice one, Neil!

you gotta show use the shots on the beauty. i'm picking up my 1D tomorrow, so hopefully before long, i'll be able to afford one of my own.

congrats!!!

[Cadwell]

Spot on Cadwell, the US warranty is worthless as far as Canon UK are concerned, (so much for Globalisation) If I hit any problems it is back to Canon USA via a friend !!

N

Good stuff :) Canon's attitude on this matter really is a pain. I guess they are more concerned with protecting their artificialy high prices in the UK than giving value for money to their customers.

[Mogwyth]

Mogwyth

Diolch yn fawr i chwi, but I think I have it sorted


N

Dim siarad Cymraeg but you're welcome.

[Nigel Wallace]

Neil, You have the patience of a saint.
I couldn't wait 5 days for my 100 - 400 to arrive. You'll have to show me the results when i see you in the office next. Should have had it and used it by then i hope.
:lol:

Nigel

[neil_r]

Well I thought I would be getting it sometime next week. Got home from work today and there was a nice note from the UPS man telling me that they were unable to deliver cos there was no one home, jumped on the phone and I had missed the cutoff time. I can't pick it up until 16:30 on Monday!!!!! I am @ the UK MotoGP in Donington tomorrow and Sunday and will have to make do with 3 fps. :( (D60)

What makes it worse is that the UPS depot is about 2 miles from my house >:(

[Belmondo]

What makes it worse is that the UPS depot is about 2 miles from my house >:(

Neil:
Is there a window you can break? It's in there, Neil. Don't be so darned passive......go get your camera! :lol: :lol:

I missed a similar UPS delivery on a Fiday, and it does drive you nuts. In this case, we were home but didn't hear the doorbell. We were probably in the back yard or something.

Anyway, it will be a nicer-than-usual Monday. Enjoy the races.

[sGu]

can't you just pop in with some form of ID and request a pick up???

[neil_r]

can't you just pop in with some form of ID and request a pick up???

Now that assumes some kind of customer service ethos, which I fear is lacking.

I had a long conversation with the girl in their call centre and she informed me that "whilst the depot is open forr collections untill 20:00 hrs, uless they have been informed, by the call centre, before 16:30 that a collection is to be made they WILL NOT hand over the goods".

why should they care, they have their money >:(

N

[neil_r]

sGu

As I was writing my reply to you, I thought, Neil you wuss, get your ass round to UPS and blag..... 30 minutes later it's sitting on the table in front of me, the battery is on charge, I have a grin wider than the angel of the north.

Many thanks, I don't really love you, but I would certainly buy you a drink if i had the chance .

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

N

[New Shooter]

Anyone...

Rip off Britain?

A 300D/aka Rebel will cost c#800 quid here with kit lens. What would it cost me in a shop in the US (before import taxes, but say inlcuding local sales tax?). Similarly, are lenses cheaper too?

JD

[neil_r]

Anyone...

Rip off Britain?

A 300D/aka Rebel will cost c#800 quid here with kit lens. What would it cost me in a shop in the US (before import taxes, but say inlcuding local sales tax?). Similarly, are lenses cheaper too?

JD

Check out:-

http://www.bhphotovideo.com

N

[Belmondo]

Congratulations!

Now you can really enjoy the races. (the way you were intended to).

Tom

[sGu]

sGu

As I was writing my reply to you, I thought, Neil you wuss, get your ass round to UPS and blag..... 30 minutes later it's sitting on the table in front of me, the battery is on charge, I have a grin wider than the angel of the north.

Many thanks, I don't really love you, but I would certainly buy you a drink if i had the chance .

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

N

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Nice one, mate! Glad to hear you got your 1D MK II sittng in front of you. :D

well, i'm sure you'll have the chance to buy me a drink. u going to european member's gathering?

[Mogwyth]

Anyone...

Rip off Britain?

A 300D/aka Rebel will cost c#800 quid here with kit lens. What would it cost me in a shop in the US (before import taxes, but say inlcuding local sales tax?). Similarly, are lenses cheaper too?

JD

I brought mine on Ebay from Canada for £630.00 including delivery and insurance. I had to pay an extra £40.00 in VAT and handling charges. So for a total of £670 I got Rebl D the sigma 18-50 dc lens, 256mb card, card reader, 2 extra batteries, car charger, a Lowepro bag which will hold the camera plus 4 lenses, some cheap filters, a lens pen and a uk serviced warranty. But I will also say you can get the camera and kit lens online in the uk for about £725.00, just do a google on it and see.

[Mogwyth]

Neil 'Da iawn'

[Nigel Wallace]

Ah the good ol Neil R blag came in handy again, I would not be surprised if you blagged a pit lane pass for this weekend too. I must come motor racing with you some day so i can learn from the master of "Blag" :lol:

[Murph7355]

Neill - can I ask what the cheapest you found this camera in the UK was?

I'm currently out in Asia and am considering upgrading my 10D to the 1DmkII.

Also, is this your first DSLR??? How are you finding it, and if you had another, how does it compare...

Thanks
Andy

[sGu]

though this question is for Neil, here is my two cents, cheapest MK II i found is £3,299 on ebay, and i'm sure you get better deal in Asia, but whereabout in asia? i'd recommend you get it from HK or Singapore, or Japan!

[Murph7355]

I'm in and around all three sGu :)

Thanks for the feedback. The only places I'd buy from in HK have no stock. Many places in SGP seem to be out of stock also. Japanese prices are slightly higher, but with their "loyalty schemes" it'll work out as cheap if I buy a lens and a couple of other bits too...as if I needed any encouragement!

Looks like a 20%-25% saving is possible. Now I just have to convince myself that upgrading is sensible...

[sGu]

any more details on their loyalty scheme? just wanna see what combinations they offer, intrigued ... (so wanna pay a visit to Japan)

[Murph7355]

Price for a 1DmkII is 575,000. Approx. 2,825GBP (still much cheaper than the UK, but not the US).

Duty free this becomes c. 2675GBP (544,619Y). Still more than the US by a long way.

Some of the shops then allow you to join their loyalty scheme which basically gives you "points" worth either 13.4% (if you paid cash) or 10.1% (if you paid on a card) of the price you paid.

So in this instance, you get 54,461Y (I'd always pay by card to get insurance!) on your points card which you can offset, Yen for Yen against your next purchase (you need to visit them on 2 days to reclaim them).

As an example, the Sigma 12-24 lens is something like 77kY (380GBP - again cheaper than the UK but not the US), so with your points you actually pay in the region of 115GBP for the lens.

So lens and camera is c. 2,790GBP. Which is something like 30 quid more than you'd pay at Adorama/B&H in the US. But I believe warranties are intl. in Japan whereas US warranties are most definitely not.

I have yet to fully put this ploy into practice as I'm still making my mind up on the body situation (and suspect waiting until September would be sensible), so the actuals may be slightly more or less. But that's roughly what I've managed to ascertain.

One store won't let you have a loyalty card if buying duty free though. So you have to double check. I'm also not sure whether you get more points if you pay for your purchase via "points and cash" if you see what I mean....

[Patrick 10D]

It is completely true and unforturnate that the cost of photographic equipment in some parts of Northern Europe is 25-50% more expensive than in the US - even with the insanely weak USD. I hate that.

What I hate even more is ordering something from B&H, having it sent here and then having to pay customs duty on the equipment + that total X 22% VAT. :roll:

It troubles me to have to give my money away to someone that will use it on something wasteful - especially when I have worked so hard to make a good deal to save a few hundred Euros on a new lens.

It is just easier and about the same price to pay through the face and buy it here (or from Germany).

However, if you are a morally bankrupt human being with no concern at all about cheating your country's tax company out of an EUR, Pound Sterling or Swedish Kronor, or several hundred, this (I have heard) has been known to work:

Place your B&H order with a credit card, and have it shipped to a friend (or in my case, a relative) in the US. For an additional savings, make sure that your friend/relative does not live in the State of New York.

Once the package from B&H arrives at your friend/relative's house that is not currently located in the State of New York, instruct your friend/relative to remove all of the shipping information (AWB), any receipts, any instruction manuals etc. from the box.

Instruct your friend/relative to send this paper work to your office address by air mail.

Instruct your friend/relative to address the box with your photographic equipment in it, to your home address, marking the Customs Declaration as "Property of the Addressee", "Value $/€ = 0," and as a "Gift," but insured for the amount that the item(s) are worth.

Instruct your friend/relative to include a small note inside of the box, thanking you for leaving said photographic equipment with them after your last visit, and that the beautiful pictures of your cousin's 28 hour labor and subsequent childbirth will be coming later.

Instruct your friend/relative to then seal the box and send it by air mail to you.

If the box containing your photographic equipment, sent to you without any receipts, instruction manuals or paper work from B&H, from an address not in the State of New York, ends up at the local postal customs house, simply explain that the contents of the package are your belongings, and demand to have them returned to you immediately. There is no recourse for the customs officer as there is no evidence contained in the box of photographic equipment that would lead them to believe otherwise. In fact, quite the opposite is true - there is the note from your friend/relative extolling the wonders of your friendship for so thoughtfully leaving your photographic equipment behind for their own use.

Of course, I buy all of my equipment from the local photo shop here, and I have never had to stoop to such lackluster levels to buy something like a SpeedLite 550EX flash, Big ED battery grip, extra batteries, a Sony DCR-TRV950 MiniDV camcorder, Sony wide angle ...

Right. I have just heard that this works from others.

8)

[Murph7355]

:)

I of course would never condone such shenanigans.

The govt's of our wondrous countries, and Canon (who, let's face it, are also taking the piss - no warranty support outside of the US for a portable instrument? I know Americans tend not to leave their boundaries, but come on!) all deserve far more of our cash than we intended to give them.

Global economies only seem to be a good thing when it suits the big guys.

[neil_r]

Sorry Guys, been tooooo busy taking pics to play in the forum :D

UK prices are all around £3,400 but availability is really tight.

If anyone is interested I have not cancelled my order with Park Cameras yet.

I am 13th on their list and have paid a £50 deposit on the 9th February. B4 I call them and cancel, does anyone want my place in the queue. More than happy to do this and all I want is me deposit back.

N