20D Purchase buy in UK or Import from US

[Boswell]

I am looking to get the 20D in the next 3-4 weeks, is it worth importing from the US to the UK, or just but here in the UK.

The exchange rate at the moment is very good 1.93 dollars to the pound.

If I get it from B&H it works out to be £717 plus delivery, will I get charged any vat and if so how much, does anyone know or has anyone done this ?

Thanks

Mike

[evilenglishman]

yes you will probably be charged for a few things and you will have no waranty unless you ship it back to the US

[evilenglishman]

e-buyer have them in stock at a reasonable UK price:
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&pro duct_uid=77735&_LOC=UK

[Ikinaa]

how about 977£

www.topvision.lu

It's 1357 Euro there... it's the cheapest I've found so far
And I trust this shop, I've bought for over 5000Euro Electrionics there in the last 3 years...
And end of this month, I'll order mine there. :D

[dpp]

Hi
I bought my 10D from the states, and Canon do honour the warranty here.
Just be careful of the 17.5% VAT. If you can get someone to bring it over for you , all the better.

[Cadwell]

Hi
I bought my 10D from the states, and Canon do honour the warranty here.
Just be careful of the 17.5% VAT. If you can get someone to bring it over for you , all the better.

Really? A number of our members tried to import 1D Mark IIs when they were impossible to get in the UK and Canon UK informed them that they would not honour the warranty on any camera body purchased outside the EU.

[KennyG]

Hi
I bought my 10D from the states, and Canon do honour the warranty here.
Just be careful of the 17.5% VAT. If you can get someone to bring it over for you , all the better.

Well, you have been lucky if Canon have repaired your 10D under warranty.

I have had Canon confirm a number of times that cameras bought in the USA are NOT covered in the UK and Canon will charge for any work carried out. Even CPS members (like myself) with supposed extra privelages are not covered. Lenses are covered however. If anyone has doubts, simply call Canon, they will tell you exactly the same as I have.

Maybe the risk is worth the saving, only you can make that judgement.

[dpp]

I had to send mine in for some minor work and so I sent in the camera , warranty and proof of purchase and they honoured the work under the warranty all Free of charge.

i reckon at the current 1.93 anything from the states will be far cheaper than UK.

[CM]

Re Canon International warranties, I emailed Canon before I bought my EOS300D and asked what the position was as I too considered purchasing from the States.

When Canon (Europe) didn't respond after a week I contacted Canon (USA) who came back next day to say that, as as an international warranty is suppied, it will be honoured anywhere in the world provided a purchase receipt could be supplied with the item.

I eventually did get a very late response from Canon (Europe) to the effect that they would not repair an item free of charge if bought in the States and still under warranty!?! (The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing?)

[billhercus]

That ebuyer price is quite impressive as it includes the 18-55mm lens.

[ArtierSquare]

Buy the body in Europe and the lenses from the states. That way you get the best of both worlds.

The warranties and VAT are inclusive in Europe on the body and the lenses all carry international cover! (Though ehem, you should pay the extra VAT on the imported lenses - still loads cheaper though!)

IMHO

[evilenglishman]

I had to send mine in for some minor work and so I sent in the camera , warranty and proof of purchase and they honoured the work under the warranty all Free of charge.


As Kenny said, you were lucky!
Canon UK will only accept the waranty from European bodies.

Call canon UK and ask them: 08705 143 723

[DamienB]

ebuyer have famously bad customer service. Having experienced it myself, I wouldn't touch them with a bargepole.

[evilenglishman]

I've had very good service from them. I've sent a logitec mouse back to them 4 times for a new one and they swap without any problem.

The only real problem with ebuyer is the stupid amount they stick on for postage.

[DamienB]

They send out second hand items as new.

They send out faulty customer returns as new.

They take days to respond to their stupid 'enotes'.

They refuse to take phone calls and try their hardest to hide the real location of their offices.

You've been lucky!

[evilenglishman]

yes i must have been - i've just checked their score on reseller ratings and its very poor compared to the US site.
http://www.resellerratings.com/reseller_list.pl?keyword_search=ebuyer

[Red Squirrel]

ebuyer are particularly bad, you can only communicate with them via their e-note system. They won't accept telephone calls. I once waited 8 days for them to reply to my e-note. In fact, they didn't even reply, they simply deleted it as it had "been on their system too long"
In all fairness though, their prices are good so long as you are lucky enough to buy something that isn't faulty.

[JamesW]

So, do Canon UK definitely accept warranties on bodies bought elsewhere in the EU?

[Cadwell]

So, do Canon UK definitely accept warranties on bodies bought elsewhere in the EU?

That's a legal requirement. Single European Market Directive and all that jazz - they have no choice.