A New Bare Bulb Flash Arrives

tetrode wrote in post #15969039
Phil, I'm certain those are dealer prices but I was surprised to see that they are inclusive of VAT. That seems odd to me. (1) Do resellers get charged VAT on business-to-business transactions with their suppliers with a second VAT hit applied at the time of retail sale?

EDIT: Actually, now that I look at that page again, it says "Login for prices". Hmmm. So, then, what are the prices appearing on the page? (2) Those can't be retail prices (if they are, I suspect someone's going to be getting a call from Godox).

Dave:
(1) It's one of those PITA systems devised to keep desk-jockeys in work checking up on everybody and ensure that nobody gets out from under the thumb. Not only are vendors kindly permitted to act as unpaid tax collectors for the Government concerned, they also get to double their paperwork at the same time. Cock-eyed system but still a heck of a lot better (for the end user) than the 55% tax we used to pay (in the UK) on "Luxury Goods". No, that's not a typo - fifty five percent.
(2) As I said previously, IF those are recommended retail prices ...............

Actually, I think the whole site is similar to the fishing expeditions we see on Alibaba, where folks are testing the market to see how much demand they can generate. Then suddenly the prices become slightly different!

pwm2 wrote in post #15969208
You buy with VAT. You sell with VAT. You report the incoming and outgoing VAT. You pay the difference. So the supplier only pays the VAT for the price incerase.

To clarify:
Each purchaser in the chain (importer/distributor/​wholesaler/retailer) pays VAT on the total price to them. They then add their mark-up and charge VAT on their selling price (excluding previous VAT). That purchaser, IF REGISTERED, then reclaims the amount of VAT on all purchases they paid; quarterly. At that time, they pay the Government the full VAT on their total sales - even where there was no input VAT.
If UNregistered, they cannot charge VAT on their sale nor can they claim what they paid out so that generally becomes hidden in their selling price. The entire system MUST have been invented by someone with nothing better to do than torture folks - potentially five lots of paperwork (unpaid, of course) for one eventual lot of tax. After all the sets of input tax and output tax, eventually only the end user ends up actually paying. Tortuous? Downright perverse!

Whortleberry wrote in post #15969586
Dave:
...
To clarify:
Each purchaser in the chain (importer/distributor/​wholesaler/retailer) pays VAT on the total price to them. They then add their mark-up and charge VAT on their selling price (excluding previous VAT). That purchaser, IF REGISTERED, then reclaims the amount of VAT on all purchases they paid; quarterly. At that time, they pay the Government the full VAT on their total sales - even where there was no input VAT.
If UNregistered, they cannot charge VAT on their sale nor can they claim what they paid out so that generally becomes hidden in their selling price. The entire system MUST have been invented by someone with nothing better to do than torture folks - potentially five lots of paperwork (unpaid, of course) for one eventual lot of tax. After all the sets of input tax and output tax, eventually only the end user ends up actually paying. Tortuous? Downright perverse!

YOWSER! Somehow it doesn't seem quite right applying the verb "clarify" to a process as convoluted as that one appears to be, Phil. I wonder how many mid-level functionaries are retained on the government payroll whose sole purpose in life is overseeing the VAT system. The specter of a national sales tax emerges every once in a while here but, so far, the concept hasn't achieved any traction (mercifully). We have plenty of government bloat as it is.

Soon time to me to visit my accountant to take care of a lot of VAT again.

Yes, it does add quite a lot of paperwork.

tetrode wrote in post #15969667
YOWSER! Somehow it doesn't seem quite right applying the verb "clarify" to a process as convoluted as that one appears to be, Phil. I wonder how many mid-level functionaries are retained on the government payroll whose sole purpose in life is overseeing the VAT system. The specter of a national sales tax emerges every once in a while here but, so far, the concept hasn't achieved any traction (mercifully). We have plenty of government bloat as it is.

Oh, believe me - that seriously WAS a clarification! Simplified to the extreme.

What a lovely, polite term "functionaries" is, we lean towards a slightly different group noun over here

Beating the living daylights out of a bit of aluminium to make a flashbar has very distinct compensations. And occasionally I end up with something useful at the end of it - as well as having disposed of certain anti-social feelings.

I got a chance to take the new Cheetah Light CL-360 out for a test drive recently. I have to say that I am impressed!

tetrode wrote in post #15964999
Time to dust this thread off:

If you're wondering, that's a 2" long 5/16" bolt stuck in the umbrella hole in the above image. It passes through and is clamped in the 360's umbrella mounting tube. It's there as a precaution to ensure the flash doesn't fall off the back of the speed ring (a very unlikely possibility).

Would you trust it without the bolt?

DukeMorse wrote in post #15972587
I got a chance to take the new Cheetah Light CL-360 out for a test drive recently. I have to say that I am impressed!

Now that's sun.

Nice shot. Looking forward to getting the CL-360.

BigIronCruiser wrote in post #15972902
Would you trust it without the bolt?

Absolutely. The fit is quite snug to begin with and, with the accessory locking screw clamped down, it is VERY difficult to pull the light from the speed ring. However, since the insert has been drilled to accept an umbrella shaft, the bolt, like chicken soup, doesn't hurt.

Just received an email from Link Delight with an offer which may interest those of us outside USA. Note that the coupon does NOT work unless you pay in US$ - ie you pay the exchange rate charges instead of the vendor. They specifically asked that I pass this on to friends - but I haven't got any so I thought I'd tell you guys instead.

(The coupon deducts at the check-out stage - unless you have the page in US$ it will tell you it's out of date)

EDIT: Link Delight are OFFICIAL Godox suppliers, as confirmed to me by Lindy Huang of Godox Sales Department, so no worries about strange under-the-counter deals. I've bought a number of things (in fact something arrived only this morning) and every transaction has been perfect - even down to following packages through HKPost's weird & wonderful tracking system - usually about 8 days transit to UK.

They got good reputation? The price reduction is huge. So huge you feel it is too good to be true - unless they are about to fold up and in a panic need to reduce their stock.

pwm2 wrote in post #15976107
They got good reputation? The price reduction is huge. So huge you feel it is too good to be true - unless they are about to fold up and in a panic need to reduce their stock.

I've done about 20 deals with them - every one faultless and extremely quick. I don't think they actually hold the stock but maybe they did an extra specially good deal (aka BIG order) and got a special price. Without fail, every item I've bought has been despatched within 24 hours of ordering. Yes even when I ordered late Saturday UK time (ie very early morning Shenzhen time).

Generally speaking, when suppliers fulfil orders to this standard I tend to stick with them. But the moment the standards slip then my business definitely goes elsewhere. I'm still ordering from Link Delight - I can say no more than that.

Only $45 more to add the lithium pack?! Wow. Too bad they are OOS on that combo.

Phil, et al, I hope the price on the flash trigger is a printing error. Probably a decimal point one digit too far right.

Presuming that error, the price offered is about $40 less than from Cheetah Stand. Battery is more expensive, light is less.

But then again, there is no Edward for customer service. And its shipping from HK rather than Texas for us in the US.

dmward wrote in post #15976237
Phil, et al, I hope the price on the flash trigger is a printing error. Probably a decimal point one digit too far right.

Presuming that error, the price offered is about $40 less than from Cheetah Stand. Battery is more expensive, light is less.

But then again, there is no Edward for customer service. And its shipping from HK rather than Texas for us in the US.

David, I believe that the price listed with the battery and trigger set are inclusive of the flash unit, so $319 for the flash + battery pack. If this is the case, it's a stunner of a deal.

dmward wrote in post #15976237
Phil, et al, I hope the price on the flash trigger is a printing error. Probably a decimal point one digit too far right.
Presuming that error, the price offered is about $40 less than from Cheetah Stand. Battery is more expensive, light is less.
But then again, there is no Edward for customer service. And its shipping from HK rather than Texas for us in the US.

I've noticed 'advantageous' prices from LD before but not needed the stuff. Their prices variy quite markedly so it's probably right but only for a very limited time. Got a PB960 (L4500) from LD, with EU charger so no adapter needed, for rather less than CheetahStand price. That price has now gone! Pricing is also the very reason I contacted Godox to ensure that the 4 suppliers I was testing were legitimate, officially-approved Godox suppliers and not fly-by-night operators.

Yep, it is. I also paid somewhat less for my AD-180 (elsewhere as I'm testing new suppliers) than Edward charges - and got free shipping too. Only 8 days tracked from HK versus usually about 3 weeks from USA, where there are also high shipping charges from everyone (not a dig at Edward, more a USPS/RoyalSnail old agreement).

Certainly agree there about Edward's service. From what I hear, it's unbeatable and very well worth the extra selling cost - I'd certainly buy from him if I was in the USA without hesitation. Shipping cost & time back to the Old World just makes it untenable.

Nightdiver13 wrote in post #15976221
Only $45 more to add the lithium pack?! Wow. Too bad they are OOS on that combo.

Well things have changed since I got the email, cos when I checked they were in stock - combo or flash or battery - all with coupon. I just didn't press "Buy".

Nightdiver13 wrote in post #15976294
David, I believe that the price listed with the battery and trigger set are inclusive of the flash unit, so $319 for the flash + battery pack. If this is the case, it's a stunner of a deal.

That's how I read it too, just didn't investigate too much - no need for more so no point wasting valuable time.