Importing Cameras

[molly]

I'm seriously thinking of buying the new Nikon D300, due out next month

Best price in the UK is £1300, but in Canada CAD 2100. This is equivilent to £1000 or there abouts. My brother lives in Toronto and so could bring it over for me

Does anyone have any idea how much I will have to pay in duty? Is it just VAT at 17.5% or some other rate, plus other taxes and any info on paperwork would be appreicated

Has anyone else every bought their kit this way?

I am sooo sick of paying through the nose for everything in this country. Why do the manufacturers think that we are happy to pay considerably more for the same item because we live on a different oontinent. It doesn't cost an extra £300 to send accross the Atlantic. GRRRRRR

[Steve Evil]

Could you not get him to open it up and just pack it in his luggage? That way there would be no import duty to pay as he could argue that it is simply his camera if questioned.

[molly]

Yes Steve. That would seem the simple answer.

But the camera is expensive and I would want to take it out of the UK whenever I travel. This means that there is a probablitiy of being asked its origins and proof thereof by customes going into another country and more specifically coming back into the UK. So if I'm up front about the import taxes whatever they may be ( and I need to know before I get bruv to purchase ) I can save myself a lot of hassle in the future

[Andy M]

molly said:

Yes Steve. That would seem the simple answer.

But the camera is expensive and I would want to take it out of the UK whenever I travel. This means that there is a probablitiy of being asked its origins and proof thereof by customes going into another country and more specifically coming back into the UK. So if I'm up front about the import taxes whatever they may be ( and I need to know before I get bruv to purchase ) I can save myself a lot of hassle in the future

I've been lucky enough to do a lot of travel over the last few years, all over the world, and have not once been asked where I bought my cameras etc.

In other words, I'd not worry...

[ssray]

get your bro to send the docs and box by post, pack camera in luggage-take some pics of family if questioned show them.
if your worried about taking camera in and out of the country, get the fabric plasters stick 1or2 on camera rub with grubby fingers-instant tatty camera and if you want to sell you peel off plasters and clean, works in areas that you would not want to have a brand new camera too.
Ray

[lowdrag]

My D2X came from Hong Kong as did my 17/55. Neither had duty charged. I went to the USA last month with only the D2X and had a load of gear including a Lowepro Trekker delivered to my B&B by the dealer, Ephotocraft. I posted the boxes back, rubbed the bag in the mud to make it look used and put the D2X, 105VR micro, 18/200 and 200/400 in the Lowepro. Since the overall saving was £2,000 it was worth the risk. I've been virtually all over the world with my equipment and never once been stopped and asked for any proof of origin or purchase. I cleaned the Trekker and sold it to a friend at nearly cost price. Get your brother to bring it in his cabin bag and post the docs as quoted above.

[molly]

Thanks Guys

Maybe I was being a bit over cautious.But I have seen the customs getting quite shirty and know some who work in the organisation and heard the stories they tell
Thanks for all the replies.
Bruv will have to go shopping now

[190Evoluzione]

lowdrag said:

I've been virtually all over the world with my equipment and never once been stopped and asked for any proof of origin or purchase.

I've been in and out of continents with no trouble many times too, but I've also been stopped on the way back from Norway, Africa and the USA
and when that happens, things become very difficult. The times I was stopped, I had flight cases full of rented lighting/camera/mac kit and the agency had no time
to do a Carnet so we winged it but tbh a DSLR body is not gonna get you stopped. Just wrap it in a t-shirt in your hand luggage and put some black gaffer
on the prism/corners. Mis-matched strap is always a goodie too.

lowdrag said:

I cleaned the Trekker and sold it to a friend at nearly cost price.

That was really kind of you, it must have been a close friend.

[baz7175]

molly said:

Thanks Guys

Maybe I was being a bit over cautious.But I have seen the customs getting quite shirty and know some who work in the organisation and heard the stories they tell
Thanks for all the replies.
Bruv will have to go shopping now

I travel with my main job and carry camera gear while doing so as well as doing the 'tog work at the weekends etc, in 6 years of doing this job I've never had any gear questioned, with the only problematic period being post terror attacks where it all had to go in the hold instead of in the main cabin...somewhere around 300 flights or more there with no issues

Edited by baz7175 on Monday 8th October 10:59

[Scooby_snax]

Don't forget however that Nikon do not offer a worldwide warranty on camera bodies so if it goes wrong you will either have to send it back to Canada to be repaired under warranty or pay someone in the UK to repair it.
Personally I wouldn't purchase a camera body abroad unless there was a huge saving to be made.