Rip off UK still alive and kicking.
Discussion
Having treated myself to my first DSLR just before Christmas, I recently decided to purchase a remote release to help me with taking moon photos and similar.
Canon do 2 releases, one fairly basic, and the other with a number of modes that provide a wonderful amount of flexibility, so I opted for the latter.
After researching on the net, I came to the conclusion that Rip off UK hasn't gone away. The average price from UK suppliers was around £120. The most expensive (naming no names) was over £150, whilst the best (UK) price I found from good old Amazon was £99.99.
Needless to say I placed my order with a foreign supplier who was able to sell the release for £72 plus £5 p+p, saving me more than £20. God only knows what sort of profit margins the guys selling at £150+ are working to.
Canon do 2 releases, one fairly basic, and the other with a number of modes that provide a wonderful amount of flexibility, so I opted for the latter.
After researching on the net, I came to the conclusion that Rip off UK hasn't gone away. The average price from UK suppliers was around £120. The most expensive (naming no names) was over £150, whilst the best (UK) price I found from good old Amazon was £99.99.
Needless to say I placed my order with a foreign supplier who was able to sell the release for £72 plus £5 p+p, saving me more than £20. God only knows what sort of profit margins the guys selling at £150+ are working to.
TC-80N3? I've got one and very good it is too. Only odd thing is it never switches off (as designed). Doesn't seem to be a problem though as it's run for over 2 years.
I got mine from 7DayShop and I seem to remember it was about £80. Seem to be £89 now.
Only think I'd say about prices here is they seem to vary. It maybe because they were doing show specials, but I got the 1Ds MK3 for slightly less than all the Hong Kong eBay lot (which to be honest was a bit surprise). Fingers crossed they don't try to do you for import tax....
I got mine from 7DayShop and I seem to remember it was about £80. Seem to be £89 now.
Only think I'd say about prices here is they seem to vary. It maybe because they were doing show specials, but I got the 1Ds MK3 for slightly less than all the Hong Kong eBay lot (which to be honest was a bit surprise). Fingers crossed they don't try to do you for import tax....
DIW35 said:
That's the one Phil.
I've tried the big finger method Beano, but when your camera is attached to a 1600mm lens, vibration tends to be a bit of a problem.
I bet! I've had my Sigma 120-300 with a 2x converter on it. Using live view and zooming in to 10x you can really see what's happening. Ok, I've not got the best tripod in the world, but using the 10sec timer the whole ring only stopped rocking from the button press after 8 seconds!I've tried the big finger method Beano, but when your camera is attached to a 1600mm lens, vibration tends to be a bit of a problem.
With the remote you've only got the mirror / shutter to deal with. Good old mirror lockup....
DIW35 said:
That's the one Phil.
I've tried the big finger method Beano, but when your camera is attached to a 1600mm lens, vibration tends to be a bit of a problem.
I know what you're saying Simpo, but £150 is just taking the p155.
The other factor is economies of scale and import duties. I've tried the big finger method Beano, but when your camera is attached to a 1600mm lens, vibration tends to be a bit of a problem.
I know what you're saying Simpo, but £150 is just taking the p155.
Edited by DIW35 on Monday 3rd March 13:43
For example, it may cost for a company in say Hong Kong £50 each from the manufacturer, when they buy 100 in one go.
The manufacturer may charge a small seller in the UK £80 for buying a couple at a time. The shipping per item is of course greater as it is spread over less items. All in all, it may cost £90 at source. Import duties may make up another ten percent, so thats £100. A smaller company of course does not shift as much stuff but still has to pay wages and rent so work on a 20% margin scheme. Thats £120. VAT at 17.5% makes it £141.
So, a Hong Kong seller can add their 20% and it will only cost you £60 plus delivery for the same item which they might mark as a 'gift' and go under the duty radar, that in the UK with the same margin would have been £141.
As Simpo has said, that same margin in Hong Kong will go a lot further towards paying wages that it will here too...
Its not a rip-off, its just economics. You pays your money and takes your choice where to buy from and the pros and cons with each choice.
Edited by JustinP1 on Monday 3rd March 14:16
Well, the other idea DIW35 is to set up your own camera shop, buy in your stock and then see how many items X at margin Y you have to sell to maintain your current standard of living - which if that's your Lambo, will be rather high.
If you can make it work, and compete in the marketplace, be sure to let us all know
If you can make it work, and compete in the marketplace, be sure to let us all know
Ian_H said:
Jenx said:
I got a wireless remote release from HK on e-bay for £7:50 +p&p 
Yup I got one of those as well, bargain price and works perfectly
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5577
Don't jump to conclusions Simpo - just because I have a Lambo in the garage doesn't necessarily mean I enjoy a high standard of living.
As I stated, the average price in the UK seems to be around the £120 mark. If another supplier has such high overheads and sells so few units that he needs to charge £150 to make a profit, perhaps he should be in another line of work. If the high price isn't due to high overheads and low volume of sales, then he's ripping people off, assuming anyone is daft enough to buy from him. As you say, you pay your money and you take your choice.
Nice find Oldskool, but that remote doesn't have the functionality that I was looking for.
As I stated, the average price in the UK seems to be around the £120 mark. If another supplier has such high overheads and sells so few units that he needs to charge £150 to make a profit, perhaps he should be in another line of work. If the high price isn't due to high overheads and low volume of sales, then he's ripping people off, assuming anyone is daft enough to buy from him. As you say, you pay your money and you take your choice.
Nice find Oldskool, but that remote doesn't have the functionality that I was looking for.
Edited by DIW35 on Monday 3rd March 15:51
DIW35 said:
Don't jump to conclusions Simpo - just because I have a Lambo in the garage doesn't necessarily mean I enjoy a high standard of living.
As I stated, the average price in the UK seems to be around the £120 mark. If another supplier has such high overheads and sells so few units that he needs to charge £150 to make a profit, perhaps he should be in another line of work. If the high price isn't due to high overheads and low volume of sales, then he's ripping people off, assuming anyone is daft enough to buy from him. As you say, you pay your money and you take your choice.
Nice find Oldskool, but that remote doesn't have the functionality that I was looking for.
The £150 isnt ripping people off even if they are charging more. As I stated, the average price in the UK seems to be around the £120 mark. If another supplier has such high overheads and sells so few units that he needs to charge £150 to make a profit, perhaps he should be in another line of work. If the high price isn't due to high overheads and low volume of sales, then he's ripping people off, assuming anyone is daft enough to buy from him. As you say, you pay your money and you take your choice.
Nice find Oldskool, but that remote doesn't have the functionality that I was looking for.
Edited by DIW35 on Monday 3rd March 15:51
A few people will be happy paying that amount, and they will pay it. They may not be able to, or be bothered to shop around. Thats just economics. Market segmentation in action.
Thats how PC World works. They are not often the cheapest, but I know I can get the item in my hand in 20 minutes. The same also with your Lambo. From what you have said, I am guessing you will have shopped around and got a good deal. Yet, for the identical car someone with a multi-million salary *could* have shopped around for weeks, but in that time they could have earnt themselves more money than would have been worth it. They would have just paid list price to have it *now* or even a premium over list to have it how they want when they want.
They weren't ripped off - they just paid what they wanted for the item. Put in fundamental terms, the item was valued more to them than the cash in their pocket was.
oldskool said:
Cut out the middleman - $4.37 from dealextreme with free shipping...
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5577
Just ordered one - can't really not order one at that price! When the battery runs out it's probably cheaper just to get a new remote..... Also ordered a pocket multimeter (have been looking for a cheap small one for ages). Total for both items about £7!http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5577
Does the 2 second delay work with a 400D? Mine only seems to have 10 sec delay on the camera itself unless I'm mistaken.
Thanks,
Ruari
This is the one I got...price seems to have gone up a bit.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Phottix-Wireless-Remote-C3-f...
M.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Phottix-Wireless-Remote-C3-f...
M.
DIW35 said:
Nice argument Justin. You don't know you're Diablo GT market very well but you have put forward a coherent point of view.
Ahh, my assumption was that you bought from new! but you have put forward a coherent point of view.Nice car by the way - I considered a Diablo a while back, I hoped the prices would fall but they are holding up well against the Gallardo.
Whats the running costs like BTW?
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