Buying a lens from Hong Kong via eBay
Discussion
Anyone have good/bad experiences?
I've decided to get a Canon 70-200mm F4L and was weighing up the benefits of ordering from a company that sells via Ebay and is based in Hong Kong.
Am I likely to get stung by HMRC for all sorts of fees, and if so, what sort of percentage on the value?
The other option is to pay an extra £75-£95 and buy in the UK.
What would you do?
I've decided to get a Canon 70-200mm F4L and was weighing up the benefits of ordering from a company that sells via Ebay and is based in Hong Kong.
Am I likely to get stung by HMRC for all sorts of fees, and if so, what sort of percentage on the value?
The other option is to pay an extra £75-£95 and buy in the UK.
What would you do?
Before you go ahead, get a quote from Ian: kerso1123@msn.com
Many have used him here - he sends the lenses from The US (and so there are no warranty issues etc unlike with HK sourced equipment) to a relative of his in the UK who then posts them to you, so no worry of import taxes etc.
Tell him diamond Andy sent you
I think his price for the 70-200 f4 is £370 & £10 postage
Many have used him here - he sends the lenses from The US (and so there are no warranty issues etc unlike with HK sourced equipment) to a relative of his in the UK who then posts them to you, so no worry of import taxes etc.
Tell him diamond Andy sent you
I think his price for the 70-200 f4 is £370 & £10 postage
Edited by Andy M on Sunday 15th April 23:47
Andy M said:
he sends the lenses from The US (and so there are no warranty issues etc unlike with HK sourced equipment)
Edited by Andy M on Sunday 15th April 23:47
Presubly that only only applies to Canon as Nikon gear purchased in the US does not have a worldwide warranty viz it needs to be returned to the States for sorting
scooby_snax said:
Andy M said:
he sends the lenses from The US (and so there are no warranty issues etc unlike with HK sourced equipment)
Presubly that only only applies to Canon as Nikon gear purchased in the US does not have a worldwide warranty viz it needs to be returned to the States for sorting
I'm not sure on this one, as I only shoot Canon.
With Canon, the lenses have a worldwide warranty (aside from 'grey' market lenses - HK sourced etc), and the bodies have regional warranties.
Try onestop-digital (www.onestop-digital.com) All the prices on the site include shipping and they will repay any VAT on anything. Good prices too.
Ordered a Tamron 17-50 2.8 last Tuesay, arrived today, and that's the slow delivery and they had a backlog over easter.
Ordered a Tamron 17-50 2.8 last Tuesay, arrived today, and that's the slow delivery and they had a backlog over easter.
VxDuncan said:
Try onestop-digital (www.onestop-digital.com) All the prices on the site include shipping and they will repay any VAT on anything. Good prices too.
Ordered a Tamron 17-50 2.8 last Tuesay, arrived today, and that's the slow delivery and they had a backlog over easter.
Ordered a Tamron 17-50 2.8 last Tuesay, arrived today, and that's the slow delivery and they had a backlog over easter.
Another vote for onestop-digital. I ordered an SB-800 (£200) from them on the 11th that turned up today so less than a week with no VAT.
Andy M said:
scooby_snax said:
Andy M said:
he sends the lenses from The US (and so there are no warranty issues etc unlike with HK sourced equipment)
Presubly that only only applies to Canon as Nikon gear purchased in the US does not have a worldwide warranty viz it needs to be returned to the States for sorting
I'm not sure on this one, as I only shoot Canon.
With Canon, the lenses have a worldwide warranty (aside from 'grey' market lenses - HK sourced etc), and the bodies have regional warranties.
What are the differences, if any, in the lens itself? Are they graded in the same way bodies are? I could save a bundle (£130) by going to One-Stop Digital rather than Warehouse Express, but don't want an inferior product.
julianhj said:
How often do lenses go wrong? Is it pretty rare for them to fail? I'm really tempted to go the Onestop-digital route now...
As mentioned above, definitely contact Ian (kerso1123@msn.com) - he just quoted me £680 for a Canon 70-200 f/2.8 USM against £630 from onestop-digital and his comes with the full 12 month Canon warranty, and is shipped from the UK so no potential hassle with claiming back VAT if you get stung.
miniman said:
julianhj said:
How often do lenses go wrong? Is it pretty rare for them to fail? I'm really tempted to go the Onestop-digital route now...
As mentioned above, definitely contact Ian (kerso1123@msn.com) - he just quoted me £680 for a Canon 70-200 f/2.8 USM against £630 from onestop-digital and his comes with the full 12 month Canon warranty, and is shipped from the UK so no potential hassle with claiming back VAT if you get stung.
Email sent, cheers!
They tend to be pretty good, the only issue is some people prefer to be able to take a lens back if you don't get a good sample, though I doubt I'd be able to tell if I'd got a bad one, like most people I suspect.
WOuld be nice to take it back if say there was an airbubble on or of the elements, or visible contamination in the lens though.
WOuld be nice to take it back if say there was an airbubble on or of the elements, or visible contamination in the lens though.
I recently discovered the cheaper lenses on ebay for sale in HK and thought it sounded like a good idea. I went ahead and bought a lens from digital Ishop as the say there is no tax to pay but it does say in the T&Cs that if any charges are incurred the buyer will have to pay.
It arrived very quickly and I was happy with it. The trouble was, 2 weeks later I got a £50 bill from FedEx!
Unlucky I guess. It ended up costing me more than a UK lens.
I have just recently bought another lens (canon 100-400L) from Ian (kerso1123@msn.com) as I didn't fancy getting a tax bill for that one. All is going well so far and the lens is due to be delivered shortly.
It arrived very quickly and I was happy with it. The trouble was, 2 weeks later I got a £50 bill from FedEx!
Unlucky I guess. It ended up costing me more than a UK lens.
I have just recently bought another lens (canon 100-400L) from Ian (kerso1123@msn.com) as I didn't fancy getting a tax bill for that one. All is going well so far and the lens is due to be delivered shortly.
Trick is to always buy from an auction or onestop digital that offers repayment of any VAT charges. That way you are covered - remember that the VAT is on what customs think it's worth, and they will always err on the high side...
That's why I like onestop as all the prices include VAT payback if needed. It's a bit of a pain looking through the other sellers on ebay for no VAT lots, though worth doing to price check.
That's why I like onestop as all the prices include VAT payback if needed. It's a bit of a pain looking through the other sellers on ebay for no VAT lots, though worth doing to price check.
julianhj said:
Is Ian a PH-er? Does he run a photographic business? I'm not sure who he is!
I don't think he's a PHer but he told me he's looking to get a 350Z so perhaps we should encourage him to come over and join us! He is an eBay trader who will quote individually for items if you ask him. I've had excellent service from him in the past (Canon 50mm f/1.4 bought on eBay).
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