UKC

Would you do it?

If so, then why? If not, then why not?

In reply to A Random Climber:

What do you mean by grey import?

In reply to balmybaldwin:

http://www.wexphotographic.com/?/aboutus/no-grey-imports.html

Personally, I've never bought one from the UK. I have bought kit while away and brought it back with me, but nothing very expensive. I like the reassurance of a warranty, though having said that I'm happy with second-hand lenses from reputable places.

In reply to A Random Climber:

if you mean what i think you mean with grey import (as imported by someone not the Official importer of the brand) then yes i would and have just done it.
Bought a Canon and a much lower price, getting the usual 1 year warranty with Canon and another 2 from where i bought it.

In reply to A Random Climber:

Just a thought - if you're buying a high end SLR and lenses, it would be cheaper to have a weekend away in New York and buy them there than to buy them in the UK.

In reply to John2:
UK customs have been known to check serial numbers against a register of UK supplied goods for expensive cameras and lenses - this can result in a very expensive duty bill

In reply to kevin stephens:

You used it when you bought it - that's why you need to go to NY yourself. The best camera shop in NY is B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ - they will sell you an international guarantee which will take care of any problems which occur in the UK.

In reply to kevin stephens:

Is there duty payable on digital cameras? I thought it was set at 0% just now. Lenses a different game though. And both attract VAT of course.

In reply to telemark: You're right. No VAT on cameras, but VAT levied on lenses

In reply to kevin stephens:
Depends where from as it may not be as grey as you think.......

I just saved myself over £100 by buying 2 lenses from amazon.com, worldwide warranty, that's including duty and VAT which is all paid at source to Amazon when you checkout.

In reply to A Random Climber:

Yep, done several times with no problems

In reply to A Random Climber:
Have bought 5 cameras and 2 lenses off Digital Rev (Hong Kong based) with no fuss, excellent service - got them new cheaper than I could get them second hand in UK (retail rather than private sale that is). Never had to test the warranty though, seem to remember there may be another thread concerning that on here.

In reply to A Random Climber:

3 threads on Digital Rev for you

www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=573508

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=535566

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=269717

In reply to A Random Climber:

I just unknowingly bought a 'grey import' but am very happy with it. It saved me almost £100 on a Mk1 Sony RX100. I only realised it was a 'grey import' when it turned up with a foreign 2 pin plug. The UK based company had kindly included an international plug adapter with it though.

I usually buy second-hand gear off ebay, staying one model of body behind the top spec. I've never had any problems doing it this way, as I'm very careful of who I buy from and generally meet face-to-face for the exchange to check paperwork etc.
I use Canon pro stuff as I sell a few images and doing it still way enables me to get good gear at a good price, which so far, has been covered by warranty as and when required. (The last time was the 5D mirror-detaching issue a few years ago.)

I just wanted to get your opinions on the grey market conundrum. I don't intend doing it as I'm happy with the way I currently buy good quality used 'second best' bodies that are UK stock and I'm prepared to take the ebay gamble.

Neverthless, a totally mint band new 1DX for pretty much second hand price is very tempting...
...but I'll just wait until the MkII is out and buy one then when the second-hand market floods.

In reply to John2:

Yep, a new Canon 1DX is £2,900 at B&H in New York, whereas over here from Wex or Clifton it's £4,449....!
Next year I'm off climbing to the USA whether I'm needing a new camera or not so the holiday cost isn't an issue. Common sense would say that I buy one over there at £1,500 cheaper right? It would seem to be a no brainer as I'd be quids-in whatever happens; I would probably never need to repair the camera under warranty, cos they're built like tanks, but even if I did require a repair that wasn't covered, it'd probably cost less than the UK 'v' US price saving anyway.

What am I missing? There has to be a catch...

In reply to A Random Climber:

Depends which channel (red or green) you walk through on your return!

In reply to A Random Climber: I bought a G16 grey import, it was cheaper than a second hand one, it came with a UK plug, and a worldwide warranty.

It's the second camera I've bought this way.

In reply to A Random Climber:

One thing you are missing is that B&H have a used dept. so potential double whammy saving. Not sure how this affects importing...

In reply to Jon Read:

Yep, and my face is a guilty dead-givaway every time! I'll stick with ebay eh?

In reply to A Random Climber:




Errr...the mandatory NYC and NYS sales taxes and the surcharge? and it doesn't quite seem fair to compare the 2 prices if your going to break the law in not paying VAT. Then add on the cost of an extra years warranty from the US's 1 year to the UK's 2 year and the difference is nowhere near what your alluding to.

In reply to A Random Climber:

Not talking about it on the internet is probably as important as a poker face.

In reply to mudmonkey5:

i bought a 60d from degrev and recently a 17-50 sigma lens. takes days to arrive and much cheaper than getting it from the uk. i see no draw backs at all

In reply to A Random Climber:
in the 90's a know a couple of people who went to the states to buy a new mountain bike as the $ "number" was similar to the £ "number" so when you added local sales tax and did the conversion there was enough of a saving if the bike was expensive enough to make it work.
as time went on customs got wise so did the shoppers
buying a black mountain bike in California? scour the classifieds for a black mountain bike for £50, take a dirt black mountain bike with you. give it to charity, get your new bike and ride it for a week in the dirt over there, bring a dirty black mountain bike back with you. job done.
could a similar tactic be deployed here with a really old SLR? i think the key is to make it look used (fitting a battered old lens on it might be enough?)
to be fair i took my bike to the states twice (and yes, i brought exactly the same one back, i liked my bike and couldn't afford a new one anyway) once customs saw the bike was used they completely lost interest in it.
of course not paying the government the duty you should is a deplorable attitude, and people should be ashamed of themselves

In reply to rallymania:
Back in the 60's quality European bike components were very expensive in the UK yet cheap in france - but the French loved British hand built frames and Brooks Saddles. It was not uncommon for guys to go out with a new frame and new saddle and a load of old tat on the rest of the bike, and come back with a cheap frame loaded with quality components, wheels and new tubular tyres. - What's more they's be in to pocket on the deal - which paid for their beer for the holiday!

Going back to the topic of Cameras - I bought my old Olympus OM kit when I was working in the Saudi in the 80's for a fraction of what it would have cost in the UK. I'd made sure it looked used when I brought it home with me. The original boxes came home on a later trip!

In reply to rallymania:


Surely you wouldn't have to because they don't make an inventory of everything you own when you enter the country (or leave this country). So how would they possibly know that you didn't own the camera before you left the UK?

I bought a bike back from the states, in a bike box, and no one batted an eye lid. That was quite long time ago though so maybe different now. But I still can't see how they'd know that you didn't own it and take it out with you in the first place.