Importing a Lense

[dullbird]

Hey does anyone know

I'm in the market for a Nikon 24-70mm lense...

at the moment they are between 2100 and 2300 in the Australian Shops

to grey import I'm looking at 1680 and I'm not adverse to grey importing when it saves me 400bux.

But obviously its over the 1000 threshold...so if the lense was to be picked up by customs there is a 10% GST charge which still brings the lense in way under...

but are there any other charges I should expect? does anyone know.

Please don't lecture me on the warranty and all the rest of it buying grey, I have purchased lenses through DWI before and that is who im considering buying with and I have also bought Nikon items here too...so I'm aware with both pros and cons

[Bushie]

Pretty sure when I bought my lens from B&H photography, you can be subject to customs duty (5% IIRC) this is added to the cost of the lens plus any shipping cost and or insurance and then the GST is calculated on the overall amount.

As it turns out mine didn't end up attracting any of the charges, so you can be lucky.

If you do a bit of a trawl through the customs web
When buying over the internet (http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page5549.asp)
it should become as clear as mud :)


Martyn

[dullbird]

mmm if I work it out right it would be close to cost price....
Although I dont know how it works with shipping and insurance as they state on DWI that shipping is free..so how that gets calculated I dont know

As long as it doesn't cost me more that's the main thing I think, I guess the biggest downside is if it does get picked up and duty has to be paid I will be almost paying the same as local but without the manufacturers warranty.

If I take the chance I could have the lens in a couple of days...if I don't will have to wait a few more weeks.

frustrating especially as I bought my D7100 here in OZ and less than 4 months later it was being sold for nearly 600bux cheaper...grrrrr

[Bushie]

.............................
Although I dont know how it works with shipping and insurance as they state on DWI that shipping is free..so how that gets calculated I dont know


Is that free shipping world wide or only ConUS ? If it is free then there's nothing to add (cost wise).

If you have to pay shipping AND get stung with import duties/GST then I doubt you'll end up saving too much overall.


Martyn

[incisor]

got all my stuff thru dwi and have had no untoward surprises...

[dullbird]

Is that free shipping world wide or only ConUS ? If it is free then there's nothing to add (cost wise).

If you have to pay shipping AND get stung with import duties/GST then I doubt you'll end up saving too much overall.


Martyn

but thats what I'm getting at can Customs charge me shipping if the company that has sent it hasnt?

[dullbird]

got all my stuff thru dwi and have had no untoward surprises...


Did you ever spend over a $1000 bux though?

[Bushie]

Pretty sure the costs will come off the declaration that the shipper sends, if it's not on the total price then it won't figure in the charges, bloody lucky finding someone shipping to aus free though.


Martyn

[scarry]

Did you ever spend over a $1000 bux though?

We bought a prime lense well over $1k and paid nothing extra.The price on the site was the price we paid.

Been looking for the receipt to see where we got it,but can't find it ATM.

Will report back if i can find it,was definitely a grey import.

[incisor]

Did you ever spend over a $1000 bux though?

yep $1700 on one order... delivery docket didnt reflect that though...

[Disco_owner]

Lou , I purchased a lens from DWI a while back , the AF went on it within warranty period , it was sent back to HK for repaire but when they sent it back it wasn't , I got stuffed around the 2nd time it went to HK which was the shipped to phillipines for repaire.they then made me pay for postage to ship back to oz on a non repaired lens,,

You won't have probs with DWI ,, until you have a warranty issue. Your call...

[VladTepes]

Any Applicable Duty / GST is NOT charged on the freight component of the price.

AFAIK GST will apply but there is no Duty on camera equipment.

I have heard that DWI are known to undervalue items on customs declarations to assist customers in avoiding GST imposts. Of course if I know it then it's probably known "officially" by Customs as well.

[s7000]

You will pay duty and GST on anything over $1000. Unless the company undervalues the item. In saying that, if customs thinks it's undervalued they will call you on it and charge you.


Lou , I purchased a lens from DWI a while back , the AF went on it within warranty period , it was sent back to HK for repaire but when they sent it back it wasn't , I got stuffed around the 2nd time it went to HK which was the shipped to phillipines for repaire.they then made me pay for postage to ship back to oz on a non repaired lens,,

You won't have probs with DWI ,, until you have a warranty issue. Your call...

I've bought plenty of items from DWI. Never had a problem with warrenty issues, as there's never been an issue.

I will however say, I bought a phone off an HK company which caused me a hell of a lot of pain. I ended up paying twice the cost of the phone and it never got fixed. I was not happy!

[Disco_owner]

You will pay duty and GST on anything over $1000. Unless the company undervalues the item. In saying that, if customs thinks it's undervalued they will call you on it and charge you.



I've bought plenty of items from DWI. Never had a problem with warrenty issues, as there's never been an issue.

I will however say, I bought a phone off an HK company which caused me a hell of a lot of pain. I ended up paying twice the cost of the phone and it never got fixed. I was not happy!

That was my experience with DWI ,the 1st time it was sent back the job card stated the AF is fine ?? However I do state that it wasnt still not quite focussing correctly , i then tried the same lens on a different body and still behaving the same way , and at times AF would completely fail.

Edit: I just saw lou's original post about being aware of warranty and pros and cons...

[Bushie]

Any Applicable Duty / GST is NOT charged on the freight component of the price.

AFAIK GST will apply but there is no Duty on camera equipment.

I have heard that DWI are known to undervalue items on customs declarations to assist customers in avoiding GST imposts. Of course if I know it then it's probably known "officially" by Customs as well.

You might need to check up on the customs site.


Duty is determined on the Customs value of the goods. The Customs value of the goods is usually the amount you paid for your goods, converted to Australian currency. The exchange rate that is used is the rate applied on the day the goods were posted or exported.


GST is paid on the Value of the Taxable Importation (VoTI).
The VoTI is the sum of:


the Customs value (Cval)
transport and insurance cost (or postage and insurance) (T&I)
any duty payable, plus
WET (if applicable). [Wine equivalent tax]

Even with all of that my last import was around $1400 and didn't attract any customs duties/GST, don't know if I was lucky, they couldn't be bothered etc (it was a couple of days before Christmas).

Martyn

[JackH]

no text

[s7000]

That was my experience with DWI ,the 1st time it was sent back the job card stated the AF is fine ?? However I do state that it wasnt still not quite focussing correctly , i then tried the same lens on a different body and still behaving the same way , and at times AF would completely fail.

Edit: I just saw lou's original post about being aware of warranty and pros and cons...

Sounds like it could have been better resolved by calibrating it with Canon in Aus.

[VladTepes]

Thanks Martyn I was obviously confusing it with something else...

[blitz]

I bought my Nikon D300s and Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 through DWI not a problem with them but then again they are working perfectly

As far as warranty goes I think it is scandalous that they aren't world wide given the nature of photography, to me it is an outright rort

And I want a 24 -70 f2.8 as well :)

Blythe

[VladTepes]

The reason the warranty is not world wide is to discourage exactly what you are trying to do - avoid local retailers.

Aston Martin used to have a world wide warranty. Now operates in 'zones' because people in some countries began importing them privately.

[s7000]

The reason the warranty is not world wide is to discourage exactly what you are trying to do - avoid local retailers.

Aston Martin used to have a world wide warranty. Now operates in 'zones' because people in some countries began importing them privately.

Canon warrant lenses world wide.

Bodies are not.

[incisor]

The reason the warranty is not world wide is to discourage exactly what you are trying to do - avoid local retailers.

Aston Martin used to have a world wide warranty. Now operates in 'zones' because people in some countries began importing them privately.

if they had parity pricing instead of loading the prices in some zones, it wouldnt be an issue...

[VladTepes]

Dunno about Canon but wrt Aston the pricing differences are largelydue to some countries having outrageous taxes like the LCT which sees a significant % of the PP of the car made up of taxes and duties.