My Panamoz Order Diary

OK, so what you do is this.
* Contact HMRC, explain that the parcel was labelled wrongly and that you haven't paid the proper import duty and VAT.
* Pay the sum due to HMRC and make sure you get a receipt or some other documentation.
* Send it to the retailer and ask them to reimburse you.

That way everything's 100% legal and you haven't paid a penny more than you have currently. Simples!
Or just don't bother as life's too short and no one cares anyway.
 
Or just don't bother as life's too short and no one cares anyway.

Not a great plan - suppose you turn pro (or are a pro) and you want to depreciate the item on your income tax return for example - you can guarantee that HMRC care. And in this case (assuming panamoz are true to their word) there is nothing to lose by being honest , as they will refund the duty to you anyway.
 
Aaaaaaand before another grey imports thread goes down the toilet, let's get it back on track please and stop any bickering before it starts.
That's the 2nd lot of posts cleaned up in here.

To keep this thread useful and informative for others, also worth pointing out where Toxic stands with his order.
I'm sure hmrc would have told him the same over the phone, but some very handy information on their site too : http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/buying.htm

All other goods
If you order or send purchased goods other than alcohol, tobacco, perfume and toilet water from a country outside the EU then you:

  • don't have to pay Excise Duty
  • may have to pay Customs Duty on goods with a value that exceeds £135
  • will have to pay import VAT on goods with a value that exceeds £15
Note that on all goods from outside the EU, Customs Duty is waived if the amount of duty calculated is £9 or under.
 
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There were no markings about a toy camera on my box, it was marked photographic equipment and was well packed. My 6D was in English but had an Asian plug and a UK adapter. Overall I'm very happy and would buy again.

Could we have details on what exactly the situation was with customs/values etc? I was kind of assuming this would be a very detailed account given it has its own thread.
 
Could we have details on what exactly the situation was with customs/values etc? I was kind of assuming this would be a very detailed account given it has its own thread.

It was listed as photographic equipment and a price was shown in USD. Not sure what the value was as I am at work and the box is at home. I can check if you wish?

To be honest the government steal so much of hard earned via tax to mitigate a few pounds here and there I have no concern for. If the UK government really wants me to support UK retail and UK jobs they need to reduce the tax level in the UK to a similar level to other countries and stop high level waste on vanity projects... but that is an argument for another day!
 
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It was listed as photographic equipment and a price was shown in USD. Not sure what the value was as I am at work and the box is at home. I can check if you wish?

To be honest the government steal so much of hard earned via tax to mitigate a few pounds here and there I have no concern for. If the UK government really wants me to support UK retail and UK jobs they need to reduce the tax level in the UK to a similar level to other countries and stop high level waste on vanity projects... but that is an argument for another day!

:arghh:

I appreciate the need to keep this on track, but you can't go waving that red rag without expecting a bull to charge in. The legality of choosing which laws you obey or otherwise aside, not all things are equal between the UK and say HK. There is virtually no sales tax in HK, but equally the state services are also limited. Public healthcare in HK is limited to basically emergency only, and even then, there is a charge. Property in HK is stupidly expensive even when compare to London.

If I lived in HK, I would certainly pay less for my camera, but I'd be paying more for my home and healthcare. The system 'works' for them as well as our system 'works' for us.

When you start mixing both systems together, without respecting the 'barriers' (laws) put in place to insulate between them (ie. import VAT, NHS rules), it breaks down. We might save a few bob on a camera, but health tourism costs the UK and hence the tax payer. If we don't want to allow the latter, we also need to not exploit the former too.

Another option, let's harmonise the UK / HK model. VAT receipts account for approx £100bn out of a total tax revenue of £550bn in the UK (2012/3 numbers). The NHS budget for 2013/4 is £95bn. Let's stop paying VAT so we can all get our cameras cheaper and shut down the NHS to pay for it! - admittedly an exaggeration, but it's the thin edge of the wedge.

Whether you agree with the way our money is spent or not at present, it still needs to be funded until such a time as you change policies through the democratic process.
 
:arghh:

I appreciate the need to keep this on track, but you can't go waving that red rag without expecting a bull to charge in. The legality of choosing which laws you obey or otherwise aside, not all things are equal between the UK and say HK. There is virtually no sales tax in HK, but equally the state services are also limited. Public healthcare in HK is limited to basically emergency only, and even then, there is a charge. Property in HK is stupidly expensive even when compare to London.

If I lived in HK, I would certainly pay less for my camera, but I'd be paying more for my home and healthcare. The system 'works' for them as well as our system 'works' for us.

When you start mixing both systems together, without respecting the 'barriers' (laws) put in place to insulate between them (ie. import VAT, NHS rules), it breaks down. We might save a few bob on a camera, but health tourism costs the UK and hence the tax payer. If we don't want to allow the latter, we also need to not exploit the former too.

Another option, let's harmonise the UK / HK model. VAT receipts account for approx £100bn out of a total tax revenue of £550bn in the UK (2012/3 numbers). The NHS budget for 2013/4 is £95bn. Let's stop paying VAT so we can all get our cameras cheaper and shut down the NHS to pay for it! - admittedly an exaggeration, but it's the thin edge of the wedge.

Whether you agree with the way our money is spent or not at present, it still needs to be funded until such a time as you change policies through the democratic process.

This is an argument I could not possibly try and enter into on this forum, and I probably shouldn't wave my red flag around and not expect someone to charge in.

I'm not talking about the NHS being a vanity project but I am talking about £180m (+ an additional £40m) on some 600 new routemasters, £11m a year on subsidising a few bikes round London (excluding buying the system in the first place), and lets not even get started on HS2 or the £12bn wasted on the NHS electronic records. But I will mention the £111m fit out of Newham Council Offices that they want to quit after 4 years.
 
Oh and for information the government borrowed an additional £120bn last year, enough to fund the NHS for around 14months - what did it spend it on?!
 
This is an argument I could not possibly try and enter into on this forum, and I probably shouldn't wave my red flag around and not expect someone to charge in.

I'm not talking about the NHS being a vanity project but I am talking about £180m (+ an additional £40m) on some 600 new routemasters, £11m a year on subsidising a few bikes round London (excluding buying the system in the first place), and lets not even get started on HS2 or the £12bn wasted on the NHS electronic records. But I will mention the £111m fit out of Newham Council Offices that they want to quit after 4 years.

Have you considered writing to your council (you seem to be pointing out a number of local authority deficiencies) and tell them you are refusing to pay any further council tax?
 
OK, so what you do is this.
* Contact HMRC, explain that the parcel was labelled wrongly and that you haven't paid the proper import duty and VAT.
* Pay the sum due to HMRC and make sure you get a receipt or some other documentation.
* Send it to the retailer and ask them to reimburse you.

That way everything's 100% legal and you haven't paid a penny more than you have currently. Simples!

That way you won't need to worry about being caught smuggling your equipment back into the UK should you take it abroad.
 
None of my business where you source your camera gear from Dave.

What is more relevant is how are you finding your new 6d? Are you pleased with your new kit? :)
 
Just ordered a 6d and 24-105mm from Panamoz by BT. Hoping that it will arrive next week so I get to play with it by next weekend :)
 
Update on my order:
- Sunday 30/03 ordered via BT.

- Monday 31/03 am. Panamoz have confirmed receipt of BT.

- Monday 31/03 pm. Received tracking information

- Tuesday 01/04 PM. It's now tracking via UPS. It actually says it's is expected to be delivered tomorrow, but not sure how realistic that is as it's still in Hong Kong.

- Wednesday 02/04 AM. Tracking changed so that it is expected to arrive on Thursday. Looks like it is on the plane currently

- Wednesday 02/04 PM. It's now in Dubai

- Thursday 03/04 AM. It's now at my local delivery office and on the van for delivery later today :)

It arrived at 10:45 this morning. Excellent service indeed!
 
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For anyone that has purchased a camera from Panamoz recently - did the charger come with
1) a 3 pin plug
2) a 2 pin plug but with an adaptor for 3 pin
3) you had to buy an adaptor as only came as a 2 pin plug?

My 6d is due to be delivered today and I just wondered if it might be worthwhile me buying a 2 to 3 pin plug adaptor on my way home from work?
(I used to have one but sold it will my 60d that had a 2 pin charger as also a grey import)
 
For anyone that has purchased a camera from Panamoz recently - did the charger come with
1) a 3 pin plug
2) a 2 pin plug but with an adaptor for 3 pin
3) you had to buy an adaptor as only came as a 2 pin plug?

My 6d is due to be delivered today and I just wondered if it might be worthwhile me buying a 2 to 3 pin plug adaptor on my way home from work?
(I used to have one but sold it will my 60d that had a 2 pin charger as also a grey import)

Mine came with a uk 3 pin plug.
 
For anyone that has purchased a camera from Panamoz recently - did the charger come with
1) a 3 pin plug
2) a 2 pin plug but with an adaptor for 3 pin
3) you had to buy an adaptor as only came as a 2 pin plug?

My 6d is due to be delivered today and I just wondered if it might be worthwhile me buying a 2 to 3 pin plug adaptor on my way home from work?
(I used to have one but sold it will my 60d that had a 2 pin charger as also a grey import)

FYI Hong Kong uses the standard UK 3 pin plug, so you should always get a 3 pin plug. If you don't get one in the box then it's likely it's a Chinese import.
 
I never knew that about the plugs being the same I thought it was just the uk with the 3 pin plug :)
I'm waiting for my Panamoz order too get dispatched at the moment :( placed it at just gone 9am yesterday using Paypal as i had funds in there, usually i use bank transfer with them so i hope me using Paypal isn't delaying its despatch..

UPDATE
Dispatched :)
 
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Had a Canon 6D arrive from HDEW today, safe and sound via Fedex.....included a VAT receipt and the details for the 3 year warranty.

Quick replies to all my queries too.....only niggle is it took 7-8 days from paying to delivery but otherwise, top notch all round!! :clap:
 
My order arrived in germany last night , 5am this morning it arrived at castle donnington and by 7.20am it was at the u.p.s depot in edinburgh
 
I enquired about the D7100 with a sandisk extreme pro 16gb memory card on Sunday night from Panamoz . Monday morning I received the invoice via email. £617.50 via bank transfer. I made the payment and received confirmation they had received it. Tuesday I received tracking details and today, Friday, I received the camera.
Great service with updates via email at every stage.
I would have no hesitation in using them again.
 
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D610 and 24-85mm arrived yesterday afternoon , really fast service
 
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