Buying a 'Grey' import camera body Yes or No?

should I buy an IMPORT camera body?

  • Yes

    Votes: 70 87.5%

  • No

    Votes: 10 12.5%
  • Total voters
    80
salsa-king

salsa-king

Messages
354
Name
Phil
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Yes
I really fancy a Canon 7DmkII

they sell about £1299 in the shops

Now I've been told of HDEW and they have it at just over £800!!!!!!!
http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/canon-eos-7d-mk-ii-body-2679-p.asp

Now £500 difference is a lot!

should I fear a Import body which is sold from the UK with a company like HDEW, who I have rang and spoke to.. (in the UK)


I know the main shops will say it's an import etc etc... but as I say.. £500!!!!

what's not to like at £809 with a three your warranty.

can someone put my mid at rest on buying from the dark side??
 
There are plenty of threads on here about this if you search panamoz, hdew or digital rev. Many have purchased from grey importers on here and are happy with the service and warranty. It's up to the individual whether they are happy or not to buy grey, it doesn't really matter what others say/think as its a personally choice. The main reason they are cheaper is because the grey seller don't pay import tax/VAT like a UK seller. I think there was a sticky listing all of pros/cons. If you stick with the well known grey sellers I've mention there is less risk, if go with a less well known supplier it could be more risky.

I'm off to get the popcorn ;) as you have just opened a TP time bomb! These type of threads normally descend into chaos quite quickly, let's hope this isn't one of those times.
 
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£500 saving gives me extra funds towards a f2.8 lens ;)

or put it another way... £800 gets me a 70D... in my local shops...... or £800 gets me a 7Dmk2 which I get in a few days ;)


for me it's what back up you get if you have a problem.... can they be fixed by canon if you need a repair out of the warranty period from the shop.
Or at £800 and I get 5yrs out of it.. it's not cost me a fortune ;)
 
Nowadays they warranty from the likes of Panamoz and HDEW is actually better than offered by UK based companies in some ways.

What typically happens is that they ask you to send it to the manufacturer/repairer who will fix it for a charge (given it's not a UK unit) and then Panamoz/HDEW refund you the money. Not totally ideal but it is 3 years AND is transferrable, which is handy.
 
Do you get a uk charger with the bodies from hdew/panamoz? I have always got my bodies from wex and lenses grey
 
Typically they provide an adapter but given a lot of chargers use figure-8 leads you can just use one of the many you have lying around...
 
I recently bought a lens from panamoz, not a camera body like you're talking about but it was well over £1000. After a couple of weeks of ownership I accepted that the lens was not performing how I thought it should of and contacted panamoz via email and asked for an exchange. Now although they couldn't exchange it they did send out a courier to collect it and refunded my money all on the same day that I first made contact with them. So I'd say go for the import but use a recognised company.
 
Like many on here I've used HDEW for camera bodies and the odd lens, the service has always been excellent, with lots of order updates and communication throughout. The 3 year warranty they provide on bodies seems to get positive feedback also. Bodies were provided with UK chargers and manuals, HDEW will also provide a VAT receipt if requested, if that's important to you.
 
mind made up then.

£809 a great price, when it's not on the boxing day sale it was £859
not much more... is it worth waiting and it would come down a bit more (black Friday sale it was £799 IIRC)
 
Well, personally I think you shouldn't get the 7d II - I can't imagine why ;)

Seriously though, import is fine, if you need to get it repaired the money saved will cover or go a long way to paying for the bill.

Oh, I wouldn't wait on a tenner, yeah it might be less or it might be more - if you're good with the price then go for it.

I don't know your specific usage but have you considered the 5DIII? I used to have one and much preferred it over the 7d (mk 1) or for that matter any other Canon body I'd owned.
 
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tnx

going 5dmk3 would mean a full swap of lens.
and for me a total over kill ;)

keeping cropped, I get a bit more zoom too lol
 
been looking around today.

Jessops have the 7dmk2 on offer at £1149 + a Free SD card and hold all camera bag THEN cash back on a battery grip if bought at the same time (£199)....... AND they are doing 24months 0%

If I buy from Hdew at £809 + £205 for a grip&battery combo



Hmmmmmmm, not much in it when you work it out
 
Like others have said using a recognised retailer to buy your import is usually hassle free. I have used Panamoz and HDEW.
 
Grumps1974 said:
A VAT receipt is only relevant if you are a VAT registered business and can claim it back on your VAT return . Otherwise is serves no useful purpose.
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Now you're being deliberately provocative. You know perfectly well why he mentioned VAT receipts and you're just spoiling for an argument.
 
I have no intention of being deliberately provocative nor am I spoiling for an arguement. As the owner of a VAT registered business I am making a simple statement of fact. Any other spin on my post is your interpretation.
 
salsa-king said:
been looking around today.

Jessops have the 7dmk2 on offer at £1149 + a Free SD card and hold all camera bag THEN cash back on a battery grip if bought at the same time (£199)....... AND they are doing 24months 0%

If I buy from Hdew at £809 + £205 for a grip&battery combo



Hmmmmmmm, not much in it when you work it out
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With cash backs and offers sometimes the uk shops and compete with the grey importers, brought my tamron 150-600 this way. Seem the manufactures may be trying to support the regional sellers.
 
HDEW give Vat receipts and I have found them to be very responsive and helpful both before and after a sale.
 
Hi there...what do you guys mean by purchasing from _grey _ importers???...sorry I'm new at this
 
@salsa-king I have bought a camera and lenses from HDEW and was happy with my experience. They sorted a warranty repair on a lens for me and even refunded the postage. I'm not sure if the same applies to camera bodies. I'm realistic enough to expect that others will not have had such a good experience as is the case with any retailer.
@Grumps1974 & @StewartR I presume the VAT receipt gives consumers some confidence that they are dealing with a business that has an air of legitimacy or credibility to it? (Not always sure it's the case but that's my own cynicism)
@focusgirl Grey market goods are ones that have not been imported by or under the direction of the manufacturer. The retailers have often sourced them elsewhere at a discount to the normal supply route and so can sell at a lower price. They can have issues with warranties not being honoured.
 
Chipper said:
HDEW give Vat receipts and I have found them to be very responsive and helpful both before and after a sale.
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x 2 !! I have bought several Canon items from HDEW and also have needed a repair after dropping. HDEW use a Canon approved repair centre in Glasgow (A.J.Johnstone) who were beyond excellent! I had bought a body from Park Cameras which also needed repair at the same time but Park's aftersales service was vague and so I switched to A.J.Johnstone. HDEW is now my first port of call. My second port of call is Wex Photographic (not grey).

HDEW have premises you can visit on an industrial park in Surrey : http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/about-us-1-w.asp

They usually take about 5 working days to deliver but keep you informed of progress. Save yourself some money!
 
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And what everyone has avoided saying is ....
.... a 'Grey import' is one where the importer has not paid any Import Duty to HMRC - hence the low prices!

For some reason this irks the genuine importers who have paid their dues to HMRC :eek:
 
chuckles said:
And what everyone has avoided saying is ....
.... a 'Grey import' is one where the importer has not paid any Import Duty to HMRC - hence the low prices!

For some reason this irks the genuine importers who have paid their dues to HMRC :eek:
Click to expand...

....I'm not avoiding saying such things! There is nothing which isn't "genuine" about an importer such as HDEW who have premises here in the UK - They simply source differently and don't purchase stock, hence why they take longer to supply. You are making it sound as if HDEW are illegally avoiding tax.
 
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RedRobin said:
....I'm not avoiding saying such things! There is nothing which isn't "genuine" about an importer such as HDEW who have premises here in the UK - They simply source differently and don't purchase stock, hence why they take longer to supply. You are making it sound as if HDEW are illegally avoiding tax.
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Most Grey Importers do.... which is why they offer to pay any Duties if requested by HMRC.
 
UPDATE:

I have been into Jessops camera shop today and got a very good deal, which I'm more than happy with.
(PLUS 24 months 0% with no deposit is very appealing)

The 7DmkII they did at £1149 with a FREE bag and 32gb memory card (the offer on their website) also the Battery Grip is £199 (which is reclaimed back from Canon - so free)

The Tamron 70-200 f2.8 VC was in store UNDER £900!!!! (comes with a 5yr warrant) - virtually the same price as HDEW
 
salsa-king said:
UPDATE:

I have been into Jessops camera shop today and got a very good deal, which I'm more than happy with.
(PLUS 24 months 0% with no deposit is very appealing)

The 7DmkII they did at £1149 with a FREE bag and 32gb memory card (the offer on their website) also the Battery Grip is £199 (which is reclaimed back from Canon - so free)
Click to expand...


....That is a very good deal indeed - Am feeling happy for you :)

I financed my 7D Mark II on a 12 month 0% no deposit deal (now fully paid) and I am paying for my Canon 100-400mm L II on a 24 month same deal. Finance is something which the 'grey' and 'pale grey' importers can't offer and so it's swings-vs-roundabouts and you pay your money and take your pick.

All that matters is that you acquire the gear you need and at a price which you personally can afford. Then forget the money side of things and just enjoy taking photos.

 
hollis_f said:
A VAT receipt is also relevant if you want to ensure that you're not being a criminal.
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....Hmm, I thought that the avoidance of paying vat was a civil rather than a criminal offence. Besides which, if indeed there is a fault isn't the seller at fault for selling goods without vat applied (assuming the seller is required to apply vat to his/her sales) rather than the purchaser?

I don't think that a purchaser can justifiably be accused of "being a criminal" just because the receipt supplied with the goods doesn't break down the price to show vat. Many sales receipts just print one sum which already includes vat.

Or is it your wish to make people who buy 'grey' goods feel that they are criminals, Frank?
 
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salsa-king said:
I have been into Jessops camera shop today and got a very good deal, which I'm more than happy with.
(PLUS 24 months 0% with no deposit is very appealing)
Click to expand...
That's certainly a tempting deal,
salsa-king said:
The 7DmkII they did at £1149 with a FREE bag and 32gb memory card (the offer on their website) also the Battery Grip is £199 (which is reclaimed back from Canon - so free)
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But someone on their site needs to do their sums
7DII = £1179.00
Canon BG-E16 Battery Grip = £199.00
Grand total = 1378.00

Bought together as a package = £1498.00
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/97445/show.html

:D
 
RedRobin said:
....Hmm, I thought that the avoidance of paying vat was a civil rather than a criminal offence. Besides which, if indeed there is a fault isn't the seller at fault for selling goods without vat applied (assuming the seller is required to apply vat to his/her sales) rather than the purchaser?

I don't think that a purchaser can justifiably be accused of "being a criminal" just because the receipt supplied with the goods doesn't break down the price to show vat. Many sales receipts just print one sum which already includes vat.

Or is it your wish to make people who buy 'grey' goods feel that they are criminals, Frank?
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Whilst I don't wish to ope up the whole moral arguments that usually start around these threads. I think it's important to understand the use of the appropriate terminology in these discussions. VAT avoidance usually involves contrived and / or artificial arrangements to utilise the way legislation is written to AVOID paying tax or facilitate a VAT reclaim. Avoidance is not illegal.

VAT evasion on the other hand involves in very simplistic terms knowingly not paying the VAT that is due. It can be treated either as a civil or criminal matter. You are correct in saying that if you buy from a UK registered VAT retailer the obligation would usually fall upon the retailer if they evaded their their tax obligations not the customer. In the UK there is no obligation to provide a full VAT receipt unless requested. However many grey purchases involve the importation of goods with the customer as importer in these cases the obligation to pay the correct amount of tax due rests with the customer not the supplier.

As with all things tax related it's often very difficult to offer a precise generic answer with the issue wholly being fact dependant

This may seem a little pedantic but I think it's important to understand and use the correct terminology to assist with the discussion.

Hope this helps
 
taxboy said:
You are correct in saying that if you buy from a UK registered VAT retailer the obligation would usually fall upon the retailer if they evaded their their tax obligations not the customer. In the UK there is no obligation to provide a full VAT receipt unless requested. However many grey purchases involve the importation of goods with the customer as importer in these cases the obligation to pay the correct amount of tax due rests with the customer not the supplier.

As with all things tax related it's often very difficult to offer a precise generic answer with the issue wholly being fact dependant

This may seem a little pedantic but I think it's important to understand and use the correct terminology to assist with the discussion.

Hope this helps
Click to expand...

....Yes, very helpful and thanks for your clarification.

In the case of where I am happy to buy my so-called 'grey' products, the retailer provides a vat inclusive receipt, therefore exempting the purchaser from any responsibility. It is neither my business nor my moral concern how the supplier achieves such highly competitive and attractive retail prices. I think that it is often and unfairly assumed that it can only be as a result of not paying vat. Other factors such as price at source and low overheads are ignored by those retailers who are controlled by main UK distributors and also have much heavier overheads - They don't like the competition and consequently try to trash the reputation of their competitors by alleging that they are illegally avoiding/evading (or whatever you want to call it) vat. They operate a cartel.

Personally, I think that a vat rate of 20% is inequitable! But that is besides the point - That's just my opinion.
 
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I've had 2 cameras from Digital Rev, I off Kerso, 1 from HDew and 2 from Panamoz plus various lenses all with no problems
 
Billy said:
I've had 2 cameras from Digital Rev, I off Kerso, 1 from HDew and 2 from Panamoz plus various lenses all with no problems
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Have you had to claim off warranty with any of them ? (honest question as warranty is generally then other issue mooted with greys)
 
I had my 6d from Digital Rev, no issues, except it was in japanese when I switched it on, so had to look on the internet for the english screen layout so I knew how many button presses I needed to go to switch it to an English setting. Other than that, not missed a beat.
 
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