Canon abuse the UK Public!

[George]

They're not 'mugging' anyone, nobody needs a Canon 200-400, much less on the day of release, and they certainly aren't being forced to hand over their hard-earned. Something is only worth what somebody is willing to pay for it, that's why once the early adopters have it the price drops more into line with what the next wave of potential customers is willing to pay.

I would guess the release window is one of the few times that retailers make any reasonable profit from a product, from the figures I've seen there are incredibly small margins on most gear, particularly when it starts getting discounted. That's why accessories and insurance are pushed so hard.

OK, I perhaps used the wrong word there, they are taking advantage of an initial shortage of product to charge a substantial and in the long term unsustainable profit and they are perfectly within their rights to do so.

I stand corrected.

 

[markmullen]

I am a financial Planner and we have to do 6 monthly reports for the regulator (FSA now known FCA) detailing exactly what fees we charge people and for what, and we know they are trying to force our fees down. So why is Canon getting away with charging too much and no regulator is telling them what they should charge. Just seems very unfair.
And before anyone goes off on one about our charges, we nearly always save clients more in taxes than we charge and we can make people wealthier not poorer like Canon

You're a financial planner and yet don't understand a free market and also believe the market in camera lenses should be tightly regulated? Jesus.

 

[Bmwjc]

That's a great idea :shake:

Get caught, and you risk confiscation, a fine, and criminal record. If you lie about it, you'll quite likely enjoy the rubber glove, too.

Oh come on let's not get all PC about this. Everyone does this. I'm not saying go out there just to buy it.

But there is no reason why you couldn't buy it whilst on holiday with your own camera gear and bring it back. I went out to the states 2 years ago on a golfing holiday didn't take my clubs though as I was upgrading. Purchased 16 clubs a bag and shoes and an armadillo travel case for £1500 saved myself £1k. Wasn't questioned coming through customs at all.

I'm not saying do this frequently at all, and no one for doing it as a one off or once every 18months will get the rubber glove treatment. Lets be honest worse case scenario will be the import duty.

 

[HoppyUK]

Oh come on let's not get all PC about this. Everyone does this. I'm not saying go out there just to buy it.

But there is no reason why you couldn't buy it whilst on holiday with your own camera gear and bring it back. I went out to the states 2 years ago on a golfing holiday didn't take my clubs though as I was upgrading. Purchased 16 clubs a bag and shoes and an armadillo travel case for £1500 saved myself £1k. Wasn't questioned coming through customs at all.

I'm not saying do this frequently at all, and no one for doing it as a one off or once every 18months will get the rubber glove treatment. Lets be honest worse case scenario will be the import duty.

I'm not making any PC point.

It happened to me. I was completely innocent, but spent several very unpleasant hours early on a Sunday morning when nobody was available to support my story. It was made very clear to me that I would lose everything and receive a fine and criminal record. I now carry receipts.

If you think you can fool a customs officer with a half-baked story they've heard a million times before - about a £12k lens that isn't even on sale in the UK yet - and that daft post-the-box-home trick, well a) they're not that stupid, and b) they can check the source of products like that very easily.

As for the rubber glove, well let's hope not, but they don't like being taken for a ride by some lying smartarse.

 

[Lensflare]

You are missing something in your figures. I build sea kayaks in Cape Town and ship them to sell them here. The COST of importing them is this:

value of goods, plus the cost of shipping, plus the import duty (on kayaks this is 4%) gives the value upon which we pay VAT - yes, that's right, we have to pay VAT on the import duty!

Welcome to the UK! Without making a single penny, cost of our kayaks (lets just take one model) in Cape Town is 12,995 ZAR at the current exchange rate that makes a Skua near enough £910. With the cost of shipping, import fees and VAT it rises to £1405 - before we make a penny - then we have to transport them around the country!

I don't think Canon will be making much here than in USA - and the cost of running a business here is vastly different too, cost of insurance, business rates, wages. Then there is the economy of scale to take into consideration - 700,000,000 people in USA, versus 60,000,000 here - quite a few more units will be sold in America, bringing the cost down.

 

[hollis_f]

Oh come on let's not get all PC about this.

Deciding not to be a criminal is not being PC.

Smuggling is a crime. People who smuggle are criminals.

Now you may be quite happy to admit to being a criminal. And I'm sure you have lots and lots of reasons to justify your committing crimes. It doesn't change a thing. You are a criminal. One day you may have to explain to your family why you're being sent away to prison with the rest of the bad people. I'd start practicing my excuses now if I were you.

 

[stu.artd]

I've been charged import duty on the total cost inc shipping, and then VAT on top of the lot as well.

I'm not so sure about Canon incurring much in the way of transport costs. I would expect Canon to be able to use their current transport network for all the other kit they send to the UK to ship the 200-400 lenses into the UK. That would make their shipping and distribution costs to and within the UK negligible as a few extra lenses wouldn't make much difference.

 

[Bmwjc]

"If you think you can fool a customs officer with a half-baked story they've heard a million times before - about a £12k lens that isn't even on sale in the UK yet - and that daft post-the-box-home trick, well a) they're not that stupid, and b) they can check the source of products like that very easily."

Who said anything about ********ting the customs officer? Infact I think I actually said worse case scenario is you pay the duty...

 

[Bmwjc]

Deciding not to be a criminal is not being PC.

Smuggling is a crime. People who smuggle are criminals.

Now you may be quite happy to admit to being a criminal. And I'm sure you have lots and lots of reasons to justify your committing crimes. It doesn't change a thing. You are a criminal. One day you may have to explain to your family why you're being sent away to prison with the rest of the bad people. I'd start practicing my excuses now if I were you.

So your assuming I would argue the toss with them then rather than just put my hands up? The 14k lens was a bit over the top I admit and the chances of getting away with it are probably quite slim, but don't make me out to be a serial smuggler of the highest order for bringing back a few golf clubs and clothing etc. oh to be perfect...

 

[russellsnr]

Hi, So it's not Canons fault? It's down to the greed of not just the retailers in the UK but also the UK Government (and I use the word Government loosely)
I was never so happy to see companies like Google/NIK software to allow the purchase of software direct from the states in USD's
But on the other side of the coin Canon offer I believe a trade in option against new equipment in the states, old film cameras trade in against new digital but try and find that in the UK, it's not just Canon, only used that as an example, If you watch some of the software manufacturers on-line webinar's from the states (and it seems most are broadcast from there) at the end they offer discount codes etc etc but only to those that live states side. Most companies nowadays seem to make there products with the USA in mind and the rest of the world just an after thought, why this is so I don't no but if like Bmwjc stated above, go for a holiday states side and bring back what you need, is it illegal to do that? yes maybe it is but until the British Government stop making the working classes pay for there mistakes with higher taxes on this and that and new taxes when they cannot figure out what tax to put up to pay for MP's 30% pay rises!!!!!!!!!!

 

[George]

This thread to me is getting out of hand.
If anyone has bothered to look at the table I did on the second page of this thread, you'll see that if vat is removed from our prices, we are actually cheaper than the US, once the initial launch furore has died down and prices have settled-remember sales tax applies in the US on top of the prices shown, unless shipped out of state.
We are in a situation in the UK where initial prices of Canon's new products seem to be sold at a price which the retailers set for people who for whatever reason can't or won't wait until the product is widely available.
Canon don't make any more money during this initial period, it's the retailers.
Look at any price v time graph on camera price buster and you'll see this effect.

As far as Russell in Greece is concerned, he better than most should be aware of what happens in an economy where there is huge tax avoidance.

Like Hoppy, I always carry at least electronic proof of purchase in case I'm stopped not only here, but in other countries as well, it's not uncommon to be asked for this in my experience, it happened to me recently in Mexico.

Anyone who thinks the customs will take a lenient view of someone smuggling a 12K lens will indeed be in for a nasty shock.

 

[phototut]

This thread to me is getting out of hand.
If anyone has bothered to look at the table I did on the second page of this thread, you'll see that if vat is removed from our prices, we are actually cheaper than the US, once the initial launch furore has died down and prices have settled-remember sales tax applies in the US on top of the prices shown, unless shipped out of state.
We are in a situation in the UK where initial prices of Canon's new products seem to be sold at a price which the retailers set for people who for whatever reason can't or won't wait until the product is widely available.
Canon don't make any more money during this initial period, it's the retailers.
Look at any price v time graph on camera price buster and you'll see this effect.

As far as Russell in Greece is concerned, he better than most should be aware of what happens in an economy where there is huge tax avoidance.

Like Hoppy, I always carry at least electronic proof of purchase in case I'm stopped not only here, but in other countries as well, it's not uncommon to be asked for this in my experience, it happened to me recently in Mexico.

Anyone who thinks the customs will take a lenient view of someone smuggling a 12K lens will indeed be in for a nasty shock.

Well said, I use a cracking little app on my iPod touch called Receipts just take a photo of said receipt or import one from a scan, Bobs ur uncle .