Cotswold Cameras

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Anyone bought from these guys as cheaper heard they may be imported but offer 2 year warranty?
 
Umm ok thx so as long as you get warranty guess and repair in UK then prob ok to save a few bob
 
You probably will not get a warranty unless they supply one.
 
The owner is a member of the forum (profile), although not a paying advertiser so all business will have to be dealt with off-forum.
 
Interestingly they list an address in Cirencester, so I walked down the street. They don't have an obvious presence, which put me off.
 
Interestingly they list an address in Cirencester, so I walked down the street. They don't have an obvious presence, which put me off.
Hi,

Our address in Cirencester is our private residence and office. We also have staff in Cowley house. We are an online only company so we do not maintain a retail outlet.

Please feel free to contact us if you wish to discuss anything.

David
 
yep i used them a while ago now, for some studio bits. excellent service.:)
 
Whilst I wouldn't go as far as Stewart, and I respect that David is reading this, both the Cotswold Cameras website and their Amazon Seller information raise warning flags that would prevent my doing business with them. They would appear to be an offshore company trading from a UK business address ("Inc." is not used in the UK, they're not registered with Companies House), the Distance Selling Regulations do not appear to be acknowledged in their terms and conditions (so you should be able assume that the maximum default protections apply - or they just don't acknowledge your rights at all), and they have the usual weasel words in the terms and conditions that all importers seem to rely upon "Please note that by making a purchase on this website you will be acting as the importer of the product for all purposes including all customs regulations,copyright and trademark laws." So the chances of getting a VAT receipt are somewhere between none and very slim.
 
Whilst I wouldn't go as far as Stewart, and I respect that David is reading this, both the Cotswold Cameras website and their Amazon Seller information raise warning flags that would prevent my doing business with them. They would appear to be an offshore company trading from a UK business address ("Inc." is not used in the UK, they're not registered with Companies House), the Distance Selling Regulations do not appear to be acknowledged in their terms and conditions (so you should be able assume that the maximum default protections apply - or they just don't acknowledge your rights at all), and they have the usual weasel words in the terms and conditions that all importers seem to rely upon "Please note that by making a purchase on this website you will be acting as the importer of the product for all purposes including all customs regulations,copyright and trademark laws." So the chances of getting a VAT receipt are somewhere between none and very slim.

I'd prefer this not to turn into a free for all so will clarify for all and then people can make a decision for themselves without the need for others to guess what is going on.

Our company is structured offshore as Alistair rightly says.

We do this so that we can operate outside UK VAT restrictions and offer cheaper prices.

Our intention is to offer customers a choice.
If you value the manufacturers warranty then buy UK stock from the many stockists.
If you would prefer to save money and buy imported goods but want the reassurance of UK customer service and a UK warranty as well as a 14 day money back return policy then you can shop with us.

No, you won't get a VAT receipt so if you are intending to claim VAT back then look elsewhere but for non business or non VAT registered business customers we are an option.

Choice is a great thing and we are just one of many but we aim to offer great service, no matter what.
 
Gentlemen, you are welcome to continue this discussion privately if you both wish. As always, when buying anything, we recommend all members do their research and make sure you know what you are buying and how. There is this thread to help you with some stuff but it is your responsibility to do your homework. Alastair, Matt will have a look at your comments as soon as he has chance and decide if they need somehow incorporating in the guide post.
 
Hi,

Our address in Cirencester is our private residence and office. We also have staff in Cowley house. We are an online only company so we do not maintain a retail outlet.

Please feel free to contact us if you wish to discuss anything.

David

Interesting to know - thanks. Looked interesting as you were local.
 
Our company is structured offshore as Alistair rightly says.

We do this so that we can operate outside UK VAT restrictions and offer cheaper prices.


No, you won't get a VAT receipt so if you are intending to claim VAT back then look elsewhere but for non business or non VAT registered business customers we are an option.

Just to check

The prices quoted on the website exclude VAT & Import Duty.

Who pays the VAT & Import Duty for anything purchased for delivery into the UK
 
I bought a Nikon D610 2 weeks ago from Cotswold Cameras. I ordered it on the Sunday night. It was dispatched on the Monday afternoon and was with me on Wednesday lunchtime.
There were no customs duty or charges to pay.
The Camera came from Hong Kong, it has a Hong Kong serial number and the menu was in Chinese, this was easy to change. The warranty is held by Cotswold Cameras.
I thought it was worth the risk. Lenses have a world wide warranty so they shouldn't be a problem.
I will be using them again in the near future.
 
Amazing how many people kindly sign up just to share their (positive) experiences of relatively unknown grey importers, and to think the internet gets a bad press sometimes.
 
Amazing how many people kindly sign up just to share their (positive) experiences of relatively unknown grey importers, and to think the internet gets a bad press sometimes.
Hi, Chris,

I understand your scepticism but I just checked our records and that is indeed a genuine post from a real customer..... Believe it or not .

Glad you were happy with your camera Robert.
 
Hi,
I came across this forum because it appeared in a google search for Cotswold Cameras. I was considering purchasing from them, but concerned about the process, customer service etc. I was sceptical. I made enquiries via phone and was very disappointed with the poor telephone response that I got. I wrote an email complaining and almost immediately got a reply from David, who apologised, explained that they were primarily email based and promised a high level of customer service and response. I decided to give it a go and ordered a fuji xt and 18-55 lens a week ago. It hasn't been an easy wait, particularly because the UPS tracking ref I was given was incorrect. However David has consistently responded promptly and considerately to my concerns. My camera arrived today. The power cord is continental, but a UK adaptor is supplied and the manual and other documentation is in English. I am very pleased, it is a beautiful camera, it has arrived 6 days after ordering and I have saved a significant amount of money. Of course I don't how any faults will be dealt with, but I have confidence in David's care and responsiveness. I understand the risks and the compromises but on the basis of this experience I would use them again.

Jon
 
Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/1768)

Most electrical equipment intended for use in and around the home will need to comply with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994. Additionally the Regulations require that the majority of such equipment, when placed on the UK market, must be fitted with a plug that has been approved by a notified body and either conforms to BS 1363 or offers an equivalent level of safety.

As an alternative to fitting a BS 1363 plug, it is permissible, to fit a "conversion plug" The "conversion plug" must be approved by a notified body and meet various conditions set out in the Regulations. An 'adaptor' is not a conversion plug.

Items fitted with a non-UK plug may be supplied provided they have been fitted with an approved 3 pin conversion plug which must enclose the fitted plug and can only be removed with the use of a tool.
 
@gramps - but remember the weasel-words terms and conditions. Off-shore registered importers with UK-based admin offices like this are only acting as agents on your behalf. As the purchaser you accept all liability yourself for importing the goods and placing them on the market.

But it is more than a little cheap not to provide a figure-8 lead with a UK plug rather than an adapter, after all that's all that's needed to provide a safe and compliant product to your customer. But some companies don't think keeping their customers safe or compliant with the law is worth a few extra pennies on the cost.
 
Not so simple as providing a different lead, lots of chargers have a two pin built into them hence the need for a shaver type adapter.
 
Not so simple as providing a different lead, lots of chargers have a two pin built into them hence the need for a shaver type adapter.
I have a Fuji X-series charger sat in front of me.. it takes a standard fig-8 lead. I don't just make this sh*t up..
 
I have a Fuji X-series charger sat in front of me.. it takes a standard fig-8 lead. I don't just make this sh*t up..

The Canon charger I have in a drawer is of the type I described, lots doesn't mean all

Before you start being abusive its always best to actually read what has been written
 
The Canon charger I have in a drawer is of the type I described, lots doesn't mean all

Before you start being abusive its always best to actually read what has been written

Ahh.. must be TLDR, you obviously missed that the conversation had moved on and was specifically talking about an X-T1. If you had realised that, you'd no doubt see why your response to my post came across as insulting my intelligence.
 
Goodness me! I'm new to this forum and you guys don't half get excited about trivial stuff. You get these leads with just about everything, I'm not even using the supplied 2 pin lead.
 
I just wanted to share my experience, which has been very positive so far. Ordered my Canon camera at the weekend and it arrived by Fedex on Tuesday. The box contained an original looking manual (English) and a proper looking 'fig-8' lead, no cheap adapters.
 
As an objective observer I can't help noticing the sudden influx of new members who appear to have registered just so that they can sing the praises of a commercial camera 'shop' who have no real showroom premises.

Sorry boys, but your glowing recommendations are hardly going to impress the membership here because we actually don't yet know anything about you.
 
TBH I'd feel much less uncomfortable about ordering if endorsements didn't appear as if by magic in threads like this.
 
I agree.

The more that new posters sing a sellers praises, (especially when they never post again) the less trustworthy I find them & even less likely to use them! Counterproductive imho.
 
Cotswold Cameras used to have an advertising banner at the top of this forum - strangely disappeared some time ago.
 
Cotswold Cameras used to have an advertising banner at the top of this forum - strangely disappeared some time ago.

Seems David (from Cotswold Cameras) hasn't been online himself for about 5 months.
 
Hi everyone. Hope you are all well.

This thread was brought to my attention so I thought I would stop by. Yes it has been a while. Mainly because we are so busy that I unfortunately don't have time to post here often, as much as I'd like to. I've also been busy testing out the new Sony A7 mk II and Fuji X100T for the company and will be posting image samples on Flickr and a review on our blog soon.

I would add that we do not involve ourselves in any of the dubious tactics others may use such as creating profiles to post fake reviews. Any posts here are wholly independent of Cotswold Cameras and I can only assume come from genuine happy customers.

We would much rather focus our resources on providing good service to our customers than try and fill out a few fake reviews which would be a genuinely counter productive practise.

Someone correctly said that we used to advertise on this forum which is true. However like any company we have to decide where our marketing budget is spent most efficiently. Unfortunately, for now, that is elsewhere.
 
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Hi everyone. Hope you are all well.

This thread was brought to my attention so I thought I would stop by. Yes it has been a while. Mainly because we are so busy that I unfortunately don't have time to post here often, as much as I'd like to. I've also been busy testing out the new Sony A7 mk II and Fuji X100T for the company and will be posting image samples on Flickr and a review on our blog soon.

I would add that we do not involve ourselves in any of the dubious tactics others may use such as creating profiles to post fake reviews. Any posts here are wholly independent of Cotswold Cameras and I can only assume come from genuine happy customers.

We would much rather focus our resources on providing good service to our customers than try and fill out a few fake reviews which would be a genuinely counter productive practise.

Someone correctly said that we used to advertise on this forum which is true. However like any company we have to decide where our marketing budget is spent most efficiently. Unfortunately, for now, that is elsewhere.

....Fair enough but you would have saved your reputation more effectively if you had said this much earlier when you first posted in this thread (Reply #7).
 
Well, what an interesting thread! I'm looking at replacing my current Nikon DX format kit and will most likely go for a D750 and a couple of lens. I imported my D200, which has served me well, many years ago from USA. I ordered my D200/lens bundle from Ritz and had it delivered to my first address on a trip to California. No problem, I used to live in Ca. Fortunately, didn't need any warranty work and Nikon were quite happy to service it a few years ago before I went on a long trip. I delivered and collected my kit from their Kingston service centre. By the way the US charger plug was not a problem, I bought the Nikon UK power cord accessory, it cost nothing compared with my huge savings.

So now I'm looking for a good deal on some FX kit before I go to Costa Rica/Panama, just pushed the justification into positive territory. Have found SLR Hut and Cotswold and decided to investigate. Dealing with SLR Hut first, who advertise on this blog, there seems to be a lot of bad comment based on real experience and their structure and support does not look encouraging. So that's been parked for now. I have communicated with Cotswold by email and they answered promptly and were helpful in answering my questions. Their web site appears to be very open and helpful and I will look at it again to make sure there are no T&C which are of concern to me. David has been open in his responses on this blog and I have no reason to believe that the positive comments left on this blog are not genuine. So I am likely to order with Cotswold in the next ten day's, having done a few more checks, knowing what the risks/benefits may or may not be. That's what David expects me to do.

As for the snipers on this thread - maybe they work for the competition. Some certainly seem to have enough time to amass thousands of posts. I always ignore these types and take note of only constructive, even if critical, comments and also those speaking with first hand experience of what is being discussed - good or bad. Just look at the various SLR Hut reviews, plenty of real bad stuff online.
 
As for the snipers on this thread - maybe they work for the competition. Some certainly seem to have enough time to amass thousands of posts. I always ignore these types and take note of only constructive, even if critical, comments and also those speaking with first hand experience of what is being discussed - good or bad. Just look at the various SLR Hut reviews, plenty of real bad stuff online.

....Who are you calling "snipers"!?

Those of us who have amassed thousands of posts are those who take an active part in this community, so how dare you refer to us as "types" to be "ignored"!! How do you expect to be welcomed or respected in this forum community when your first ever post here adopts such an insulting tone?

Had it not occurred to you that any challenging of Cotswold Cameras was for the benefit and protection of members here? Fortunately, David fleetphoto has eventually explained himself (Reply #35) and so we can perhaps feel more comfortable about what he is offering.
 
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As for the snipers on this thread - maybe they work for the competition. Some certainly seem to have enough time to amass thousands of posts. I always ignore these types and take note of only constructive, even if critical, comments and also those speaking with first hand experience of what is being discussed - good or bad. Just look at the various SLR Hut reviews, plenty of real bad stuff online.

I think this is the kind of sniper he means: https://whysoangryblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/176-1shoot_yourself_in_the_foot.jpg
 
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