Has anyone had any experience with hdewcameras before? Why are they so cheap?

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I have taken the advice on my last thread to get a lens and i came across this website, it seems legit, has nearly 1000 reviews on trustpilot with the majority 5/5 but the prices are unreal, they sell cameras/equipment new for cheaper than MPB second hand! Now i have read a bit about them maybe being a grey import, i called them up and asked them what that meant to me and basically i got the impression the ONLY difference is i deal with Hdew instead of Canon for warranty and they offer 1+ year warranty on most stuff.

Are there hidden fees? I mean i get its cheap but who is paying the VAT/TAX? Would i get the bill for that a few weeks later and then be angry the cost went up to UK levels? I cant find the catch.......
 
i called them up and asked them what that meant to me and basically i got the impression the ONLY difference is i deal with Hdew instead of Canon for warranty and they offer 1+ year warranty on most stuff.....
That's about the size of it, yeah

IME e-infinity are even cheaper and a similar setup
https://www.e-infin.com/uk/
 
they are what is know as grey market.

they are not uk stock with uk warranty

they are stock from abroad and the warranty is with them and not the brand itself

so as you can see they are not cheap as such because it is less good if you know what I mean
 
I have bought from them, I even went to their office to collect as it was about £3k of equipment and as I had no prior dealings with them I thought it was safer. Nice people to deal with, buy with confidence in my opinion.

I also got a legit VAT invoice.
 
Are there hidden fees? I mean i get its cheap but who is paying the VAT/TAX? Would i get the bill for that a few weeks later and then be angry the cost went up to UK levels? I cant find the catch.......

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.You accept that the role of HDEW Cameras is limited to sourcing products and making them available for you to import directly from the country of origin.By purchasing a product through this website you authorise us to make arrangements for clearance of customs on your behalf for the products you have ordered.

https://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/terms.asp

So YOU are the importer of the equipment and all liability for duties rests with YOU.
 
they are what is know as grey market.

they are not uk stock with uk warranty

they are stock from abroad and the warranty is with them and not the brand itself

so as you can see they are not cheap as such because it is less good if you know what I mean
What do you mean less good ?

They gave me a three year warranty on the camera body and repairs are carried out via a very reputable company in Glasgow that turn repairs around far quicker than UK manufacturers.
 
They are not less good. That's a very stupid and simplistic reply that serves no purpose.

They sell the same cameras and lenses that were made in the same factories.

You just don't get a UK warranty, but you DO get a 3 year independent warranty on the body (at least I did with my Olympus kit).

Plus I saved a LOT of money buying grey.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat and from HDEW again too.
 
Only if they are out of stock and ship direct from HK.
If the items a re 'In STock' they ship from UK warehouses
The goods have already been imported before HDEW ship them unless HDEW do not have them IN Stock when you order.

Sorry I didn't spot that bit in their 'cover our backsides' T&C's ... the printed conditions would have much more impact on HMRC decisions than your assumptions. ;)
 
Yep if you have the cash buy from them ,my lad had to get a six month old lens repaired under warranty ,it couldn’t be fixed satisfactory so they refunded him in full plus all his postage costs . Use them without a doubt
 
I don't think that grey importers are as good as buying from UK authorised dealers. I don't have to explain why, its common sense.

I don't see what's common sense about it. It may be your opinion, but I've never had any issues when buying from a reputable grey importer, including Hdew.
I think you'd find it pretty damn hard to find anybody here who has had a bad experience with Hdew or Panamoz.
 
i have purchased a lens from HDEW with no problems, but why don't they advertise Nikon any more?I can still get Nikon stuff from Ireland a lot cheaper than UK shops
 
Purchased my EOS 80D from them last year with no problems. Arrived in a box for a body and lens kit but I bought body only. Looking at the HMRC rules, body only cameras are subject to import duties, but body and lens kits are not. Anyway I got a three year warranty and even an A4 printed copy of the manual. Had no issues with the camera at all and would buy from them again
 
This might be such a stupid question but if they are from a different country then are the menus and such in English on the cameras? I cant see that being the case, i bet there is a language select which will stop that being an issue.
 
Trumbit what lens are you looking to buy?
I've ordered a Tamron 100-400 from e-infinity who were cheaper than HDEW or panamoz.
 
I don't think that grey importers are as good as buying from UK authorised dealers. I don't have to explain why, its common sense.
So I lack common sense buying from HDEW ?

Usually when someone refuses to explain their thoughts after slating someone or something they hide behind "it's common sense".
 
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This might be such a stupid question but if they are from a different country then are the menus and such in English on the cameras? I cant see that being the case, i bet there is a language select which will stop that being an issue.

They are in English otherwise people wouldn't buy them.
 
This crops up all of the time on here and the threads go the same way every time. Basically grey imports are imports not done through the normal manufacturers UK operations. The warranty is with the place you purchase from rather the manufacturers uk operation. most say the price difference is due to tax. Hdew are a little different in the way their T&Cs say you are the importer but they can provide VAT receipts if you ask. should you need to ask for something like a vat receipt if it’s been paid especially at the values we are talking about?

Basically make up your own mind about whether you are happy to or not.
 
Trumbit what lens are you looking to buy?
I've ordered a Tamron 100-400 from e-infinity who were cheaper than HDEW or panamoz.
Honestly i still dont know, it wont be something im buying right this second but im a bit of an addict when it comes to research so i have been looking around using a few lenses as a base price comparison to weed out the expensive stores and this one stood out as being the cheapest while still being a UK company. At these prices i feel i could easily grab a 750d and a nice new lens in one go! maybe 2 lenses and a 750d a few months after the fact. I just need to make sure this is legit and from what everyone has said its clear it is. Obviously there are negatives but then if i was to buy a second hand lens/camera the warenty would be short anyway and HDEW offer their own warranty......its hard to say no to this company and they get stellar reviews across the board, most negative reviews are from delivery times but all companies have those. Im definatly getting a lens first but im going to throw maybe a 750d or 200d in there at some point and i feel this will be where i get it.
 
The only time I won’t buy from them is If I have to finance a deal, if I have cash it’s a no brainer
 
Don't rule out e-infinity and panamoz, have a look at their prices as well.
Oops, you posted just before me :)
 
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I have bought from them, I even went to their office to collect as it was about £3k of equipment and as I had no prior dealings with them I thought it was safer. Nice people to deal with, buy with confidence in my opinion.

I also got a legit VAT invoice.

You didn't. because the VAT number on it does not belong to HDEW.
 
Don't rule out e-infinity and panamoz, have a look at their prices as well.
Oops, you posted just before me :)
Does Panamoz/e-infinity have the UK store and customer service like Hdew? If something went wrong i would hate to have to ship something to another country, i cant get a clear answer about them, hdew shows exactly where they are located on a map but the others its harder to find.
 
I've used e-infinity and Hdew with no problems. I returned a couple of things as well to e-infinity (not faulty, just not what i wanted) and they were fine - no hidden extras or surprise bills for shipping or tax etc. The returns address/business address is a UK one for e-infinity, as I'm sure Hdew is as well. One thing that doesn't apply from these importer companies is any UK specific cashback schemes. You should get a basic 1 year manufacturer warranty on all items, plus whatever the retailer offers.
 
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You didn't. because the VAT number on it does not belong to HDEW.
The number 671 9479 88 on my invoice checks out fine.

It's registered to Validhirst Ltd and on the HDEW website it states;

Validhirst Ltd T/A HDEW Cameras
62 The Street
Ashtead
Surrey
KT21 1AT

I used this site to check it;

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/

Do you know something I don't ? I'm intrigued to know.

Validhirst Ltd on Companies House matches HDEW's address.
 
The number 671 9479 88 on my invoice checks out fine.

It's registered to Validhirst Ltd and on the HDEW website it states;

Validhirst Ltd T/A HDEW Cameras
62 The Street
Ashtead
Surrey
KT21 1AT

I used this site to check it;

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/

Do you know something I don't ? I'm intrigued to know.

Validhirst Ltd on Companies House matches HDEW's address.
When i phoned up earlier the woman on the phone explained all VAT receipts are 100% legal and its all above board, she said they get the question a lot because the prices are so low and people cant understand why so i dont know why people doubt that, surely they wouldnt be in business if it wasnt legal.
 
When i phoned up earlier the woman on the phone explained all VAT receipts are 100% legal and its all above board, she said they get the question a lot because the prices are so low and people cant understand why so i dont know why people doubt that, surely they wouldnt be in business if it wasnt legal.

This may be true but if it is they should not need the T&C referred to by Gramps above ie you will be acting as the importer.
 
Bought a lens from E-infinity and got a no-questions-asked refund. Good communication throughout. I also wanted to get a body checked out, and they said that as long as I took it to a reputable UK service agent, they'd foot the bill if it needed work. Again, good communication and a professional tone to the email. It transpired that there was nothing wrong with the camera, other than its owner coming from 15 years of Nikon ownership and struggling to adapt. I'm not sure how EI would have reacted had it needed a new sensor - but from the experience so far I can't complain.

It guts me to think of all the local specialist stores that I've seen close over the years. I don't think grey importers are to blame. It seems consistent with the demise of the high st. in general. Death by Amazon.
 
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I'm fascinated by HDEW, mainly how they are fairly consistently around HK prices (i.e. UK prices minus VAT) yet seemingly a fully legit UK company. Even more intriguing that they can only source kit from a very specific list of manufacturers.

My understanding is that UK retailers selling non-grey versions of the same kit would be making a loss at HDEW prices.

Pretty much no other UK stores can manage it and even genuinely UK based eBay sellers shifting grey stock have all but disappeared in the last year or two.
 
Honestly i still dont know, it wont be something im buying right this second but im a bit of an addict when it comes to research so i have been looking around using a few lenses as a base price comparison to weed out the expensive stores and this one stood out as being the cheapest while still being a UK company. At these prices i feel i could easily grab a 750d and a nice new lens in one go! maybe 2 lenses and a 750d a few months after the fact. I just need to make sure this is legit and from what everyone has said its clear it is. Obviously there are negatives but then if i was to buy a second hand lens/camera the warenty would be short anyway and HDEW offer their own warranty......its hard to say no to this company and they get stellar reviews across the board, most negative reviews are from delivery times but all companies have those. Im definatly getting a lens first but im going to throw maybe a 750d or 200d in there at some point and i feel this will be where i get it.


Just go for it. HDEW are fine.
 
I'm fascinated by HDEW, mainly how they are fairly consistently around HK prices (i.e. UK prices minus VAT) yet seemingly a fully legit UK company. Even more intriguing that they can only source kit from a very specific list of manufacturers.

My understanding is that UK retailers selling non-grey versions of the same kit would be making a loss at HDEW prices.

Pretty much no other UK stores can manage it and even genuinely UK based eBay sellers shifting grey stock have all but disappeared in the last year or two.


They do have a limited range of equipment sometimes. At the moment it seems like they can't get hold of Nikon gear, for whatever reason, which is a shame.

It is no surprise that people buy grey imports when the mainstream retailers all seem to charge +/- the same for an identical bit of kit. I suspect it may be a form of price fixing and therefore illegal, although who is responsible I do not know..
 
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should you need to ask for something like a vat receipt if it’s been paid especially at the values we are talking about?

Have you ever tried to get a vat receipt at pc world or noticed the need for customers to ask for a vat receipt if buying fuel at a pfs. Whether you should have to is a matter for hmrc, not an issue for hdew who aren’t doing anything unusual re vat invoices
 
Does Panamoz/e-infinity have the UK store and customer service like Hdew? If something went wrong i would hate to have to ship something to another country, i cant get a clear answer about them, hdew shows exactly where they are located on a map but the others its harder to find.

No...BUT.. I used Panamoz for my d500 and 16-80. When It arrived, the lens had an inclusion so I emailed Panamoz with a photo and got a reply in an hour offering repair or replacement. If you go for repair, you sending it to ( say ) Nikon UK and when they advise the cost, you tell Panamoz and they transfer the money to you straight away. I went for replacement lens and got it on Tuesday, bearing in mind I only emailed Panamoz Friday night

I'd say that's pretty good service..
 
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