The Amazing Sony A1/A7/A9/APS-C & Anything else welcome Mega Thread!

This is exactly what I was alluding to, things magically go from being missing to found to be in customs to sometimes even magically cleared!
You just cannot believe what the courier company says and Panamoz probably knows this better than any one else and that is probably why they said they will refund after a few days.

People are affected by what I call the "prime syndrome". They are so used to the same day or next deliveries with immediate refunds (amazon refunds most of the items as soon as its posted, they don't even wait for it to be delivered to them). If things do not happen so immediately they get all anxious.
 
woof woof said:
It's still not great though as it's gone from being "lost or stolen and we've looked and no one can find it" to "We've had it here all along."

With bar codes and tracking this confusion just shouldn't happen.
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You would think!

The reality is that it still happens alot, barcodes not being read properly, or not scanned at all, I know when I have queried Amazon over missing deliveries, they often can't tell where the package is.

Im more worried that maybe HMRC have caught onto the Panamoz business model and that we will all find it harder to import grey items in the future :-(
 
MrMackyB said:
You would think!

The reality is that it still happens alot, barcodes not being read properly, or not scanned at all, I know when I have queried Amazon over missing deliveries, they often can't tell where the package is.

Im more worried that maybe HMRC have caught onto the Panamoz business model and that we will all find it harder to import grey items in the future :-(
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Reading in between the lines having just received another email from them this does seem to be the case. They also said they are having major issues with the majority of orders being sent into the U.K due to enhanced customs checks.

To be fair they have now offered to send a replacement via a different route where by they can somehow get "something sent into the U.K avoiding customs altogether" once it reaches the U.K it gets picked up for the final leg of the journey via DPD. They said that currently this would take around 2-3 weeks. Sounds a bit dodgy that to me so I won't be taking that option.
 
trevorbray said:
Aren’t they. I go there mostly to shoot the older bikes.
Occasionally I’ll grab some more up to date subjects.
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I was mad for a motorbike in my younger days but although I rode bikes belonging to friends I never got my own and when I got into sports cars it was mostly pushed to the back of my mind but even these days I sometime dream of having just a scooter.
 
Stephen L said:
:agree: I’m not really into bikes, but I like looking at quality British engineering.
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As my initials are the same as one British manufacturer I wanted one :D They still exist as a name on bikes made AFAIK in the far east.
 
f/2.8 said:
Reading in between the lines having just received another email from them this does seem to be the case. They also said they are having major issues with the majority of orders being sent into the U.K due to enhanced customs checks.

To be fair they have now offered to send a replacement via a different route where by they can somehow get "something sent into the U.K avoiding customs altogether" once it reaches the U.K it gets picked up for the final leg of the journey via DPD. They said that currently this would take around 2-3 weeks. Sounds a bit dodgy that to me so I won't be taking that option.
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It does sound like the beginning of the end for them. Can you get a copy in the UK through any of your contacts?
 
gman said:
It does sound like the beginning of the end for them. Can you get a copy in the UK through any of your contacts?
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would make their 3 years warranty worthless.
Hopefully the section 75 and/or insurance will have our/my arse covered.
 
nandbytes said:
would make their 3 years warranty worthless.
Hopefully the section 75 and/or insurance will have our/my arse covered.
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They sell worldwide not even sure if U.K is there largest source of revenue.So even if U.K becomes difficult not sure it would effect warranty.
 
nandbytes said:
"Business model" is one way of putting it, think HMRC would refer to it as smuggling :p
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:D I like that! It is more than the tax though, that is why Sony were rumoured to be cracking down on the grey market.
The grey market will always exist until manufacturers stop taking the mick with their recommended pricing for each region.
 
MrMackyB said:
:D I like that! It is more than the tax though, that is why Sony were rumoured to be cracking down on the grey market.
The grey market will always exist until manufacturers stop taking the mick with their recommended pricing for each region.
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Hong Kong has no sales or VAT tax. (Also no capital gains tax, no withholding tax, no estate tax, no dividend tax, and no tax on interest.)

Prices between stores for anything can vary by quite a lot, which explains haggling is the norm in shopping. So they can sell their stock around the world the same, but some regions will automatically be cheaper. Unless they raise the base price to the retailer adjusted to countries that pays tax. Which they can't.

And when you take into account of VAT added to Panamoz, the end amount isn't THAT much different, some may account for exchange rate but the exchange rate has been crap the last few years. It used to be £1 to $15. Today it is $10.93, probably more like $10 in a transaction.

If you take the Panamoz price, add in Duty, VAT. Without shipping cost, it takes you to about £1900. Bearing in mind the exchange rate fluctuate, it's not that much different really.
 
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f/2.8 said:
Reading in between the lines having just received another email from them this does seem to be the case. They also said they are having major issues with the majority of orders being sent into the U.K due to enhanced customs checks.

To be fair they have now offered to send a replacement via a different route where by they can somehow get "something sent into the U.K avoiding customs altogether" once it reaches the U.K it gets picked up for the final leg of the journey via DPD. They said that currently this would take around 2-3 weeks. Sounds a bit dodgy that to me so I won't be taking that option.
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I ordered a Sony A7RiiiA and a 24-105 F4. From Panamoz the Saturday before last and they were delivered last Thursday morning… I deal with a lot of maintenance contractors that order air conditioning components from abroad from places such as Malaysia, Vietnam, China etc. Several are complaining about the delays in customs processing. So hopefully it isn’t just a case of picking on photography equipment suppliers. Fingers crossed Panamoz get it to you sooner…..
 
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Raymond Lin said:
Hong Kong has no sales or VAT tax. (Also no capital gains tax, no withholding tax, no estate tax, no dividend tax, and no tax on interest.)
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Oh wow, if it weren't for all the recent troubles, that makes it a great place to visit. Tokyo has now replaced HK at the top of my list..
 
MrMackyB said:
Oh wow, if it weren't for all the recent troubles, that makes it a great place to visit. Tokyo has now replaced HK at the top of my list..
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Japan currently has a 10% sales tax, no tax for tourists (show passport), sometimes you get an extra 2% discount if you pay by VISA for some reason in Yodabashi or BIC Camera. It used to be 8% up until a couple of years ago.

I think Japan is more fun for a westerner anyway, but probably slightly harder for an English Speaker. Whereas almost all of Hong Kong has English signs having been a British Colony for 100 years, Japan does not. Also more people would speak English in HK than Tokyo. It is more evident if you step away from the tourist places. But that's part of the fun.
 
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So what with Panamoz prices being almost the same and even more in some cases, even taking into account if they have to pay the duty they are still making a pretty decent profit?
 
snerkler said:
Thanks for this, just bought one. At £553 it's a great price, but if I get the £200 CB the it's a bargain (y)
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Was sorely tempted to buy another and sell the one I bought off them for the same price on eBay recently lol. Good luck with cashback. I suspect they won't have many in stock.
 
an1uk said:
Make sure to apply for the cashback if eligible. I think someone at Currys made a big error.
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It’s not an error they have made it end of line. Anything that Curry’s have that is priced ending .97 is a product they have discontinued. They reduce the price to clear out the old stock and display stock. That does not mean that the lens is discontinued by Sony just that Currys have decided to stop selling it.
 
f/2.8 said:
It’s not an error they have made it end of line. Anything that Curry’s have that is priced ending .97 is a product they have discontinued. They reduce the price to clear out the old stock and display stock. That does not mean that the lens is discontinued by Sony just that Currys have decided to stop selling it.
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Though they recently got stock in again after discontinuing it a while ago. The one I bought from them on eBay has a manufacturer date of May 2021 so not old stock.
 
f/2.8 said:
I bought 6 for eBay have no interest in the lens to be honest but will make a few quid on them.
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It is the kind of lens I use but I prefer the size and weight of the 24-70mm f4, however I’ve wanted to try it for a while as the optics are supposed to be much better.
 
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