would you use SLR Hut

[kempie26]

Their website is full of lies and misrepresentation. Would I trust them with hundreds or thousands of pounds of my money? Not a chance.

Also, this is an American company defrauding the UK tax authorities. That means UK tax payers - me, your friends and family, that guy on the tube with the BO problem - are subsidising your hobby. I hope you're grateful.

And Amazon, Google etc aren't??

I've trusted them with my money, all I've seen on here is people slating a company that not many people have used. I've received my tracking number for my parcel and its on-route. I'm very grateful that they've sold me a product £700 cheaper than I could get from Currys or Jessops.

 

[kempie26]

And false declarations to customs by mislabelling (probably at the posting location though), that's why I was specific about the tax evasion, which is what kempie26 seemed to think wasn't really his problem whilst in fact he is totally responsible.

How is it my responsibility to make sure the correct values are on the invoice? They may well have the correct value on, no one knows.

Thousands of shipments get sent every day with nominal values for customs. It's the way things are done sometimes. I'm not saying that's what SLRhut are going to do as my parcel hasn't arrived yet. I'll post pictures of the invoice that travels with the goods when they arrive.

 

[big soft moose]

Friendly forum this!!

as I said before you aren't in a position to judge - six posts in one contentious thread (where many shill posters have gone before) isn't really a representative experience.

Also look at it another way - would you rather hear it from us , or be taken by surprise when you try to make a section 75 claim on your credit card , or get a nasty letter/large bill from HMRC ? (Dave is quite correct that as the importer you are liable for making sure the import tax gets paid, including reporting any mislabelling or incorrect invoicing - If you believe that SLR hut will reimburse you for all charges then you've nothing to lose by playing fair with customs)

All that's happened in this thread is people advising the that golden promise of these companies doesn't always live up to the hype - no one's been unfriendly or accused you of shill posting.

 

[Eddzz!!]

Just to clarify this point, under UK law SLRHut are doing nothing wrong with regard to evasion of taxes and duty.

In terms of UK law, the importer is legally responsible for tax and duty, and it is the importer who is committing tax evasion.

You do realise who the importer is, don't you?

Just something to think about before making that boast in too many public places.

Dave, I would have thought you'd given up with these lectures by now Grey importing is massive and it's one of the only ways that some people can get into professional photography.

 

[big soft moose]

Grey importing is massive and it's one of the only ways that some people can get into professional photography.

I don't buy that as an argument ed

a) you can import grey and declare the import tax - SLR hut say they will pay all charges, so if that's true there's no problem with telling Customs how much is really due

b) if someone doesn't want to buy grey you can get similar savings by buying a low user second hand model - no one has to buy grey as the only way of getting into photography

This thread isn't would you buy grey - its would you use a specific grey importer. My take on that currently is "not until they clarify their VAT situation"

 

[ernesto]

Friendly forum this!!

You want friendly. I really hope your item gets caught and you have to deal with paying and reclaiming the charges. You can then update on how that went.

 

[big soft moose]

You want friendly. I really hope your item gets caught and you have to deal with paying and reclaiming the charges. You can then update on how that went.

Don't beat about the bush Chris , tell him how you really feel

 

[Dave *]

Dave, I would have thought you'd given up with these lectures by now

The day the shills give up is the day we can stop "educating" them .

 

[kempie26]

You want friendly. I really hope your item gets caught and you have to deal with paying and reclaiming the charges. You can then update on how that went.

Like I said real friendly!!!

I did an online search for SLRhut, saw this thread and decided to sign up so I could post about my experience with them as there doesn't seem to be much feedback about their service. As I'D decided to take the risk and use them I thought I'd share information about what's happening with my shipment. I honestly wish I'd never bothered especially when ***ts like you leave pathetic posts like that.

You hope my shipment gets caught?? Pathetic....

 

[Llamaman]

And Amazon, Google etc aren't??

Those companies pay huge amounts of VAT, plus employ UK staff so pay NI too. They pay the correct import duties and tarffis on items brought into the UK. They avoid paying much corporation tax though.

SLR Hut pay bugger all tax in the UK. They claim their prices include VAT, but this is a lie as they aren't VAT registered. If you're a VAT-registered business, (try reclaiming the import VAT they claim they've charged you). They don't pay any import duties and both encourage and facilitate their customers to evade them. They have no UK staff and thus pay no payroll taxes either.

Avoidance is not the same as evasion and anyone who tells you otherwise is a conman trying to justify his behaviour. This isn't just my opinion - it's one established by the courts in numerous cases.
For example, Lord Tomlin in IRC vs Duke of Westminster (1936);
"Every man is entitled if he can to order his affairs so that the tax attaching under the appropriate Acts is less than it otherwise would be. If he succeeds in ordering them so as to secure this result, then, however unappreciative the Commissioners of Inland Revenue or his fellow tax-payers may be of his ingenuity, he cannot be compelled to pay an increased tax."

 

[kempie26]

Those companies pay huge amounts of VAT, plus employ UK staff so pay NI too. They pay the correct import duties and tarffis on items brought into the UK. They avoid paying much corporation tax though.

SLR Hut pay bugger all tax in the UK. They claim their prices include VAT, but this is a lie as they aren't VAT registered. If you're a VAT-registered business, (try reclaiming the import VAT they claim they've charged you). They don't pay any import duties and both encourage and facilitate their customers to evade them. They have no UK staff and thus pay no payroll taxes either.

Avoidance is not the same as evasion and anyone who tells you otherwise is a conman trying to justify his behaviour. This isn't just my opinion - it's one established by the courts in numerous cases.
For example, Lord Tomlin in IRC vs Duke of Westminster (1936);
"Every man is entitled if he can to order his affairs so that the tax attaching under the appropriate Acts is less than it otherwise would be. If he succeeds in ordering them so as to secure this result, then, however unappreciative the Commissioners of Inland Revenue or his fellow tax-payers may be of his ingenuity, he cannot be compelled to pay an increased tax."

And you know for a FACT that SLRhut don't pay anything? This thread is just pointless, the original post was someone asking if anyone had used them.

 

[Llamaman]

You hope my shipment gets caught?? Pathetic....

You've registered on this forum to brag about how much tax you've evaded. In case you hadn't judged the public mood about such matters, let me give you a heads-up: it isn't positive.

Like I said real friendly!!!

There's hundreds of us on this forum - myself included - who have had a warm reception here. Your experience is probably more indicative of your approach than the general atmosphere. If you'd read a few other threads before diving headfirst into a contentious one you might have ascertained this for yourself.

I honestly wish I'd never bothered especially when ***ts like you leave pathetic posts like that.

If you continue to use intemperate language like that, your "bother" will, in all likelihood, be short-lived.

 

[Llamaman]

And you know for a FACT that SLRhut don't pay anything?

Not with 100% certainty, but a pretty comfortable 99%;

VAT: I spoke to the owner personally who refused to confirm that they were registered for UK VAT. I got a garbled explanation that they weren't "because they aren't a UK company". This is clearly nonsense - he either doesn't understand international taxation or was deliberately trying to obfuscate the issue, assuming (incorrectly) that I didn't know anything about tax.

Corporation tax: the company is not UK registered (I checked), nor tax resident in the UK, so will not be liable for UK corporation tax.

Payroll taxes: there don't appear to be any UK staff. The UK phone number connects to the US and the UK office is just a brass plate at a business centre down the road from my house.

 

[kempie26]

You've registered on this forum to brag about how much tax you've evaded. In case you hadn't judged the public mood about such matters, let me give you a heads-up: it isn't positive.



There's hundreds of us on this forum - myself included - who have had a warm reception here. Your experience is probably more indicative of your approach than the general atmosphere. If you'd read a few other threads before diving headfirst into a contentious one you might have ascertained this for yourself.



If you continue to use intemperate language like that, your "bother" will, in all likelihood, be short-lived.

I came on here to say I'd used SLRhut. Not to brag about how much tax I've avoided. But to say how much money I've saved importing.

I joined into this thread because it came up in a search about SLRhut and that's what I'm interested in at the moment, my new camera that will hopefully turn up and the money I've hopefully saved.

As for not being a fully active member of this forum, I'm really not that bothered considering the response I've had when all I was doing was telling people I've taken a chance on SLRhut and hopefully my experience will be a positive one and you will all be able to save a few quid. As for my comment about Ernesto, I actually think his post warranted the reply.

 

[DemiLion]

I came on here to say I'd used SLRhut. Not to brag about how much tax I've avoided. But to say how much money I've saved importing.

I joined into this thread because it came up in a search about SLRhut and that's what I'm interested in at the moment, my new camera that will hopefully turn up and the money I've hopefully saved.

As for not being a fully active member of this forum, I'm really not that bothered considering the response I've had when all I was doing was telling people I've taken a chance on SLRhut and hopefully my experience will be a positive one and you will all be able to save a few quid. As for my comment about Ernesto, I actually think his post warranted the reply.

You appear to have a selective memory:

Hello everyone, first post here.

I ordered my 6D and 24-105 from SLRhut last night. I'm not bothered if they're doing anything illegal regarding imports and excise. I'd rather save money than put more money in Osbournes pocket, and dont Panamoz etc do the same? I bought a Sigma 10-20 from either Panamoz or Onestop cant remember now and they got around the import duty and VAT by sending the lens as a gift.

I worked for DHL express years ago and I was under the impression that all duties etc were calculated on entry to the UK based on the info on the invoice.

As regards to SLRhut, I've used my credit card so if there is a problem I'm covered.

I'll let you all know how I get on and I'll post pics to my Flickr, website ( www.400mlheroes.co.uk ) and Twitter just to prove I'm not an employee of SLRhut.

BTW I hope I've saved £699.99 by buying over seas.

Wish me luck.

Paul

 

[kempie26]

You appear to have a selective memory:

Yes I'd rather save money than pay over taxed UK prices....

 

[DemiLion]

So as well as breaking the law (tax evasion), you're a liar as well?



Niiiicccceeeee.

 

[kempie26]

-

So as well as breaking the law (tax evasion), you're a liar as well?



Niiiicccceeeee.

How is buying a grey import where the seller says they will pay all duties breaking the law??

 

[DemiLion]

Because, as it's been pointed out, you are the importer not the seller.

 

[Llamaman]

I came on here to say I'd used SLRhut. Not to brag about how much tax I've avoided. But to say how much money I've saved importing.

That's like saying "I did 150mph driving past a school last week. I'm not bragging about speeding, just saying how much time I saved."

I joined into this thread because it came up in a search about SLRhut and that's what I'm interested in at the moment, my new camera that will hopefully turn up and the money I've hopefully saved.

And most of us are genuinely interested in that. In particular, I'm intrigued as to what method they're using to avoid their customers paying import duty.

As for not being a fully active member of this forum, I'm really not that bothered considering the response I've had when all I was doing was telling people I've taken a chance on SLRhut and hopefully my experience will be a positive one and you will all be able to save a few quid.

It's up to you, but I think you'll be missing out. I've gone back and reread this thread since your first post, and to my reading you've been pretty antagonistic and shouldn't be surprised that someone (Ernesto) bit.
The forum rules are very clear about not promoting illegal activities so comments like "I'm not bothered if they're doing anything illegal" were likely to get a robust response. As I said, if you'd taken the time to acclimatise yourself before posting, you would have seen that threads like this one tend to get a little heated - and aren't are good indication of the general forum character. Despite this being pointed out to you, you continue to get prickly about this thread and haven't contributed anywhere else. It leads to the unfortunate conclusion that you're here looking for a fight.

As for my comment about Ernesto, I actually think his post warranted the reply.

It may have warranted a response, but my issue was not with the message but the language conveyed. If you think the slightest provocation warrants invectives, don't be surprised if people take a dim view of your character.

 

[Llamaman]

How is buying a grey import where the seller says they will pay all duties breaking the law??

Because you are conspiring to evade tax.

You've already admitted that you have good reason to belive that the items will be underdeclared for customs. That will leave the responsibility for 'fessing up to HMRC and paying the correct amount - something you have already suggested you would not do.

So you may not think you have broken the law yet - but you've basically said that you have every intention of doing so (which is, of course, actually a prosecutable offence!).

 

[kempie26]

Because you are conspiring to evade tax.

You've already admitted that you have good reason to belive that the items will be underdeclared for customs. That will leave the responsibility for 'fessing up to HMRC and paying the correct amount - something you have already suggested you would not do.

So you may not think you have broken the law yet - but you've basically said that you have every intention of doing so (which is, of course, actually a prosecutable offence!).

Really? I said that the only way to avoid import duties etc is to send the goods with a pro forma invoice with a nominal value for customs. I haven't said that's what they will actually do. If they have done that then I'll have to think about what I will do about it. I honestly think that as its a £1500 bit of kit then it will be sent legally because if its got a $1 value for customs and the parcel goes missing then they won't be able to claim..

 

[Dave *]

How is buying a grey import where the seller says they will pay all duties breaking the law??

Here you go, just to help with your inability to understand what you are doing wrong.

From the HMRC website:

2. Postal packages imported (arriving) from countries outside the EU
top ^
2.1 Does the sender have to declare the goods?
Yes. Under international postal agreements the sender must complete a customs declaration (form CN22 or CN23) which in most cases should be fixed to the package. The declaration includes a description of the goods, the value and whether they are gifts or commercial items. Any Post Office abroad should be able to give advice to the sender.

Under customs law, you as the importer are legally responsible for the information on the declaration; therefore it is in your own interest to ensure, wherever possible, that the sender abroad completes the declaration accurately and in full.



2.2 Do I have to pay import duties and/or import VAT on goods sent to me?
Most goods arriving in the UK from outside the EU are liable to any or all of the following taxes:

customs duty
excise duty
import VAT
and must be paid whether:

you purchase the goods or receive them as a gift
the goods are new or used (including antiques)
the goods are for your private use or for re-sale

 

[kempie26]

Here you go, just to help with your inability to understand what you are doing wrong.

From the HMRC website:

Cheers Dave

 

[trakker7]

You guys make no sense. If you have money to burn, why price shop just go to your local store and pay full price why don't you.

I've seen so many threads about slrhut about VAT and scams from everyone but real customers. I've used slrhut several times and I have no complaints.

Your all like a bunch of babies let the real customers post their experience vs. the know it all's who "know it all". I never had any issues. Who told you they don't pay taxes to get the product into the UK?:shrug: doesn't everyone always ask "will I have to pay anything in addition to the price?" Well there's your answer.

Go pay full price retail why don't you

 

[Dave *]

You guys make no sense. If you have money to burn, why price shop just go to your local store and pay full price why don't you.

I've seen so many threads about slrhut about VAT and scams from everyone but real customers. I've used slrhut several times and I have no complaints.

Your all like a bunch of babies let the real customers post their experience vs. the know it all's who "know it all". I never had any issues. Who told you they don't pay taxes to get the product into the UK?:shrug: doesn't everyone always ask "will I have to pay anything in addition to the price?" Well there's your answer.

Go pay full price retail why don't you

Thank you for your input Mr Shill SLRHut, how's business then?

 

[DemiLion]

You guys make no sense. If you have money to burn, why price shop just go to your local store and pay full price why don't you.

I've seen so many threads about slrhut about VAT and scams from everyone but real customers. I've used slrhut several times and I have no complaints.

Your all like a bunch of babies let the real customers post their experience vs. the know it all's who "know it all". I never had any issues. Who told you they don't pay taxes to get the product into the UK?:shrug: doesn't everyone always ask "will I have to pay anything in addition to the price?" Well there's your answer.

Go pay full price retail why don't you

Yup, I did. HDEW are 70 quid more expensive than you and actually include paid VAT and a VAT receipt (can't issue one of those can you?).

They're also a genuine UK company, unlike your utter BS.

 

[Llamaman]

Wow, we've really got him rattled.

 

[StewartR]

The funny thing is, if you google SLR Hut, this discussion comes up as #2. If only these SLR Hut stooges didn't keep coming here and trying to rebut the allegations made, the thread would eventually die a natural death and would probably start to sink down Google's ratings. But that would take time, and meanwhile there are all these unanswered questions, and if they don't do anything it looks like an admission that their behaviour is illegal. What a delicious irony!

 

[Byker28i]

Dave, I would have thought you'd given up with these lectures by now Grey importing is massive and it's one of the only ways that some people can get into professional photography.

Sorry I don't go for that argument. I saved up for ten years to buy the car I wanted, saved money to buy the photography items I wanted. Most professional photographers want the vat receipt so they can claim back, want the correctly registered item for warranty and support. Cost isn't the overriding factor.

What you are probably saying is that it allows people to buy items quicker, in this world of want and instant satisfaction.

 

[digital]

VAT registration issues aside, I wouldn't buy from SLRHut simply because they push really low prices until you are about to finalise a purchase when they suddenly add on a whole lot of charges that take the price through the roof and make it nowhere near being competitive.

Happened to me twice with them and they won't be getting another chance, especially as I got a 'so what' response from them on the phone.

 

[kempie26]

VAT registration issues aside, I wouldn't buy from SLRHut simply because they push really low prices until you are about to finalise a purchase when they suddenly add on a whole lot of charges that take the price through the roof and make it nowhere near being competitive.

Happened to me twice with them and they won't be getting another chance, especially as I got a 'so what' response from them on the phone.

My camera arrived today, no extra charges to what was advertised on the website. Ordered it Tuesday evening and it arrived today. I'll definitely be using them again, next purchase my 85mm 1.2

 

[big soft moose]

My camera arrived today, no extra charges to what was advertised on the website. Ordered it Tuesday evening and it arrived today. I'll definitely be using them again, next purchase my 85mm 1.2

have you informed customs and excise of its true value yet ?

 

[kempie26]

have you informed customs and excise of its true value yet ?

Yes Pete I have.

But lets get back to what this thread was originally about. SLRhut are not a phoney fake retailer that will take your card details and empty your bank.

I took a gamble after reading some of the posts on various sites about the company and I cant see any difference with any other exporter of cameras etc. I paid my money and they sent me my camera and lens, even with all duties paid I've saved a fortune.

And BTW I do not work for SLRhut, I'm just a hard working bloke who wants to save a few quid. I wont be posting on this thread again.

 

[OldCarlos]

What I don't understand is, when folk say they've read posts on sites, clearly stating possible issues.......then say they took a gamble?

 

[kempie26]

What I don't understand is, when folk say they've read posts on sites, clearly stating possible issues.......then say they took a gamble?

Last post on this I promise:

Probably because I was lying as I'm the MD of SLRhut!!!! (That was a joke by the way)

I'd read some posts before I read this thread. I'd already placed my order when I read the posts on this site. I took a "gamble" thinking I'd be covered as I paid on my credit card. If I'd known that third party payments didn't have the same protection as a direct purchase I wouldn't have done it. My credit card bill shows SLRhut so I'm guessing it was a direct payment and I would have been covered anyway.

 

[Llamaman]

Glad the camera arrived OK and I hope you're enjoying it.

Can you please confirm a few details for us;

1. Was the customs declaration value on the parcel the same amount that you were charged?
2. Was the parcel accurately labelled as a digital camera?
3. Did your invoice include VAT and a UK VAT number?

 

[kempie26]

Glad the camera arrived OK and I hope you're enjoying it.

Can you please confirm a few details for us;

1. Was the customs declaration value on the parcel the same amount that you were charged?
2. Was the parcel accurately labelled as a digital camera?
3. Did your invoice include VAT and a UK VAT number?

Yes
Yes
No

 

[Dave *]

Glad the camera arrived OK and I hope you're enjoying it.

Can you please confirm a few details for us;

1. Was the customs declaration value on the parcel the same amount that you were charged?
2. Was the parcel accurately labelled as a digital camera?
3. Did your invoice include VAT and a UK VAT number?

Or even better, how about a scan/photo of the customs label and the invoice (after removing your personal details, of course)?

 

[Llamaman]

Yes
Yes
No

Thanks. As I thought, the 'VAT included' claim is a big fat whopper. Hopefully, this thread will ensure no businesses get caught out by this scam.