Buying lenses from the net

[cookiez]

I'm so tempted of the lense prices offered from a few online shops such as B&H. Prices here in S'pore are really high compared to those online shops, if I were to buy from them, are there any pros and cons that I should look out for ?

Thankz in advance..........cookiez

 

[roygoh]

I'm so tempted of the lense prices offered from a few online shops such as B&H. Prices here in S'pore are really high compared to those online shops, if I were to buy from them, are there any pros and cons that I should look out for ?

Thankz in advance..........cookiez

B&H has good reputation. I have bought stuffs fromt hem and have not had any problems.

Remember to factor in the shipping cost when you compare prices between Singapore and US.

Not all on-line stores from US will ship overseas. Sometimes the manufacturer have explicit contracts with online stores that prohibits them from shipping products overseas.

 

[cookiez]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I think I will still save quite a bit
after factoring in the shipping cost as I'm not just buying 1 item. Combine shipment for a few items is always more worth than buying
1 item. I'm more concerned about the tax issues, do you know what kind
of taxes will I be incurring ? GST or Import tax ? I used to buy small
items from the net and so far there were no tax incurred.

 

[TME]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I think I will still save quite a bit
after factoring in the shipping cost as I'm not just buying 1 item. Combine shipment for a few items is always more worth than buying
1 item. I'm more concerned about the tax issues, do you know what kind
of taxes will I be incurring ? GST or Import tax ? I used to buy small
items from the net and so far there were no tax incurred.

Singapore is by and large tax free for electronic goods except for liquor and cigarettes for personal consumption...... so U probably won't get taxed at all even if what u buy runs into the thousands........ actually our stuff should be cheaper than in US....... that's why the ang mohs make a beeline for SLS and Lucky Plaza when they are here......

 

[cookiez]

IMO lenses here in S'pore is still not the cheapest compared to the online
shops, I can save S$300 to S$400 from the list of items I intend to
buy if I were to get it from the net

But if you can let know where can I find 1st hand brand new 28-135
IS USM at S$695.00, 75-300 IS USM at S$680.00 and 420EX at
S$280.00 here in S'pore, then I will give up the idea of buying them
from the net

Thanks..........cookiez

 

[TME]

Sorry I not Canon user, so can't help u with price... but u could always ask for e-quotes lor...... but I would expect that u would have already asked around the usual places and that's why u are resorting to buying online....... the savings u make goes to the assurance that u get what u pay for in S'pore cos u get to see the stuff...... but I suppose again some of these online stores are also pretty reliable....

 

[mpenza]

IMO lenses here in S'pore is still not the cheapest compared to the online
shops, I can save S$300 to S$400 from the list of items I intend to
buy if I were to get it from the net

But if you can let know where can I find 1st hand brand new 28-135
IS USM at S$695.00, 75-300 IS USM at S$680.00 and 420EX at
S$280.00 here in S'pore, then I will give up the idea of buying them
from the net

Thanks..........cookiez

would you need to pay tax? if so, some states levy quite a heavy taxation (~8%), plus Singapore's GST and the price will be much closer....

I was considering the 70-200 F4L which costs less than USD600....

 

[Parchiao]

Singapore is by and large tax free for electronic goods except for liquor and cigarettes for personal consumption...... so U probably won't get taxed at all even if what u buy runs into the thousands........

Sorry mate, this is BAD advice. If you purchase anything with a declared value of SGD400 or more (check the GST Act if this has changed), you are liable for GST. Do note that the exchange rate is determined by customs as well.

At the end of the day, if you buy something off the internet, on top of the cost of the item, you will have to pay

1. Shipping costs
2. Insurance, if required
3. Exchange rate 'costs'
4. GST

 

[yllow]

Sorry mate, this is BAD advice. If you purchase anything with a declared value of SGD400 or more (check the GST Act if this has changed), you are liable for GST. Do note that the exchange rate is determined by customs as well.

At the end of the day, if you buy something off the internet, on top of the cost of the item, you will have to pay

1. Shipping costs
2. Insurance, if required
3. Exchange rate 'costs'
4. GST

:thumbsup:

Correct, you need to pay the 4% GST for your purchase if declared value >S$400.00. The S$400.00 also include the shipping charges quoted by online retailer. Most online retailer like BHPhoto or Adorama will not declare a lower value in order for you not to pay local tax. For most online retailer in USA, you do not need to pay their local state tax if the product is shipped outside the state. The only question you need to ask yourself is the warranty issue.

 

[kiwiginger]

sometime i ago, i purchased some items thru ebay. the declared value of the items is more than S$400 (declared) but no GST levied.

When I compare the price for EF 70 200 in singapore and BH photo,

1: Cathay Photo Singapore, S$1950
2: BH photo US$ 1,059.95. shipment costs US$ 60 onwards.

I guess it works out almost the same/

 

[TME]

sometime i ago, i purchased some items thru ebay. the declared value of the items is more than S$400 (declared) but no GST levied.

When I compare the price for EF 70 200 in singapore and BH photo,

1: Cathay Photo Singapore, S$1950
2: BH photo US$ 1,059.95. shipment costs US$ 60 onwards.

I guess it works out almost the same/

But u get local warranty which may be important....... to some people......

 

[Altezza]

BH selling at new price of US$2995, less than S$6000 including shipping. Haven't been able to get a quote below S$6000 anywhere recently. May have to resort to getting this from BH.

 

[Altezza]

Sorry, talking about Canon 1D.

BH selling at new price of US$2995, less than S$6000 including shipping. Haven't been able to get a quote below S$6000 anywhere recently. May have to resort to getting this from BH.

 

[cookiez]

Just an update that I've received my order within 4 working days
from B&H and am quite impressed with their speedy delivery system.
To those who are interested to know how much I have saved from this
overseas online purchase, here are the breakdowns :

Online shop prices for :

EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS = US$399.95
EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 EF IS = US$389.95
420EX Speedlite = US$159.95
Shipping & Handling/Insurance = US$56.00

Total converted to S$1780.35 (@1.77)
+ 4% GST/other taxes S$83.00
Total amt spent = S$1863.35 (paid by credit card)


E-quote from local shop (cash term only, prices will be higher if
pay by credit card) :

EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS = S$826.00
EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 EF IS = S$903.00
420EX Speedlite = S$350.00 (GST incl.)
+ 4% GST = S$69.00

Total amt if buy from local shop = S$2148.00


Pls note that this posting is NOT to encourage ppl to stop patronising
local camera shops, just for ppl who are interested to know or for
ppl who would like to save some $$ just like me

Pros for overseas online purchase : cheaper, save $$
Cons for overseas online purchase : no warranty if it is grey market stock


So have to justify whether is it really worth or not....

 

[serendipity]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[Vulpix0r]

I came to look at cookiez avatar!