Anyone Recently Ordered From The Web?

[Darvil]

I've been thinking of ordering some zeiss zf.2 lens from the web and was wondering on the custom charges that I will probably entail. I think its from this forum that I read that lens get charged 5 + 7 (vat) percent. I was just wondering if that is the recent experiences that some people on this forum have.

Thanks.

[ETatBKK]

there are 3 costs on importing / shipping goods from overseas :

1) shipping and insurance cost, varies per shipping forwarder

2) 7% VAT on claimed value of the content, as well as on shipping and insurance cost

3) duty on content, could be 30%+, depends on channel of shipping

cost 1) and cost 2), you can't avoid. cost 3) duty on content, very 'high chance' you need to pay duty if shipped via DHL, FEDEX, UPS, TNT . . . ; some people use USPS or shipito.com that 'possibly' avoids the duty, on luck !

check it out if you have any saving on ordering from web overseas !

[FracturedRabbit]

I believe duty on photo gear is 5% (plus 7% VAT). If your order is shipped via Fedex (for example), they will pay the charges and you pay them when they deliver to you. If the goods are shipped by EMS, then you will have to collect at the post office and pay there.

However, if your stuff comes via EMS, you may find it just arrives with no duty chargeable, This is certainly the case with low value items, but I have higher value shipments on which no duty has been charged; sometimes they can't bothered to fill out the forms.

Some people get the sender to state a lower value that actual on the customs declaration; but that is illegal so don't do it.

If you do order something from abroad; just make sure that is sent by a method that provides a tracking number (courier, EMS). Sometimes items lie dormant in a post office for days; with a tracking number you can go down there and extract it from their storage!

[Darvil]

Thanks for the great tips.

I just wanted to post just in case others were wondering. As suggested above, the tax on the len was infact 12 percent (5 + 7 VAT). All the lower value items came in stright to me. The len I had to go pick up at the post office. Also if you ship metal you will get hit hard. The tripod I ordered from HK was hit with 37 percent. I think its important to make sure its camera equipment. I assume after they see tripod they think metal and slap me with the bill.

I have learned that its quite reasonable to order len off the web but cameras are reasonably priced here so might as well get local + warranty.