digital camera

[bigpaul49]

I'm thinking of buying a digital camera over in America is it a good idea? Will i have to pay any duty on it on the return back to the uk?

 

[Fantasia Sam]

Well as long as you don't go over your personal limit anyway then you shouldn't have to - it's going to be totally up to you if you go through the red channel.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Many years ago, a fellow student in my year came back from a trip to Hong Kong with a very expensive SLR that he had bought there. He had just walked through the green channel with it.

He continued to take it on trips overseas, always walking through the green channel.

The camera had been through the green channel four or five times before he was stopped. Customs knew from the serial numbers that the camera had been bought in Hong Kong and asked for the receipts for the camera and customs duty.

They confiscated the camera and he had to pay duty on the original cost, plus VAT, plus I think a penalty charge to get it back..

Andrew

 

[wayneg]

bigpaul49
Have you experience buying cameras in America?
I am sure there are reputable companies but you have to be careful. My brother tried to buy a digi SLR a while ago in New York. Picked the model out of the shop window handed over his credit card, at this point was told they had made mistake and didn't have that model in stock offered him all sorts of rubbish and didn't want to give back the card until he bought something. Luckily my brother is over 6ft tall and not easily intimidated.
Maybe it's a NY problem, Don't know.
I have just bought Sony V1 for £300 (RRP£449) incL. 1 year warranty. Maybe I could have saved £30-£40 waiting until I got to Florida but prefer to buy here and get used to camera before I go AND NO IMPORT DUTY WORRIES.
Wayne