mrd Loc: Eastern NC

if so was it a good or bad experience? Are the customs fees and taxes reasonable or not? The reason I ask is I am considering buying a Nikon 400mm f/2.8 AF-S and there is a $1,500 to $2,000 difference in price for the same lens if purchased in Japan compared to the US.

Thank all of you for your input.

jfn007 Loc: Close to the middle of nowhere.

Is it cheaper or more expensive in Japan?

Kuzano

How much is that lens normally regardless of international.

If it's a $50,000 lens, I could see that. If it's a $3,000 lens normally, I'd be VERY WARY. International purchasing rarely offers extreme advantage.

Custom... no customs on optics and camera gear coming into the US. Regulated this way for years. Can't cite the laws exactly, but I've purchased and sold international on eBay for 20 years. Currently no appreciable advantage. Wondering what you're up against.

Be careful.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

If it sounds too good to be true...

TucsonCoyote Loc: Tucson AZ

As you click through the purchase process you should get the price keeping up with the process and ....accept or decline according to how you feel about it......only the last step in purchase locks you in .....and then you can cancel if you so desire ! :)

jfn007 Loc: Close to the middle of nowhere.

One of my former students lives in Taipei. He buys lenses and photo equipment from Amazon and has had to not pay taxes, yet.

JPL

I do not know about the US customs, what you have to pay there, but the only country I have had bad experience buying from on Ebay is the US! So I am not looking for any items from the US anymore when buying on Ebay. But I have bought from many countries, Japan, UK, Germany, France, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Korea, Poland, Spain and probably more and have had no problems.

The lens you are looking at is probably for sale for about $3.450 plus shipping and eventually tax. If the price plus other expenses make it a good deal combined I would go for it if I was you.

blackest Loc: Ireland

The US has some of the worst shipping costs around, which is a pity as often prices are fair but UPS or Fedex charges are too high. The UK now is too expensive against the euro and royalmail has raised rates too. Germany seems to be best for me in Ireland, within Europe, and chinese/hk items seem best when priced in canadian or australian dollars.

With cheap items like lens caps and body caps including pcs in the search helps find better pricing. Buying in 5's or 10's can cut the price by half and still keep below the magic 22 euro including shipping price. After that you get into 23% VAT and a surcharge for collecting it from you.

Jersey (channel Islands) is usually good slightly higher than chinese pricing but much shorter shipping times.

Worst problem is registered mail which for UK items usually makes for 2-3x the basic shipping cost. Why send a cheap item by the most expensive post...

johneccles Loc: Leyland UK

I wouldn't advise it, the only time I did I was sent the wrong item.
It was company called "Value Basket" which is based in Hong Kong but it is impossible to tell. It took nearly 3 months to get my money back.

corryhully Loc: liverpool uk

i have bought film cameras from japan imported into uk.always very good quality and never a problem. had to pay taxes but the equipment prices made it worthwhile. would i buy the same from china? no way.

mrd Loc: Eastern NC

less expensive in Japan, but I don't know what the customs fees and taxes are when an item comes into the US. was hoping someone could give a % of the value that US customs charge.

Kuzano

NOTHING!!!! I SAID THIS IN MY PREVIOUS POST.

Optical equipment, which includes Photographic Gear, was excluded from customs many years ago, Legally. If you want the statute, law, whatever, go to the post office.

I have NEVER paid customs on any camera gear imported from any country into the US for many years. Many international transactions via direct and on eBay.

Does it really sound to good to be true??? It's the law.

sinatraman Loc: Vero Beach Florida, Earth,alpha quaudrant

lens will be a gray market and if ever needs repair will have to be sent to Nikon in Japan. will importing it from japan incur any US customs or duties?

CHOLLY Loc: THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE!

See the post above yours..........

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

If it is brand new, and the seller has a good sales record with several people not just a couple, I'd have no problem. Used is an entirely different matter.

My reasoning is because Ebay has very strick rules about selling things. If there is a problem, you should have no problem... to a degree.

When I purchased a used automatic lens from a Korean person, I found it to be totally different than what the person claimed.

They said "like new" and when I received it, it would not work work on automatic at all and barely in manual without alot of trial and error movements.

When I went to return it, the hassles started. Not with the actual refund but with the funding.

It seemed that the US Postal service charged me about $70 dollars to return mail it. I sure didn't like paying roughly 30% of the purchase price to return it but couldn't do anything else.

The person did refund the purchase price though.

Two weeks later, to the day, I saw the exact same lens for sale again and with the same discription of being like new.

Feeling they could not have had it repaired in that short a time and still feeling ripped off, I filed a complaint about about it. The lens was promptly removed and person was banished.

That didn't get my funds back but it did prevent another photographer from being ripped off.

My lesson learned!