Lens Discount Offer Letter - English Text

[everyman]

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I am in the United States and also received my letter today.

It is exactly the same as the one Mark posted earlier.

I do not know how to fill it out.

 

Could somebody help?

 

In the column on the right hand side of that list, it says:

"Please mark only one lense."

I know I sound like an idiot, but does that mean I just write the number "1" in that column? Or am I supposed to put in the US Dollar equivalent of the Euro price that is quoted in the Preferential Price column?

I don't think it's up to me to enter the US dollar number, right?

 

Also, my dealer sent me the a printout of my receipt from my credit card plus a copy of the invoice or sales slip. I called him and he said that he thought that was good enough.

 

I want to get this filled out now. It's kind of lame thing to send someone in the US a form that would be so much more familiar to someone from Europe. I am not exactly sure what price I am agreeing to and telling them to charge to my credit card. Even so, I am extremely happy that I received the letter and I that can finally order my lens.

 

Thanks very much

Rich

[marknorton]

You just mark on the form which lens you want, tick mark, check mark, the number "1". Leica will not be doing the currency conversion, your card issuing bank will be because Leica will charge euros to your card, your bank will charge USD to your card at an exchange rate which which is not especially attractive. You are agreeing to have that euro amount charged to your card, the USD charged will depend on the exchange rate and any fees your card issuer charges on foreign transactions.

 

As for documentation, Leica just want to make sure you have actually bought and paid for a camera. I don't have original documentation any more, so it will be interesting to see what they make of the audit trail I've provided.

 

What lens are you going for?

[everyman]

Thank you Mark.

So, basically, the way I am understanding this, if a lens is, say, the tri elmar16/18/21 and it's listed Eur0 2170 in this form, then the US version of that would be 2837.50? I am using a converter widget I have on my MacBook. It won't be more than that? I was thinking 30 percent would look a whole lot better.

I am still going back and forth on the lens. When are you ordering yours?

[everyman]

By the way, I missed this until right now. At the bottom of the form, it says:

 

"The cost of shipping the lens to your address and all additional costs for possible import customs duty will be borne by Leica Camera AG." That's a relief.

[marknorton]

Rich, I ordered mine yesterday - the WATE + finder package. Not wild about the finder but with the double discount (package + 30%) it's worth a look. The letter arrived there this morning, so it will be interesting to see what's next.

 

As for your calculations, the WATE is shown at Adorama at $3895, so if you get it for $2837, your discount will be 27%. Of course, there may be other vendors who sell it for less which would reduce your discount.

 

What's certain is the prices on the Leica price list are discounted by 30% from their normal prices and Leica has been fair in trying to provide a single price for everyone and using the "VAT buffer" for lenses sold outside the EU to cover extra shipping costs, brokerage fees, import duty, sales tax, VAT/GST where it applies and so on.

[jcbjr]

looks to me like customers in the states will get a range of discounts off typical minimum advertised prices. it's not really fair to compare grey market or used prices as they come with other issues. apples to apples is map such as seen at b&h, adorama, camera west, etc. discount becomes even less if compared to leica day prices that are about 5% less.

 

too bad about the presumed price increase on the nocti. looks like biggest discounts apply to 75mm cron, and smallest to the 90mm elmar kit. most other discounts in the 16% to 18% range. perhaps a play here is to hold off until last moment for offer (june?), and hope the dollar rallies against the euro (though fundamentals don't exactly look great for that). strong euro has cost us about 4% of the discount in just the last two months.

 

john

[jcbjr]

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Rich, I ordered mine yesterday - the WATE + finder package. Not wild about the finder but with the double discount (package + 30%) it's worth a look. The letter arrived there this morning, so it will be interesting to see what's next.

 

As for your calculations, the WATE is shown at Adorama at $3895, so if you get it for $2837, your discount will be 27%. Of course, there may be other vendors who sell it for less which would reduce your discount.

 

What's certain is the prices on the Leica price list are discounted by 30% from their normal prices and Leica has been fair in trying to provide a single price for everyone and using the "VAT buffer" for lenses sold outside the EU to cover extra shipping costs, brokerage fees, import duty, sales tax, VAT/GST where it applies and so on.

 

hi, mark - are you sure about that price for wate at adorama? looks to me more like kit price including viewer. without kit it's usually $3,495, making discount about 18%. might want to be sure before placing order. hope this helps!

 

john.

[wattsy]

What's certain is the prices on the Leica price list are discounted by 30% from their normal prices and Leica has been fair in trying to provide a single price for everyone and using the "VAT buffer" for lenses sold outside the EU to cover extra shipping costs, brokerage fees, import duty, sales tax, VAT/GST where it applies and so on.

 

I'm not sure I can buy into the VAT buffer theory. The prices quoted in the letter are either inclusive of German VAT or they are not. The letter suggests that they are. In which case, non-EU buyers should be able to buy the lens at a price exclusive of VAT. I'm not sure Leica can just lump together potential import duties, etc. and make those charges equivalent to 19% German VAT. The invoice has to be transparent about such things and I'm not sure Leica will be able to avoid clarifying the net cost of the lens. If the VAT buffer theory is correct then a non-EU buyer will get an invoice showing the net (VAT exclusive) price of the lens and an additional cost (equivalent to the VAT) which will presumably be attributable to unspecified duties, etc. To me this sounds messy and unprofessional.

 

In my own case, I am in the UK but am VAT registered. When I buy goods and services for my business from within the EU (but outside of the UK) I am entitled to buy them at the VAT exclusive price. Leica's letter doesn't seem to make any allowance for this. Again this is very unprofessional and perhaps symptomatic of a company's management which seems unable to think things through properly and which appears to be simply making things up as they go along.

[marknorton]

hi, mark - are you sure about that price for wate at adorama? looks to me more like kit price including viewer. without kit it's usually $3,495, making discount about 18%. might want to be sure before placing order. hope this helps!

 

john.

 

John, yes, you are correct, it's $3495 for the lens alone, which reduces the discount to 18%, asssuming you are not paying any US sales tax. I think our perception here in Europe is that you benefit greatly from being able to avoid sales tax by buying out of state. VAT in Europe is levied nationally so you are caught whereever you buy.

 

Can't imagine why anyone would ever buy from a retail store in the US!

[Eoin]

Got my letter today, postmarked 22/12/2006, content same as everyone else.

[Eoin]

Snip.....

In my own case, I am in the UK but am VAT registered. When I buy goods and services for my business from within the EU (but outside of the UK) I am entitled to buy them at the VAT exclusive price. Leica's letter doesn't seem to make any allowance for this.....Snip

 

I am in exactly the same situation and have e-mail'd Leica this morning to clarify this point in my case. I have also requested clarification regarding the price of the Noctilux shown in the letter.

[marknorton]

Ian, they certainly haven't taken account of VAT registered buyers. You can reclaim the VAT but will probably lose the will to live first, such is the bureaucracy and of course Germany has the most complex tax code in the world.

 

My reading of it is that the prices quoted include German VAT where it applies. They also include (for example) US import duty, where it applies. And so on.

 

I expect EU buyers will get an invoice detailing the tax paid - a requirement of the tax authorities but buyers outside the EU will just be invoiced for the full price. But, who knows? I expect this will run and run!

[Eoin]

Ian, they certainly haven't taken account of VAT registered buyers. You can reclaim the VAT but will probably lose the will to live first, such is the bureaucracy and of course Germany has the most complex tax code in the world. ...Snip

 

AFIK you can NOT reclaim Vat paid in another member state. Thats the whole reason items are shipped Vat free between Vat registered Companies within the EU

[Giulio Zanni]

I have not received the letter yet, however, while I have the orginal receipt from the shop, I made an electronic payment through bank transfer and the only proof that I can provide is a print out of the transaction. I don't understand this double requirement.

 

Giulio

[marknorton]

AFIK you can NOT reclaim Vat paid in another member state. Thats the whole reason items are shipped Vat free between Vat registered Companies within the EU

 

Eoin, you can, but you need to reclaim it from the VAT authorities in the country in which it was paid. It's a Hassle with a capital "H" and it would not be worth the bother for a few hundred euros.