andreaffm Posted June 4, 2010 Share #21 Posted June 4, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks for sharing all your expreiences. I just came across a company called Rahn GmbH Foto & Fine Art in Frankfurt, Germany. I wonder if anyone has worked with them. Here is their website address:www.foto-hobby.de/fhr-e/index.html They have very good prices on Leica M bodies, M9,M7, MP.... They are my local dealers here in Frankfurt and I can recommend them. I ordered my M9 there and they put me on a list refusing to take any money in advance. Nice guys and great espresso. Took a while with the M9 though, better be sure to contact them way in advance. Also they are a very, very old shop and have huuuge depots with almost everything in stock. They found me some exotic lens caps I could get nowhere else - but they had to search for them for some days. But all in all a great dealer worth visiting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 4, 2010 Posted June 4, 2010 Hi andreaffm, Take a look here Shall we buy M9 from Europe?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Samir Jahjah Posted June 5, 2010 Share #22 Posted June 5, 2010 You will have to pay the full VAT inclusive price, but should (provided the dealer is part of the scheme) be given a VAT reclaim form for use at the airport. It is best if the dealer will allow you to post the form back to him so that he can credit your card. That way you should get a refund of the full amount, rather than having to pay the hefty commission to get it back at the airport. Duty-free does not mean profit-free! Best if, as mentioned above, to return the invoice to the dealer with the Customs stamp. However you have a delay of 3 months maximum, past that deadline, your dealer won't be able to credit back VAT. There is another condition (at least in Belgium and France) though: they will not credit your credit card, they have to send the money to a Bank Account in the country of the dealer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
m8point2 Posted June 9, 2010 Share #23 Posted June 9, 2010 If you buy an M9 from a shop in Europe on the internet and have it shipped to the USA, do they automatically deduct the VAT, or did they charge VAT and send you a form to get the VAT refund? If they send you a form, how long does it take to get the VAT refund? Thanks, el Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted June 9, 2010 Share #24 Posted June 9, 2010 They will sell it to you VAT free if you are buying from outside the EU Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael friedberg Posted June 10, 2010 Share #25 Posted June 10, 2010 Thanks for sharing all your expreiences. I just came across a company called Rahn GmbH Foto & Fine Art in Frankfurt, Germany. I wonder if anyone has worked with them. Here is their website address:www.foto-hobby.de/fhr-e/index.html They have very good prices on Leica M bodies, M9,M7, MP.... I bought my first M8 from them, when they first were available, and can highly recommend them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freedolin Posted June 14, 2010 Share #26 Posted June 14, 2010 They have very good prices on Leica M bodies, M9,M7, MP.... These are regular list prices with VAT already removed. As others have mentioned already, you can buy VAT-free in most shops in the European Union if you have your purchased delivered outside of the EU. -- Markus Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leica007 Posted June 14, 2010 Share #27 Posted June 14, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) I bought an M8.2 that way via Richard Caplan, and it worked great. No VAT (I'm in the US), and I saved a ton of money, and that was before the exchange rate became even more favorable to the $. No customs, no problems. The way to go if you can find an M9. There is another Leica shop that had great prices--Hamilton's perhaps, up near Manchester, and of course Robert White is a stellar dealer. I am sure there are many others. Can you kindly tell us the procedure (from purchasing an item from the dealer to the customs desk at the airport) to claim a VAT refund by non-EU customers at the airports (Heathrow) in the UK? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulDavid Posted June 16, 2010 Share #28 Posted June 16, 2010 Does anyone know what is involved with customs and import duty when ordering from Germany and shipping to the USA for items worth more than $2,000? It seems quite complex when I look at the US Customs web site. Would appreciate hearing from anyone with direct experience. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpwhite Posted June 16, 2010 Share #29 Posted June 16, 2010 I purchased an APO-Telyt recently from Rahn GmbH Foto & Fine Art in Frankfurt, Germany. It was a snap! He filled out the US Customs form incorrectly and cost me an extra US$5, , but really it was so simple. Delivery from Frankfurt to San Francisco via Fedex took all of three days and cost $250 for shipping, insurance and US duty. I think Meister Camera in Berlin is at least as honorable as B & H. If you are careful to purchase from a reputable dealer, should be just fine. I bought my 21 SX from a Leica dealer in Hong Kong last year (after checking him out on this forum), and it worked out. The lens is beyond fantastic and was a bit less expensive + months quicker than US dealers I had pestered. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
panzero Posted March 1, 2011 Share #30 Posted March 1, 2011 My experience about the tax refund, I once try to get refund for my Dior bag at the airport they say that they will pay me back to my bank account. I wait long time already, but I never get the refund back this also happen in Europe I also afraid that if I go buy Leica there this situation will happen again, I think the best way to get the refund is I can get the money right away at the airport. Still, I need some information about buy leica in German and get refund. Can anyone please kindly suggest me how to do the tax refund German. Thank you for every suggestion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted March 1, 2011 Share #31 Posted March 1, 2011 It is easier to just order the Leica from outside the EU (any self-respecting EU dealer will do mail order). That way, you buy at the VAT-free price and don't have the hassle of dealing with refunds from the 'authorities', etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted March 1, 2011 Share #32 Posted March 1, 2011 My experience about the tax refund, I once try to get refund for my Dior bag at the airport they say that they will pay me back to my bank account. I wait long time already, but I never get the refund back this also happen in Europe I also afraid that if I go buy Leica there this situation will happen again, I think the best way to get the refund is I can get the money right away at the airport. Still, I need some information about buy leica in German and get refund. Can anyone please kindly suggest me how to do the tax refund German. Thank you for every suggestion. All major European airports have a tax refund desk. Your dealer will be able to help you with the appropriate forms. If you buy at some airports the sale will be taxfree anyway so no hassle. (Schiphol, Heathrow, etc.)For an item like an M9 you will have to order well ahead. For Schiphol Amsterdam (and Düsseldorf,Frankfurt,Helsinki,Johannesburg,Munich,Oslo) http://www.capi.com/C01_01_ams_int.htm For Heathrow London: http://www.dixonstravel.co.uk/cameras Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecaton Posted March 1, 2011 Share #33 Posted March 1, 2011 I'm thinking it might be a better idea to order an M9 from Europe and have it shipped to the USA before my trip, just so I can make sure everything is okay. I know M9 supplies are short, but what EU dealers would you recommend for best price and availability? Would I have to pay customs if the camera is shipped to the USA? Thanks, el I bought mine from the Leicashop Vienna, highly recommended. Meister Berlin would be another reputable dealer. In 2008, I bought a second M8 as well as a Cron 28mm from Robert White (UK based). For neither purchase was US customs to be paid. But insist of having a say in the shipper selection. Depending on whom the dealer uses, the shipper's handling fee can be considerable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecaton Posted March 1, 2011 Share #34 Posted March 1, 2011 If you buy an M9 from a shop in Europe on the internet and have it shipped to the USA, do they automatically deduct the VAT, or did they charge VAT and send you a form to get the VAT refund? If they send you a form, how long does it take to get the VAT refund? Thanks, el They will sell net of VAT, since it is an export sale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tchoi Posted March 2, 2011 Share #35 Posted March 2, 2011 I also bought my M9 and 35cron from Robert White. Highly recommended. I am in California and bought in UK because they had a summicron 35 in stock. Lenses seem much harder to find than M9s these days. Exchange rate was just about $1.50 for GBP so saved some money as well. UPS handled the customs charge which applied only to the lens (or was it the body?) but not both. Including the processing charge from UPS, the total customs cost was $150. Aside from having to sign a form when the UPS guy arrived, there was no 'hassle' at all. Delivery took a week, and this was when the UK was frozen in a blizzard (12/2010). Last but by no means least, I got the UK Passports which cover accidental damage, unlike US Passports. I am in the US, and have bought several items through the internet from the UK when rates work. Other years Brits get to take advantage. I currently have a 50 lux on order with Robert White, and since it is export, the VAT does not apply. It has been two months, and may be another 5 until I receive it (wishful thinking) , and I paid in full (but doing better than if I had put it in the US stock market). To date it has never been an issue with customs, and I don't expect it to be, although to save $1,100 on a $3,850 US purchase, I can afford a little hassle and additional expense if it comes up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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