Buying from Adorama from overseas

[wlaidlaw]

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Has anyone any experience of buying items from Adorama for shipping to Europe. I know they have a good reputation in the US but how people ship overseas can be different. I have had good and bad experiences (the bad I am sad to say, usually involve USPS). With the pound/dollar/euro exchange rate as it is at the moment, I can buy from Adorama at about 80% of the European price, even if I get stung for the tax - if I don't, I am laughing all the way to the bank.

 

Wilson

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[scott kirkpatrick]

(the bad I am sad to say, usually involve USPS).

 

Since the tracking facilities of the other carriers are not that useful in overseas shipment, I have used USPS express mail to receive several items. They reached me, and the inferred VAT was affordable. Of course we did some creative labelling, and did not put the invoice on the outside of the package.

 

scott

[London Lad]

I buy a lot of items from the USA and have them shipped to Monaco (for postal purposes, effectively France) and USPS Global priority mail is the only shipper that I never have a problem with.

[wlaidlaw]

The problems I have had with USPS have always been to the UK. An iPod went missing and if you get caught for tax, in the UK you get charged by Parcelforce, who are their handling agents, a processing fee and a collection fee, which can double the tax figure. It seems a real lottery on tax now. When I first started buying on the Internet in the early 1990's, you assumed you paid tax every time. Now it is down to less than 25%. I assume the volume of trade with eBay and internet has grown so much, the handlers just can't be bothered. I could have the item sent to Monaco, as my brother lives there, but the VAT rate is the same as France now, unless of course, they never bother there, with collecting it on parcels.

 

The strangest one I had was Fedex in France last year. I bought a quite expensive shop-soiled but new watch from a US dealer. It was delivered by Fedex with no tax request. Four months later, I had a series of nasty letters from a French debt collection agency spaced about three days apart, forwarded to my UK house, demanding that I pay the import duty to Fedex but for a tiny amount. I was concerned that they had opened the package, decided the watch was a fake and charged me the duty accordingly. I went to a Breitling dealer to have it verified, although I was 99% confident and it was OK.

 

 

Wilson

[London Lad]

Wlaidlaw, you have a PM

[wlaidlaw]

To date I have to say the experience of buying from Adorama has not been been great. Unanswered phone calls, unhelpful receptionists who don't listen but just put you straight through to voicemail and emails not replied to. You get the impression of a real "New York" attitude "wadyawant". I have ordered an item from them subject to a single minor query being answered. All I have received back are requests for a photocopy of my credit card and accompanying statement. I have sent them this but reiterated my query - no answer. I tried first to buy with Paypal, where I have had a confirmed account for about 5 years. That did not work (presumably because I was overseas but it did not say so when it shut me out). To be blunt I think it is the last time I will buy from them - just too much hassle compared with B&H, where it was very easy.

 

Wilson

[Guest sirvine]

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Haha, if you could only see what it's like to buy there in person. They've got a fantastic selection and great prices, and attitude to match. At least they're better than Calumet, where they glaze over if you're asking about anything Leica-related. B&H is truly the Wal-Mart of NYC photographic shopping (and I mean that in the best way). I love the little track system that delivers your stuff to the register from the stock rooms (fun!), and their floor sales staff seem to have improved their manners in the past few years.

 

I must say that, while New Yorkers can be rude, it's generally only because they run in circles of other people who are rude all the time. At the end of the day, those people aren't malicious and they will do the right thing. You just have to be a little thick-skinned. Of course, taking your business elsewhere is always a good option, if possible.

[hankg]

I only buy from Adorama in the store. B+H is a bit more reliable mail-order especially when it comes to the condition of used items. For Leica in the US my preference would be Popflash.

[andit]

Hi there Wilson,

 

If you go into any photo store here in South Africa and ask for Leica, they get this dazed and confused look on their faces. You know, the "the light's are on but no one's at home.." look. So to get anything down in this part of the world you have to import it. I ordered cv lenses from B&H and a mint used 135 from KEH on the same day. Both were shipped with USPS (International Priority Airmail with insurance). The parcel from B&H arrived here within 5 days.

 

KEH assured me that they sent off the 135mm on 28 March, up to today, no sign... I'm starting to get worried about this parcel - and from my credit card statement, I know that KEH got paid. This would be my first parcel that gets lost/stolen shipped with USPS. I get on average 3 to 4 parcels a month via Amazon, over all the years, no problem.

 

I have not yet tried Adorama, however I can say that I got excellent service from B&H.

 

Andreas

[Enrique Santa]

I have bought from Adorama a month ago an 11-22 from OLY. In two days I recived my new lenses at home, I live in a little town near Madrid, Spain. All was made on line. Very good experience.