Pixii - complementary or competition? [Merged]

[oldwino]

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There is an import tax on Digital cameras from the EU into the USA.  Base rate is 3.9%. Plus paperwork and brokerage fees. 

I should amend this by saying I "think" this is correct. It is almost impossible to find useful information on the US Customs and Border Patrol website. The info above was found through an inline brokerage service.

 

Edited April 16, 2022 by oldwino

[ramarren]

18 minutes ago, oldwino said:

There is an import tax on Digital cameras from the EU into the USA.  Base rate is 3.9%. Plus paperwork and brokerage fees. 

I should amend this by saying I "think" this is correct. It is almost impossible to find useful information on the US Customs and Border Patrol website. The info above was found through an inline brokerage service.

 

Well, looking at my receipt in detail, I see ~$27.50 listed as "Government Charges" and ~$155.00 listed as "Brokerage Fees". This on a ~$3200 purchase. 

Frankly, I'm a little appalled at the brokerage fees. I've never paid brokerage fees like that before. 

And, based on the tracking log, the numbknuts at UPS seem to have cocked up the shipment yet once again. I have absolutely no idea what the heck they're doing at this point or whether I'll ever get this camera.  

I am not amused.

G

[oldwino]

1 hour ago, ramarren said:

Well, looking at my receipt in detail, I see ~$27.50 listed as "Government Charges" and ~$155.00 listed as "Brokerage Fees". This on a ~$3200 purchase. 

Frankly, I'm a little appalled at the brokerage fees. I've never paid brokerage fees like that before. 

And, based on the tracking log, the numbknuts at UPS seem to have cocked up the shipment yet once again. I have absolutely no idea what the heck they're doing at this point or whether I'll ever get this camera.  

I am not amused.

G

UPS is notorious for outrageous brokerage fees. Pixii should consider DHL for shipping. 
Sorry you still don’t have your camera. 

[Simone_DF]

Leica users: the CL is a great camera, especially with M lenses! It's perfect! 

Also Leica users: don't buy the Pixii, it's APSC!

🤷‍♂️

[pop]

5 minutes ago, Simone_DF said:

Leica users: the CL is a great camera, especially with M lenses! It's perfect! 

Also Leica users: don't buy the Pixii, it's APSC!

🤷‍♂️

Yes, the Pixii is APS-C, just as the Leica CL. It's a great compagnon, and great to use with the same M lenses.

[loloboubou1]

34 minutes ago, Simone_DF said:

Leica users: the CL is a great camera, especially with M lenses! It's perfect! 

Also Leica users: don't buy the Pixii, it's APSC!

🤷‍♂️

Well here is a boy who does not lack arguments and logic: "buy a CL which gives excellent results ... but do not buy a Pixii because it is an APS-C ..."

I would very much like to see the photographs of this boy he must excel in multiple exposures.

[Simone_DF]

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I think you misunderstood my message. I haven't tried one, but the Pixii looks like an excellent camera, and blaming the cropped sensor while at the same time praising the CL that sports the same type of sensor is typical of this forum, where everything Leica does is pure gold, and everything other brands do is shit.

PS: I love multiple exposures 

[ramarren]

Checked the UPS.com website again. Nothing new, Pixii still lost in their warehouse somewhere. Sigh. I think I'll go out shooting with one of the Polaroid SX-70s now, or I'll fit the MATE I have on loan to the M4-2 or CL and give that another whirl.

I'm getting tired of just talking about a camera that I own but cannot seem to get into my hands...

G

[tsleica]

Quote

UPS is notorious for outrageous brokerage fees. Pixii should consider DHL for shipping.

DHL is probably 2 to 3 x's more expensive.

You will end up paying more in the end via DHL but get it fast.

Maybe they should give you the option.

But better yet to have a USA distributor eventually.

And eliminate all these issues.

I think Customs is responsible for the fees..not UPS..

They see an expensive camera and say..hmmm..lets get that guy.

But a couple hundred more on a $3,000- cam is not that much.

Edited April 17, 2022 by tsleica

[ramarren]

I've shipped and received goods from all over the world with DHL, FedEx, UPS, and whatever individual country's postal system in/out through the US Postal Service. The best is the last. All the others can do good service and occasionally mess up spectacularly. In the end, the differences in price between them are relatively trivial. Whatever US Customs charges for duty ($28 ... trivial in this instance), paying another $155 for brokerage fees on a completely mishandled shipping service rankles. 

And, NOTE, the package is still not "on the way". 

The present situation with this Pixii package and UPS is the worst I've seen. If it was just "lost", all would wrap up quickly, insurance would be paid, a delay until another camera is readied etc. But the package is not "lost" ... it is there, it is being mishandled and passed from one inept person to another, and not being either rejected and returned to Pixii SAS or passed and delivered to me. Their tracking says, three times, that they requested information from the importer/recipient (me) ... a lie, they have not once sent me an email, or called me, or otherwise tried to obtain information from me without me spending several hours on the phone trying to contact someone who can determine what the problem is. Nor have they reached out to Pixii SAS ... despite constant inquiries and, again, lots of time on Pixii SAS part trying to locate and determine what the hold up is. 

It's now ten days in this endless black hole of UPS mishandling/miscommunications and stupidity ...

G

Edited April 18, 2022 by ramarren

[tsleica]

A UPS employee once told me, dont use UPS, they are bad, real bad, and if you mark the box as "fragile" they will throw it harder.

DHL is better than USPS for customs paperwork issues. But I use USPS/Fed Ex for my business intl shipping, unless it needs to get there fast. And USPS is getting real expensive for heavy boxes.

Best to just let the shipper send it and it gets to you when it does in the age of Covid. Dont fuss or worry, you cant do anything about it. It arrives when it arrives.

But if there is a damage issue, then your troubles really start. Getting them to pay up that is.

[gotium]

13 hours ago, ramarren said:

Checked the UPS.com website again. Nothing new, Pixii still lost in their warehouse somewhere. Sigh. I think I'll go out shooting with one of the Polaroid SX-70s now, or I'll fit the MATE I have on loan to the M4-2 or CL and give that another whirl.

I'm getting tired of just talking about a camera that I own but cannot seem to get into my hands...

G

This happened to me when the M-D I bought shipped with UPS. For a few weeks nobody had any idea where it was. Honestly. Eventually I visited their distribution center myself and someone came across it sitting on a pile of junk in back corner of the warehouse. 

[gotium]

On 4/16/2022 at 2:44 AM, jaapv said:

zero on digital cameras as far as I am aware.

Zero import duties in the US on LENSES, but camera BODIES are subject to duties. The amount actually charged, as far as I have seen, is unpredictable and probably depends on what the customs officer had for breakfast. 

[oldwino]

13 hours ago, ramarren said:

I've shipped and received goods from all over the world with DHL, FedEx, UPS, and whatever individual country's postal system in/out through the US Postal Service. The best is the last. All the others can do good service and occasionally mess up spectacularly. In the end, the differences in price between them are relatively trivial. Whatever US Customs charges for duty ($28 ... trivial in this instance), paying another $155 for brokerage fees on a completely mishandled shipping service rankles. 

And, NOTE, the package is still not "on the way". 

The present situation with this Pixii package and UPS is the worst I've seen. If it was just "lost", all would wrap up quickly, insurance would be paid, a delay until another camera is readied etc. But the package is not "lost" ... it is there, it is being mishandled and passed from one inept person to another, and not being either rejected and returned to Pixii SAS or passed and delivered to me. Their tracking says, three times, that they requested information from the importer/recipient (me) ... a lie, they have not once sent me an email, or called me, or otherwise tried to obtain information from me without me spending several hours on the phone trying to contact someone who can determine what the problem is. Nor have they reached out to Pixii SAS ... despite constant inquiries and, again, lots of time on Pixii SAS part trying to locate and determine what the hold up is. 

It's now ten days in this endless black hole of UPS mishandling/miscommunications and stupidity ...

G

At this point, if I were in this position, I would reject the package (whenever it arrives) as damaged, have UPS send it back to Pixii, let Pixii deal with that particular body, and have them make you a new one asap. 
 

My experience with these sort of things is that the carrier has already damaged the package, they know it, and no one wants to take responsibility for it. 

[gotium]

9 hours ago, gotium said:

Zero import duties in the US on LENSES, but camera BODIES are subject to duties. The amount actually charged, as far as I have seen, is unpredictable and probably depends on what the customs officer had for breakfast. 

Hey, let me update this by offering that I might be confused and even have it backward. I remember now having to pay import duties on a lens - my lens -  that I received back from Zeiss after an adjustment, even though I had bought it in the US and owned it myself...

[ramarren]

Last scan: yesterday, 10:15 am ... still "In Warehouse" ... no movement. I cannot accept or reject the package at present. No idea what's happening, no response to queries. Life goes on, no information other than what I already read on the website when I call (which takes a minimum of 30 minutes each time). 

Waste of time worrying about it at this point. I have other, more important things to do. 

G

[lct]

Could be a customs issue. Happened to me a couple times with the USA. The carrier is regarded as a freight forwarder as i understand it so it must declare goods to customs the right way. I may be wrong though.

[ramarren]

Customs duty and brokerage fees all paid ... and noted as such on the tracking log at UPS.com. It is in the UPS warehouse according to the log. 

G

Edited April 18, 2022 by ramarren

[lct]

56 minutes ago, ramarren said:

Customs duty and brokerage fees all paid ... and noted as such on the tracking log at UPS.com. It is in the UPS warehouse according to the log. 

G

Yes all paid by you to the carrier/freight forwarder (UPS) and of course goods are stored in the latter's warehouse but it may be that they are not yet cleared by the customs for some reason. Perhaps because your customs are not used to deal with new cameras made in France. Last time it happened was perhaps in the fifties in their books...

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[ramarren]

48 minutes ago, lct said:

Yes all paid by you to the carrier/freight forwarder (UPS) and of course goods are stored in the latter's warehouse but it may be that they are not yet cleared by the customs for some reason. Perhaps because your customs are not used to deal with new cameras made in France. Last time it happened was perhaps in the fifties in their books...

Pixii SAS has already sold a good number of cameras in the USA including in California.

I doubt very much that this notion with Customs has anything to do with UPS’ total f****p on my shipment. 

G