US purchasing in Europe.

[footnoteblog]

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Great, all.

 

35mm was feeling a bit cramped.

[MarkD]

I live in the US and bought a camera from Harrison's. From UPS online tracking, I saw that the package arrived in Phila, around 7:30am Fri. I was away from phone for a while in the afternoon - UPS customs section tried to call. I called back about 4:50pm but they must be gone for the weekend.

 

****UPS wants my social security number (SSN). Has anyone been through this - or more to the point, do you know any way to get out of giving your SSN?****

 

Mark

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[MarkD]

I live in the US and bought a camera from Harrison's. From UPS online tracking, I saw that the package arrived in Phila, around 7:30am Fri. I was away from phone for a while in the afternoon - UPS customs section tried to call. I called back about 4:50pm but they must be gone for the weekend.

 

****UPS wants my social security number (SSN). Has anyone been through this - or more to the point, do you know any way to get out of giving your SSN?****

 

Mark

 

Well, it's Monday and I called UPS Brokerage Services (whatever that is) to give them the information they want to release my package. As a side note, the person there said that there is a duty to be paid on camera equipment coming into the US if it is over $2000 in value. I forgot the exact percentage she quoted, around 3%. Between 3% for VISA, 3% for duty, My savings in buying from GB is dwindling fast.

 

In addition, I understand from other purchasers that UPS charges about a $70 fee upon delivery for brokerage. Not sure if this includes duty but it is closer to 1%, so I guess not. Unless it's 3% of $2,000 - one can only hope.

 

Mark

[Guest malland]

Mark:

 

You may want to do a Google search to find out whether there is an import duty, as several people in other threads stated that there is no US import duty on still cameras and their posts sounded credible. I had a the Summicron-28 shipped from the UK, which cost more than $2,000 and there was no duty, although there was a $70 UPS clearing fee.

 

—Mitch/Potomac, MD

Chiang Mai - a set on Flickr

[MarkD]

Mitch,

 

When I mentioned no duty to the woman I was speaking with at the import point (UPS in Phila.), she mentioned something along the lines of "that's not the way this shipment is coded, however there is a duty if the value of camera equipment is over $2,000 anyway". Maybe your shipment was coded differently.

 

***Were you asked to give a tax ID or SSN before releasing from the import point? If you are not a US citizen, did you have to give any kind of a number?***

 

I hope the UPS driver doesn't want to collect the duty at delivery so I can fight the battle later - another poster said they received a duty charge at a later date (can't remember who the courier was). That will give me some time to prepare.

 

Mark

[Guest malland]

Mark:

 

No, I didn't have to give any SSN.

 

You might still want to check on the web whether there's import duty. I'm sure the US tariff schedule is available somewhere. As for the "coding", UPS could easily have miscoded the shipment.

 

—Mitch/Potomac, MD

Northern Thailand - a set on Flickr

[MarkD]

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Mark:

 

No, I didn't have to give any SSN.

 

You might still want to check on the web whether there's import duty. I'm sure the US tariff schedule is available somewhere. As for the "coding", UPS could easily have miscoded the shipment.

 

—Mitch/Potomac, MD

Northern Thailand - a set on Flickr

 

OK, thanks.

 

You received your order in two days - mine has been in transit for 12 days and counting. I think if the UPS deliverman wants to collect a duty (not the clearing fee), I'll hold off on taking the package and find out from Harrison's if they furnished the code, and if so, was it coded right.

 

Mark

[peter_n]

Mark, I just did a very quick bit of Google research. It will make your eyes glaze over but its worth looking at. I've cut'n'paste into a JPEG (attached below) what I believe are the relevant sections of the current tariff schedules for digital cameras as well as 35mm SLR & rangefinder film cameras: Digital cameras Ch 85 cut from page 9, film cameras Ch 90 cut and stuck together from pages 7 and 8. The Tariff documents are easily found through Google.

 

From various sources I've gleaned that all digital cameras come under section 8525.80.40 and have done for several years, so don't be put off by the "Transmission apparatus" header of this section.

 

Read the "rates of Duty" columns as follows: General (column 1): the typical rate of duty from the majority of the world’s countries. Special: special duty rates assigned to specific countries or import scenarios. 2: a special rate of duty assigned to trade restricted countries like Cuba or North Korea for example. The General column is the one that applies to you.

 

Bottom line: no import duty on any of these cameras.

 

Good luck!!

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[Guest malland]

Mark:

The person at Harrisons that I dealt with was Michael Beckingham, who was very helpful.

 

—Mitch/Potomac, MD

Northern Thailand - a set on Flickr

[footnoteblog]

Update: Ffordes claims the cash back and deducts VAT; and so the USD amount ends up being exactly what you are charged, net-- no bother with the refund; all legitimately worked out.

 

Thanks, all. Great deal, good service from Steve Byford. Will have to visit Scotland soon!

[MarkD]

Mark, I just did a very quick bit of Google research. It will make your eyes glaze over but its worth looking at. I've cut'n'paste into a JPEG (attached below) what I believe are the relevant sections of the current tariff schedules for digital cameras as well as 35mm SLR & rangefinder film cameras: Digital cameras Ch 85 cut from page 9, film cameras Ch 90 cut and stuck together from pages 7 and 8. The Tariff documents are easily found through Google....

 

....Bottom line: no import duty on any of these cameras.

 

Good luck!!

 

Peter, thanks so much for your efforts...I'll see what story UPS gives me tomorrow.

 

Mitch, I exchanged a lot of emails with Alyson Harrison in making the purchase, she was very responsive...not sure where this order went wrong so to speak.

 

Mark