Buying gear from other countries

[mehguy]

I buy a lot on FromJapan, which is a proxy service that allows people outside of Japan to shop on many eCommerce websites that will only ship within Japan.

What they do is buy the item on your behalf, have it shipped to their facility in Japan, then forward the package to wherever you'd like to get it shipped.

Shipping can become pretty exorbitant if you aren't willing to wait for Surface mail (1-2 months) or the item doesn't fit in a small packet, but if you are willing to wait or your item is small, the service seems to be cheaper than shipping from the United states, in many cases. However, I've found the the additional import fees on delivery are a luck of the draw as some items that I've shipped that costed $100+ got no import fees, while others got tagged with some.

You can have many listings combined into one parcel and have it shipped internationally this way, too.

If you buy a lot of Japanese goods, I feel like it is a good additional place to check if they have what you need, aside from ebay.

 

[Chuck1]

Prepaid means the tariff and import fees are hidden in the total cost of shipping the seller has put on the listing. Most listings from Japan to USA on eBay in the last couple months have been set up this way.

I ask every seller, import fees included is sometimes (often) contradicted in the item description

 

[loccdor]

I ask every seller, import fees included is sometimes (often) contradicted in the item description

After I got burned once, I screenshot the part of the listing where it shows import fees included. Because if you buy the item and look at it again, that part disappears.

 

[Tel]

I guess I'm borderline paranoid; I try to find out as much as I can about each seller before I buy. If they're selling porcelain trinkets or shoes or car parts I don't bid and I don't assume that any of their statements about camera condition are true. Of course I check their feedback and actually read some of the comments. And when I am happy with a particular seller I make a note of it and go back to them again. I've been scammed several times anyway, by both overseas sellers and domestic ones, in roughly equal measure, but not very often.

 

[Richard Lawson]

I'm currently living in the Netherlands. I find the slowest shipping is from the USA followed by Australia, UK and Austria with Japan being by far the fastest.

Import duties/taxes are a fact of life and must be factored in when deciding the purchase budget.

Qualitatively (NB the plural of anecdote is not data) I find that the Japanese camera sellers usually supply items which are in equal or better condition than the description and pack very well for transit. My most recent purchase was a 400mm f4 for my Pentax 67: the outer box had been abused (corner dents and holes through the cardboard) but the internal packing was both very thick and well secured so the lens arrived without a scratch.

 

[photogear]

Qualitatively (NB the plural of anecdote is not data) I find that the Japanese camera sellers usually supply items which are in equal or better condition than the description and pack very well for transit. My most recent purchase was a 400mm f4 for my Pentax 67: the outer box had been abused (corner dents and holes through the cardboard) but the internal packing was both very thick and well secured so the lens arrived without a scratch.

I used to believe Japense sellers were the most reliable ones. It is true concerning the delivery that is very fast and the packaging is most of the time top notch, on the other hand, my 3 last purchases turned out quite badly in terms of the material itself:
1- Contax TVS II having camera triggers issues;
2- Pentax NII having light leaks problems as discussed on a thread here [fortunately I reached out an agreement to return it];
3- Pentax Z-20P with film advance issue.

It might be somehow just bad luck as well. Considering that the technicians become more difficult to find (many of them retired and there ain't much youger ones willing to continue), someone has to be careful with one's purchase. As most people here are aware of, the old analog SLR cameras get old in better condition than the analog ones with lots of electronics. My old Nikon FE2 and FM2n are just fine, as well as my Pentax K1000.

 

[IMoL]

I used to believe Japense sellers were the most reliable ones. It is true concerning the delivery that is very fast and the packaging is most of the time top notch, on the other hand, my 3 last purchases turned out quite badly in terms of the material itself:
1- Contax TVS II having camera triggers issues;
2- Pentax NII having light leaks problems as discussed on a thread here [fortunately I reached out an agreement to return it];
3- Pentax Z-20P with film advance issue.

It might be somehow just bad luck as well. Considering that the technicians become more difficult to find (many of them retired and there ain't much youger ones willing to continue), someone has to be careful with one's purchase. As most people here are aware of, the old analog SLR cameras get old in better condition than the analog ones with lots of electronics. My old Nikon FE2 and FM2n are just fine, as well as my Pentax K1000.

I've bought a few things from Japan (shipped here to Sweden) and generally had good experiences. Of course I have to pay 25% VAT plus fees, but it's often still cheaper than buying from the EU.

The only time I've had an issue was with a plain prism Nikon F that has a dent that was not properly visible in the product photos (you could just see it, but only if you knew what you were looking for). The seller accepted the return without quibble and was excellent and polite to deal with.

My key to shopping from Japan - look for listings with Free Returns and 100% feedback only.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

When you return the item to Japan I suppose you still have to pay the shipping, tariffs, and other fees?

 

[photogear]

When you return the item to Japan I suppose you still have to pay the shipping, tariffs, and other fees?

Shipping back, yes.
Tariffs? No. And if so - as it is in USA - that is the receiver/seller who pays...
Other fees: again if so, custom fees are paid by the receiver/seller.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I've been avoiding buying from overseas sellers because the import costs would (I assumed) be prohibitive. But I badly needed a new bellows for a Tachihara 4x5 so I went surfing the 'bay, ready to bite the bullet and pay whatever it cost. I found what I was looking for from a Hong Kong seller I've dealt with before. To my surprise, the cost was actually less than I've paid in the not-too-distant past and I didn't need to pay any surcharges at the point of delivery. Emboldened by that experience, I went looking for a backup Rollei 35 for an upcoming trip and found a really nice condition example from a Japanese seller that, again, was less expensive than most of the equivalent ones available from US sellers. The duty was prepaid and shipment was via speedpak. The package arrived from Japan to New Jersey in two days; I've had quick shipments from Japan for many years--on the order of 3 or 4 days--but never as quick as this. I'm wondering what others here have experienced regarding international purchases, and whether there are work-arounds (as buyers or sellers) people have found to ease the pain.

Consider buying from KEH.com in the US for used equipment. But first check out their generous return policy. Sales telephone number (800) 342 5534.

 

[DREW WILEY]

KEH has an very limited selection compared to what they once had. Japan sellers have by far the most to offer. I've gotten shipments from Tokyo to right here on my doorstep in California in less than 24 hrs, with quite reasonable shipping rates. There's almost no way to predict ongoing tariff factors due to the sheer unpredictability of the person behind those himself.
But if you need something, you need it. If it's just one more optional new toy, you might think twice until things settle down.

 

[photogear]

KEH has an very limited selection compared to what they once had. Japan sellers have by far the most to offer.

KEH used to have a very large selection but it ain't the case anymore, so far. Once thing : their evaluation is very much reliable.

In USA, it looks like the offer (price tag if you will), generally speaking, is higher than the international average.

 

[Pieter12]

KEH used to have a very large selection but it ain't the case anymore, so far. Once thing : their evaluation is very much reliable.

In USA, it looks like the offer (price tag if you will), generally speaking, is higher than the international average.

Take into account the US dollar is down 5-15% around the world.

 

[Tel]

Consider buying from KEH.com in the US for used equipment. But first check out their generous return policy. Sales telephone number (800) 342 5534.

I've been buying from KEH (and Roberts/Used Photo Pro) for years. Had some quality issues from both of them, although generally their stuff was in good shape. (I've learned never to believe a seller who promises "light-tight bellows" on their LF offerings...) As noted above, the depth and variety of gear available in the US market seems to be shrinking, and as also noted, domestic shipping has become much slower and more expensive.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Shipping back, yes.
Tariffs? No. And if so - as it is in USA - that is the receiver/seller who pays...
Other fees: again if so, custom fees are paid by the receiver/seller.

How can both the seller and receiver pay these fees?

 

[gbroadbridge]

How can both the seller and receiver pay these fees?

The seller adds the fee to the advertised price

 

[Pieter12]

The seller adds the fee to the advertised price

The seller can choose to pay for the fees. Just like sales tax, fees and tariffs are the responsibility of the buyer.

 

[gbroadbridge]

The seller can choose to pay for the fees. Just like sales tax, fees and tariffs are the responsibility of the buyer.

The seller does not get to choose when selling to the US.

Items have to be sent DDP, so the seller builds the charge into the selling price.
They discount or remove the charge at checkout if they sell to other countries.

That way there is the illusion that the seller is paying

 

[Pieter12]

The seller does not get to choose when selling to the US.

Items have to be sent DDP, so the seller builds the charge into the selling price.
They discount or remove the charge at checkout if they sell to other countries.

That way there is the illusion that the seller is paying

The seller choosing to add the cost of the fees to the selling price is the buyer paying the fees, just not itemized as such. The fees do not go away, someone is paying for them. In some cases the buyer by paying directly or higher prices, sometimes the seller may be willing to eat the fees in order to be competitive. Kind of like VAT in Europe, where it is generally baked in to the selling price but can be removed if the purchase is immediately exported.

 

[Mike Lopez]

How can both the seller and receiver pay these fees?

I think @photogear interpreted your question in a way you perhaps didn't intend (it wasn't very clear) and you wound up talking past each other. Their response appears to assume that you are asking who pays a tariff imposed by Japan when you return equipment to that country. As I read the response, photogear is saying that there is no tariff imposed by Japan, but if there were, the recipient of the gear--i.e., the person who originally sold it to you--would pay that tariff. Just like the tariffs imposed by the current administration are being paid by the recipients of those goods (us).

 

[photogear]

How can both the seller and receiver pay these fees?

in this case, the receiver (destination) is the seller to whom the parcel is returned..., otherwise it doesn't make sense.

 

[Chuck1]

I once returned an ebay purchase, however the massachusets sales tax wasn't automatically refunded.
It took a phone call to rectify(last time i tried to call someone at ebay it was nearly impossible)
Ebay sucks in many ways

 

[Pieter12]

I once returned an ebay purchase, however the massachusets sales tax wasn't automatically refunded.
It took a phone call to rectify(last time i tried to call someone at ebay it was nearly impossible)
Ebay sucks in many ways

I didn't think you could actually call eBay and speak with a human (or Amazon for that matter).

 

[Chuck1]

Not since covid

 

[Tel]

Kind of like VAT in Europe, where it is generally baked in to the selling price but can be removed if the purchase is immediately exported.

Many years ago I bought a leather jacket in London and filled out a VAT return document and submitted it to some address in the UK. And slightly more than a year later, I got reimbursed!