B&H Photo Video Purchasing Limit?

Lol.....

I'm guessing that marking it as a "gift" on the checkout page isn't going to fool anyone at customs, right?
Probably not, and I doubt you could convince B&H to do it either.
 
Well, they have it as a checkbox option... Perhaps not for international orders though.

Not gonna try it, don't want to take any chances.
 
Well, they have it as a checkbox option... Perhaps not for international orders though.

Not gonna try it, don't want to take any chances.
That's to make sure they dont pack an invoice along with the goods (in case you really do want to send it to someone as a gift and not spoil their surprise). Customs will most likely put a hold on the package until you provide them with documentation.
 
I'm guessing that marking it as a "gift" on the checkout page isn't going to fool anyone at customs, right?
There was a time when you could get a camera past them as a gift, or massively under-declare the value and get away with it, but these days they have some idea what things really cost and your gift allowance is only R400 per annum.
 
Well, it's done. Order placed.

*starts stop-watch*

Update: My parcel is already in Johannesburg! That's pretty quick going... Anyone know how long it takes for clearance at customs? We talking hours / days / weeks? Also, a little worrying is the fact that my status is now "Your package has experienced an exception." on the UPS site... wtf?!
 
Update: My parcel is already in Johannesburg! That's pretty quick going... Anyone know how long it takes for clearance at customs? We talking hours / days / weeks? Also, a little worrying is the fact that my status is now "Your package has experienced an exception." on the UPS site... wtf?!
Yes . . . :o
 
Great.... But seriously? Your life depends on it, you have five seconds to guesstimate... What's your answer?
 
Great.... But seriously? Your life depends on it, you have five seconds to guesstimate... What's your answer?
I've had parcels from B&H clear the same day, others took several days, and once it took a month.
 
UPS staff have obviously been trained not to give false hope to customers, and to add on a day extra when quoting dates. The website says it's in JHB. The telephone consultant says it's only arriving in the country tomorrow.

He was pretty helpful though. :)
 
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I'm thinking about buying myself a 7d (body only) from B&H:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/646908-REG/Canon_3814B004_EOS_7D_SLR_Digital.html
its about $1550.

i dont really know how customs over here will deal with the camera.. should i expect to pay 1550*1.1*1.14 and thus $1943? i was wondering because surely the original amount contains US VAT which i dont have to pay it would cross out with SA VAT and therefore = 1550*1.1 = $1705. so its $1943 vs $1705 depending on how it works, and that pretty much makes or breaks the deal for me. The other thing I was wondering is whether the warantee will be global or only effective in the USA.
could anyone clear this up for me? I didnt find it necessary to start a new thread..
 
The price on B&H excludes VAT. I think you're in for $1550*1.1*1.14 I'm afraid.

Not sure about the warranty stuff. Pentax South Africa have honored the warranty on the binoculars I bought from B&H, so perhaps Canon South Africa are the same...?
 
The other thing I was wondering is whether the warantee will be global or only effective in the USA.
could anyone clear this up for me?

I think it will only be valid in the states - that is at least the way I understood other forum posts when I bought my camera. World wide guarantees on lenses should be honoured though. Find out from the Canon distributors to be absolutely sure: http://www.cameratek.co.za/contact_us.php
 
I will check with them, but with a price of $1943 its only about R1000 cheaper than here in SA so i may as well buy it here - at least then i can sleep easy knowing returns or repairs will be less effort.
 
I will check with them, but with a price of $1943 its only about R1000 cheaper than here in SA so i may as well buy it here - at least then i can sleep easy knowing returns or repairs will be less effort.

That is not a lot - so local does seem like the better option. Just make sure that the one you plan to buy local came through the correct channels (ie, not grey import) - otherwise you might have problems with guarantees as well.
 
...or, have it delivered by USPS like I did with the aforementioned bins. It'll take 35 days to arrive, but for some reason, there will be no duties owed. To this day, the tracking number shows them as still sitting in New York somewhere. Go figure.
 
...or, have it delivered by USPS like I did with the aforementioned bins. It'll take 35 days to arrive, but for some reason, there will be no duties owed. To this day, the tracking number shows them as still sitting in New York somewhere. Go figure.

Did you have insurance on that package? I would be weary if there is no insurance, since the last leg of the journey will be done by SAPO...and that journey (in my experience) does not always end at my house :( :(
 
I was under the assumption that all the shipping options from B&H carried insurance.

When they were a no-show after 20 days or so, I contacted B&H. They didn't seem too worried about them not arriving and having to send me another pair, but I would have to wait three months before they could claim.
 
UPS staff have obviously been trained not to give false hope to customers, and to add on a day extra when quoting dates. The website says it's in JHB. The telephone consultant says it's only arriving in the country tomorrow.

He was pretty helpful though. :)

UPS Stuff in Cape Town were pretty rude when I dealt with them - Amazon purchase. Amazon actually refunded my UPS shipping fees partly because of my complaint.
 
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