Calculating the full cost for camera gear purchased from Japan through EBay. I need your help

I bought some used electronics gear from Japan. customs in the uk added about 20% to the cost when it arrived in the uk so that seems about right according to your figures above. I don't know the full rules and regs but expect to pay an extra 20% before I can collect the item/s unless it falls under an exemption such as personal gifts under a certain value but buying goods is unlikely to fall under that. obviously if the seller is part of the global shipping programme then you don't add any extra fees to the price as its done at source.

It you're importing by someone like FedEx they'll usually put a handling charge on top of that, too.

I can confirm that too. Last month I bought something from Japan and I had to pay 20% customs + £60 as a one-off handling fee. 

Edited by WritingPhotography

WritingPhotography said

I can confirm that too. Last month I bought something from Japan and I had to pay 20% customs + £60 as a one-off handling fee. 

Edited by WritingPhotography

What really pees me off is when the "handling fee" is more than the duties!

In theory, import duty and VAT should be the same for Japan and the USA.

There's a level below which you get charged nothing.

There's also a bit of luck, depending on what's written on the package.

Handling fees vary depending on the company brining it in.

I've bought from USA in usual shipping way with vat duty and additional handling charge by RM before collection/release/delivery. Also from USA via Pitney Bowes handling, paid all up front and arrived at my front door fully tracked no additional.

I bought an antique lens from a supplier from Japan. Everything was included in the price except the Fedex charge which was £45. The lens was about £250. My dealer was excellent, on the ball and everything was sorted very well.

Thanks everyone. These examples make me think that the equipment from Japan is around the price in U.K. market. But there are lots of things you can’t get in the U.K. so it widens my choice.

Most of the stuff I have read is that the equipment coming from Japan is usually in better condition than described. With just the odd horror story. I have also found that EBay ‘buy now’ is often quite a bit more than U.K. store prices for selling second hand gear. 

All comments are very much appreciated. 

WritingPhotography said

I can confirm that too. Last month I bought something from Japan and I had to pay 20% customs + £60 as a one-off handling fee. 

Edited by WritingPhotography

Which carrier was that?! I've never paid more than about £15 as a handling fee

Tabitha Boydell said

Which carrier was that?! I've never paid more than about £15 as a handling fee

that's because you have such a beautiful portfolio Tabitha, stunning !  

who could put outrageous charges onto someone that makes art like that ?

Glamourportraits said

Thanks everyone. These examples make me think that the equipment from Japan is around the price in U.K. market. But there are lots of things you can’t get in the U.K. so it widens my choice.

Most of the stuff I have read is that the equipment coming from Japan is usually in better condition than described. With just the odd horror story. I have also found that EBay ‘buy now’ is often quite a bit more than U.K. store prices for selling second hand gear. 

All comments are very much appreciated. 

You're about right here. It does depend on what you are looking for. Sometimes the only listings are in Japan. In general the condition of the items is pretty good. I have bought three Nikkor ai/ais classic manual lenses and two out of three experiences were fine with goods as described. The exception was a Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 ais which arrived with slight haze in the middle elements. The sellers response was "I didn't include in description as I didn't think it would affect the photography. Please don't leave bad feedback and I will refund 50% of the item cost plus the postage"  I didn't and he did :). If a UK "buy it now" listing does crop up for a comparable item, guess what, it is invariably priced at about the same as Japan + postage + Vat + handling. 

I've bought a few items from Japan.  Usually arrive quicker than a similar item from the UK.  Sometimes wrapped in Japanese newspaper, a treat in itself.

A friend of mine last week bought a Nikon F4 on eBay from Japan shipped by DHL. Paid £210 for the camera on eBay, then a £55 charge from DHL - so not much on top of the 20% import duty.

Other carriers may charge more, but if the seller is using DHL, they seem reasonable. And it took maybe 4 working days from buying it to having the camera in his hand.

These unknowns are the precise reason I almost never buy outside the UK. EU for very low value items if I have to.

Glamourportraits said

Thanks everyone. These examples make me think that the equipment from Japan is around the price in U.K. market. But there are lots of things you can’t get in the U.K. so it widens my choice.

Most of the stuff I have read is that the equipment coming from Japan is usually in better condition than described. With just the odd horror story. I have also found that EBay ‘buy now’ is often quite a bit more than U.K. store prices for selling second hand gear. 

All comments are very much appreciated. 

I can corroborate the numbers - I bought a Nikon D300 from a seller in Japan last year for £160.  Paid £34 duty.  No handling fees that I recall (unless that was the £2 above 20%) via Royal Mail.

The camera is mint, with less than 1500 shots on the clock!   

(I buy these old high end cameras for people to learn photography with as their ergonomics, relatively simple functionality and handling is so much better and less frustrating than anything new you could get for similar money).