Appears to be the cheapest online price right now after shipping is taken into consideration…
eBay seller is based in Taiwan, so it is a grey import, and you may be subject to import tax (not too sure as I personally have not bought anything from them)..
Sad truth
Anyone bought from this seller before? Any idea if they disclose customs paperwork truthfully? Never bought a big ticket item like this, but majority of the time sellers grossly understate the declared values and I'm betting customs doesn't have the time to check every single package.
Which is more the point I was trying to make, I suppose, whether the seller will deliberately undervalue the camera to avoid import tax, or better yet, have a warehouse in Australia to send all their items from (wishful thinking, I know)…wouldn't have a clue as I have never bought anything from them, so buyer beware..
I bought my 5D Mk3 from an online seller and it came from HK and was valued at $750 AUD.. lol.. 99% of the time you won't get caught but what is the recourse should the courier company call you and demand GST, import duties, administration fees etc? I doubt the ebay seller would care and you're left to fend for yourself. After all the fees etc, it'd probably come close to retail pricing with an australian warranty.
99% of the time, it works everytime
On the off chance that you're an unlucky one and customs decides to hold your package to verify the (massively under) declared value, they'll usually call you (or wait for you to call them asking where the hell your package is) and then ask for a receipt of some sort from Paypal or your bank showing the amount you paid…and if it's more than what's declared you'll get charged import tax on the item cost + shipping cost, and an admin fee.
The tax + admin fee works out to around ~15% of the price paid, which in most cases makes it the same or more expensive than local stock.
You have to be pretty unlucky for it to happen to you though. I've only had one package get stuck like that out of many, and the net savings from grey imports easily outweighs the risk.
This is tempting, but I'm a little unsure about putting this much mula down on ebay and the import taxes.
GST and import duty will be roughly 15%. (Probably a little less because the 5% is levied on the customs value and not the postage but the GST is levied on the value and the postage). i.e. about $380
Yet….their other auctions say "Australian buyers do not need to pay customs duty".
Really tempted by this deal, can anyone show me where the fine print is that it's actually shipped overseas? I know that at this price it would have to be, but the listing doesnt say so and there are a lot of refernces to suggest its already here:-
"Don't pay around $4000 when you can have a Canon EOS 5D Mark III delivered at your door for just $2,539.00. For photography professionals and enthusiasts who want a 5D Mark III and don’t want to spend around $4000.00, now's your chance to grab a real bargain so hurry before the deal ends!"
"Terms and Conditions
• 12 months Australian Store Warranty
Buyers can return the product to our Sydney location for warranty services. The warranty repair will be undertaken by Canon and not third party individuals. "
"Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and for compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.
See more Terms and Conditions"
"Postage and Payment Options
- PayPal, Bank Deposit
- Free postage Australia wide"
The seller's ebay page says that they are located in Taiwan. http://myworld.ebay.com.au/qd_au
Edit: Although….maybe not.
Free shipping within Australia
We ONLY ship from overseas if stock runs out in Sydney
Items will only be shipped after cleared payment
1 - 3 working days dispatch
1 - 5 working days in transit
Ship by Australia Post, Australian Air Express, DHL, UPS, FedEx, TNT or other couriers
Street address and phone number is required for overseas/non-AU buyer
PO Box can be accepted
Insurance (optional) is highly recommended
International Buyers Note:
Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up ?do not confuse them for additional shipment charges.
Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying.
Australian buyers do not need to pay customs duty
Nice work, thanks for clearing all this import tax thing up..:)This does make the deal quite tempting…
good work.
Surely T&C's in their general store listings can't apply to this group buy? This is a bit misleading, so I've just contacted the buyer and will let you know if they respond.
edit got a response from their ebay account:-
"Thank you for your inquiry
We will send the item from Hong Kong as advertised. Nevertheless, we will ensure a hassle-free transaction and ensure you are not paying any additional charges.
Regards
Ella"
I still can't see where they advertise it's being sent from HK !!!
Surely you jest???
Indeed I jest. How did you guess ;-)
Just to throw it out there for those that aren't fully committed to Canon ( ie those that. Don't have heaps of Canon lenses and gear), I bought a Nikon D600 Australian Stock for $2075 a couple of weeks back and have been absolutely loving it. You'd also bee able to buy a Af-S 50mm f1.4g prime for around $500 (again Australian stock) and have an absolutely brilliant setup for portraits and family photos in almost any lighting situation!
Nikon D600 rated 87% on dpreview.com
Canon 5D Mk III rated 82% on dpreview.com
Food for thought!!!
The Nikon D600 is more comparable to the Canon 6D than the Canon 5D Mk III. All good options though.
It is priced over $1000 so will be subject to import duties.