Buy lens via Ebay from Japan to the US - taxes and VAT?

[Demodres]

Hi Guys..

I am thinking about buying a used 90mm or 105mm lens for my Pentax 67 on Ebay. Princes from Japanese sellers (incl. transport) seem slightly better than the prices from various sellers in the US. Before I press the button I wonder if you can help me with two questions I have:

- If I buy a used lens from Japan and have it shipped to the US, will it be subject to import taxes and VAT. If so, how much is this?

- What are your general experiences buying from top rated sellers in Japan and later shipping overseas? Are the conditions of the lens generally as described and will they make the shipping process in one piece (a very broad question, I know..)

Cheers and happy shooting,
Andreas

 

[goamules]

There is no VAT in America.

 

[G Dogg]

I have had nothing but exceptional experiences with each of the Japanese sellers I have done business with. Naturally, I stay with the better rated ones, and have done repeat business with several. Only once have I had to pay an import tax, and that was through a FedEx shipment. Typically, my packages come through the mail system, with the origin being EMS (Japanese postal) and have never had any issues. Finally, I have found the descriptions to be accurate, and in several instances, the gear was actually better than described. I had one camera that stopped working, and the seller fully reimbursed the repair (I sent it to Tamron in NY) by crediting my PayPal account. You will undoubtably hear horror stories from some, but for me, I have enjoyed each of the transactions. I sense a high degree of integrity. I hope this helps.

 

[Robert Lai]

Buy from Japan!

Buy from Japan!

I love buying from Japan. Here are the reasons why:

Unlike many Americans, who may describe a rusted out piece of junk as "mint", the Japanese are extremely conservative. Their descriptions are usually exact and accurate. As you know, the Japanese treasure their honor and reputation above all else. The seller does not want to be shamed before the world with a negative feedback.


Having said that, Japan has hot and humid maritime weather. You do have to watch for chrome corrosion and lens fungus. Usually the seller will point this out, but if they don't study the pictures carefully, or ask the seller directly. I have the same concerns about buying lenses from Florida or the South-Eastern USA, for the same reason.

There is no VAT or duty on any item that I've ever had shipped from Japan.

EMS from Japan is amazingly fast and efficient. I've had items ordered from Japan on a Friday that were delivered the following Tuesday. You can track your item from the moment of shipping, and within the USA.

 

[x-ray]

I purchase several expensive cameras and lenses from Japan and Korea and have never had a problem. They are always Ascor better than described and promptly shipped. A have been through EMS and have arrived in three to five days. I've never paid customs on any item bought out of the US.

I bought two lenses at different times from one Japanese seller and both times he included a very nice additional gift.

I e also had excent experiences with Canadian and Czech companies.

 

[Huss]

I'll have to be the dissenting opinion here. When I bought my Fuji 690 from perfect rated sellers in Japan the first one had fungus even though the ad claimed it did not. Sent it back and the seller still claimed no fungus. Tried again with another perfect rated Japanese seller. Same story.
Third time is a charm, bought a perfect one here in the US.

I most probably was unlucky but unless you absolutely cannot buy it here I would not buy from an overseas humid climate.

 

[skibeerr]

Nothing but good experiences sofar.

I returned one camera who had defects that weren't mentioned, the seller returned the money even before I shipped the camera.

 

[gdi]

I bought many things over the years from many locations - only in the last couple of years have I been charged duty. But it seems pretty consistent, now. It looks like US citizens are going to have to start harassing sellers to mark everything as a gift!

(Also, I agree that it is not just Americans who misrepresent or cheat - it happens in world-wide.)

 

[photomoof]

I bought many things over the years from many locations - only in the last couple of years have I been charged duty. But it seems pretty consistent, now. It looks like US citizens are going to have to start harassing sellers to mark everything as a gift!

(Also, I agree that it is not just Americans who misrepresent or cheat - it happens in world-wide.)

DUTY calculator.

http://www.dutycalculator.com/count...-taxes-when-importing-into-the-United-States/

http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/

 

[Maiku]

There should be no duties on the item. It is used. It is under $1000.

I sold a lot from Japan. Never had an America buyer complain about duty charges.

Just insist the seller ship with Japan Post EMS. USPS shouldn't charge brokerage fees or services fees like a third party shipper.

EMS is fast. I had a package sent from Japan on July 27th. It arrived in Toronto on July 28th. It was at my house at 9:30 AM July 31st.

Be concerned if the shipping costs exceed $30 or $40 USD.

Trust the Japanese sellers. They know there camera and lenses.

 

[Godfrey]

Good experiences here. Just received a Nikkor lens I ordered on Wednesday: as described, etc.

G

 

[Rob-F]

I bought a CV 20mm in Nikon mount from Japan. It got hung up in US customs in Chicago for about a week, but there was no duty tax on it. And the lens is like new!

 

[Greyscale]

I bought a Yashica Electro 35 GX from a seller in Japan. Four days from Tokyo to my front door. Description, as stated before, extremely forthright and honest, if anything magnifying any perceived defects beyond any casual scrutiny.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Perfect success with purchases from Japan, in particular from our own Frontman.

No duty (I've not bought anything over $1000). EMS shipping is fabulous.

 

[Beemermark]

There is no duty and no VAT for personal items from overseas. The package may get caught in customs for inspections (which is aggravating) and they will hold the package hostage for a repackaging fee. Generally I've only had this occur when the item is more than about $2500.

 

[VertovSvilova]

fwiw, I've purchased several lenses from Japanese eBay sellers and every time it's been a flawless transaction. EMS to California is about 2 days with just a very short time in customs at LAX. I don't think there is any duty on used photographic equipment for personal use(?) There's info on this website (http://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/internet-purchases), but I've never had to pay anything beyond the eBay sales price.

I would however spend a bit of time familiarizing yourself with the eBay sellers from Japan. Check their feedback thoroughly and look at the item's photos and descriptions carefully. After a while you'll get an intuitive feel as to who to deal with.

 

[CK Dexter Haven]

No taxes/VAT for me, either. I only have nice things to say about the Japanese ebayers. The items are almost invariably in better condition than I expect, even though they're photographed and described very well. And 'they' seem to always pack the stuff almost 'lovingly' — 'they' respect the gear.

And if there is a problem, they resolve it. I had an experience with a Pentax LX recently, and the seller credited me with a refund even before I had shipped the camera back to him. Astounding. Another seller enclosed an origami thank you note along with the beautiful Contax T2....

Wish I could go to Japan to shop directly.

 

[gdi]

There is no duty and no VAT for personal items from overseas. The package may get caught in customs for inspections (which is aggravating) and they will hold the package hostage for a repackaging fee. Generally I've only had this occur when the item is more than about $2500.

Are you talking about in the US? If so, there absolutely are duties (no VAT, of course) on personal items from other countries - subject to some specific rules.

But, it sounds more like I have been unlucky in my few recent purchases, and not all shippers will charge, or not all customs processes are equal. It may very well have been the service that was used by the seller. I know that one item I received a while back shipped via FedEx.

In that case, I was surprised to see a bill from the shipper for my $2000 lens from Singapore. I reviewed the code and thought no duty was due, so I inquired of CBP to clear it up. Following is the exchange resulting from my web form query:

Me:
"Hello,

I recently purchased a used film camera lens from someone in Singapore. I bought this for my personal hobby use and the value was $2000 I had read the harmonized code and saw that the Singapore trade act phased out all duties in 2013. The seller sent this via FedEX and FedEx are now are demanding I pay them duties and a fee.

I believe they have mis-categorized my import and I do not owe any duties, could you please clarify, or confirm the situation?

Thank you"

The reply:

"The duty is based on what country an item was made in, not what country it is purchased from. The duty rate for most camera lenses is 3-5%, and if the package is shipped with a commercial courier such as FedEx they may charge a customs paperwork fee. I hope this answer helps.

Mark

Internet Purchases
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_trade/internet_purchases.xml"

 

[Robert Lai]

Never use a courier for international shipping

Never use a courier for international shipping

Use the mail system (EMS in Japan, or USPS in the USA, or Canada Post, etc). Do NOT use a courier. Courier packages always get opened up and a "customs agent" middleman gets involved to get their cut.

One time I purchased a "MINT" Nikon F3 from a seller in Canada. It was obviously not mint as there were dents and scratches everywhere, and obvious wear from motor drive use in the film chamber. The supply side film chamber had paint wear where the cassette was pulled by the drive pulling on the film. Parts of the prism housing had actually cracked off. Duty and middleman agent fees from Canada to the USA for a $300 camera was almost $100!!! All because the guy had used UPS or some courier service. He did take it back when I pointed out the obvious flaws to him.

I've purchased items well into the $3000 range from Japan. For example a 35mm Summicron ASPH in LTM mount, complete with boxes and all packaging. It was sent EMS, and there was no duty on it. It arrived in under 1 week.

 

[ark8012]

There IS a duty on lenses, but NO duty on FILM cameras (digital camera has duty).

The reason that many people did not get a duty on lenses is.. USPS is not really good at catching those. Also, gift option has no duty up to $1000.

Fedex is usually really good to catch those duties. (so... if possible ask seller to send by post mail)