lens purchase from hong kong

[mhanc]

i am looking at purchasing an RF lens from an established and reputable store in hong kong for delivery in the US.

being the first time i will have bought in hong kong, i had a couple of quick questions:

1. anyone ever had to pay US import duties on a camera lens they bought and had shipped from hong kong ?

2. anyone ever had any problems with timely delivery? the store i am buying from uses fedEx priority shipping ?

3. any other issues to be aware of ?​

again - i am comfortable with the store, just looking for input on the process and logistics. thanks!

 

[davidnewtonguitars]

Not Hong Kong, but Japan, used camera equipment. No problem, no import duty, inexpensive, fast delivery.

 

[Contarama]

Have bought lenses, cameras, and film from HK never had a problem. Cant say that about the USA. BTW...probably purchased more glass and blocks from HK than USA too!

 

[splitimageview]

You might pay a brokerage fee if they use FedEx.

Look up the harmonized tariff code to see if the items are dutiable

 

[SolaresLarrave]

I purchased an M4 from Korea. No import taxes and shipping was incredibly fast. I've also bought other items from HK (cheaper) and no problem whatsoever with delivery or hidden costs.

 

[DennisPT]

I'll ask about return policy as it is not very common for local camera business, especially used market.

 

[Rob-F]

When I have bought gear from Asia, it has been routed through US customs in Chicago, where it get held up for four or five days before getting back into the mail for delivery to me. Apart from the time delay, I have had no problems.

 

[Crazy Leica Fox]

I've purchased several new RF lenses from HK, mostly without issue. One time though was a real fiasco, starting with MasterCard charging me an ATM Foreign Transaction Fee of about 1% because the retailer routed my payment through the UK for some reason, and then when my lens arrived in the US (quite quickly) I received a phone call from UPS Supply Chain Solutions requesting my tax identification number or social security number. It turned out that new items valued at over $2500 require formal entry into the US, and I had to pay a brokerage fee to UPS for this. The shipment was duty-free and there were no tax or import charges, just an additional fee of $36 by UPS to fill out some paperwork.

 

[mhanc]

just to report back...

i had zero issues with the fedex priority shipment and delivery. it was shipped on a tuesday and was delivered on friday morning. no additional fees or any cutoms tax / duty was incurred. the shipmet was labeled "used camera lens" with a value of usd $200.

 

[DennisPT]

Well done!

 

[Talus]

It's a roll of the dice when buying overseas. You'll get stories from both sides of the coin. My most recent interaction buying a lens from a vendor in China wasn't a good one. For me, unless it's an incredibly good price, I would rather wait for a seller in country.

 

[huntjump]

Bought a few lenses off ebay overseas to the states. Last week I received the voigtlander 28mm f/3.5 from a seller in japan. Came in about a week with customs, no charge.