Buying lens from eBay sellers in China

[goofyfoot]

Hey everyone! This is my first post here and hopefully it won't be considered an idiotic one!

 

I'd like to get an 18mm/f2 and haven't found too many used options on eBay. However, there are quite a few new ones up for grabs from sellers in China. I'm wondering if anyone has gone the grey market route and what the experience has been, both with delivery time and actual product. If you've had your lens for over a year, that would be good to know, as well. I read somewhere that sometimes these grey market lenses begin to have issues after 6-12 months time (not sure how legitimate that claim is, however).

 

Any input is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[kim]

Bought my first digital camera in Singapore, a Canon 350D, never had any issues with it. But if I had it's a long way to go to get warranty cover...

 

That is the balance in the saving you need to figure out is worth to you

[yukosteel]

I've personally purchased more than dozen items of Fuji X gear directly from eBay Chinese sellers, with 100% positive experience. I'd highly recommend Hong Kong sellers, just check the reputation and statistics - should be about 1-2k deals at least and 98-100% score. Make sure return policy is free for defects, and seller warranty is at least 2 months.

[meneer]

Just bought my first lens for my EX-1, a Zonlai 25mm. It should be delivered in a few weeks (previous experiences of buying via ebay were perfect).

 

I did manage to bargain a few dollars of the price. Don't just pay the full fee, press the Make an offer button first. If the seller responds with a bid, just make a second offer. It could save a few dollars and the seller seems to like the effort, he was ever so friendly, when I asked if I could have the black version of the lens

[yukosteel]

Zonlai 25mm 1.8 is a very interesting lens - compact and handy. Just tried it today.

Unfortunately I've received bad sample - it has about 20 degrees "focus lag". Picture have nice sharpness in the center, however corners are very soft even at f2.8.

 

Zonlai 25mm 1.8 on X-E2, at F2.8

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[goofyfoot]

Thanks for all the replies everyone! I was all set to go and then yukosteel got a bad lens. Ugh. I do like the price of the 18mm at e-Infinity online, but the risk of getting a bad copy is what holds me back. More pondering is in order!

[yukosteel]

Well, I got that bad copy  from US Seller : ) ANd it is used lens, so maybe got hit or anything else.

I purchased from e-Infinity few times without issues. New Fuji lens are fantastic. If you get bad copy - seller will accept free return for full refund.

Edited April 27, 2016 by yukosteel

[meneer]

At full opening upper corners are dark. Otherwise, manual controls are okay. Not smooth like my old analog Pentax lenses.

Nice to have this 1.7 aperture, helps clear focusing. Value for money? Well, depends. It makes me want a Fuji 23mm

[Sluw]

Also bought from a Hong Kong seller. Delivery time was quite long (to The Netherlands) but it was cheap, quick replies, packaged well, no problems with the lens (27mm).

Edited June 16, 2016 by Sluw

[milandro]

Contrary to the suspicions of many, buying from China or many other countries, hardly ever comes with “ problems” and sellers are so keen to preserve their ratings for reputation that will go a long way to fix any problem that there might be.

 

There is no reason why Chinese imports woud be of any different quality than official imports.  Guarantee on lenses is, my view, less significant than on cameras and don’t forget that if you pay by credit card or Paypal you can have the right to return faulty goods for up to 6 months ( paypal has recently upped their guarantee).

 

The only problem would be that you can return the goods but you won’t get compensation for whatever duty you might have had to pay at your end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@Sluw, did you pay VAT and the courier “ handling through customs” ? The Dutch customs always get me for anything which declared value is greater than €25, although it is true that many Chinese companies understate the value of the shipment and that you are then (if it is not manually inspected) charged accordingly or, if the value is kept fictitiously under the €25 threshold, you don’t pay anything at all.

 

This is not exactly “ kosher’ and if customs happen to inspect the goods (which they do but they can only do so much) they MIGHT ask you to provide proof of purchase (your credit card or paypal) to assess the real value of the goods.

 

I had to do this a few years ago when I imported 5 large format cameras from China. They didn’t believe the declared value and summoned me to Schiphol where the parcel had arrived with a bank statement ( at the time paypal didn’t exist) showing the exact amount that I had paid.

 

Then I paid the VAT then and there and a forwarder charged me also for the “ paperwork” that they had done (NOT).

[Sluw]

Contrary to the suspicions of many, buying from China or many other countries, hardly ever comes with “ problems” and sellers are so keen to preserve their ratings for reputation that will go a long way to fix any problem that there might be.

 

There is no reason why Chinese imports woud be of any different quality than official imports.  Guarantee on lenses is, my view, less significant than on cameras and don’t forget that if you pay by credit card or Paypal you can have the right to return faulty goods for up to 6 months ( paypal has recently upped their guarantee).

 

The only problem would be that you can return the goods but you won’t get compensation for whatever duty you might have had to pay at your end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@Sluw, did you pay VAT and the courier “ handling through customs” ? The Dutch customs always get me for anything which declared value is greater than €25, although it is true that many Chinese companies understate the value of the shipment and that you are then (if it is not manually inspected) charged accordingly or, if the value is kept fictitiously under the €25 threshold, you don’t pay anything at all.

 

This is not exactly “ kosher’ and if customs happen to inspect the goods (which they do but they can only do so much) they MIGHT ask you to provide proof of purchase (your credit card or paypal) to assess the real value of the goods.

 

I had to do this a few years ago when I imported 5 large format cameras from China. They didn’t believe the declared value and summoned me to Schiphol where the parcel had arrived with a bank statement ( at the time paypal didn’t exist) showing the exact amount that I had paid.

 

Then I paid the VAT then and there and a forwarder charged me also for the “ paperwork” that they had done (NOT).

 

Nope, no VAT. I guess they didn't inspect the package but I took the possibility into account and IF they'd have charged VAT it'd still be way cheaper.

Edit: I don't know how long ago you had to go to the airport to pay the VAT but these days you just pay the mailman.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Sluw

[milandro]

good to know, I’ve always had to pay

[aceflibble]

VAT and other customs import/handling charges at a gamble. Many people manage to import a whole bunch of items without ever being charged a single penny, but then you'll get horror stories of somebody being caught once and being billed for thousands. Depending on the country you are in, you can also be caught after you've imported the item, and charged massive fines (and even jail time, in some countries) for trying to evade tax. Like I said, it's a total gamble. 99 times out of 100, you'll be totally fine. But if you happen to be that 1 time out of 100... well, you get the idea, it's your risk to take or not.

As far as quality goes, there's no reason to expect an imported item to be worse than one you'd buy in a highstreet shop. However, be aware that if an item has taken a very long time to travel, it may have been subjected to changes in climate and bashed about and gotten damp and who-knows-what. So just be prepared for that. Again, usually it's fine. Every now and then, things may have taken a bit more of a beating than you'd like. That's just the risk of international shipping.

 

Generally, second hand prices in the Americas and western Europe tend to be about the same as gey import prices. Most shops will offer at least a 6 month guarantee on any second hand items they sell, too, which is better than the longer-but-only-valid-in-China warranties that grey import companies usually offer. So I do think it's worth holding on and waiting to see what turns up in your local stores. Sometimes buying a good condition used item does wind up being a much better deal than importing a new one.

[milandro]

When importing anything which came as a parcel from outside the EU, I have always been taxed+ paid the “ handling through customs” levied by the post or courier . Americans hardly ever get taxed when buying from abroad unless they have a commercial address. Been there, done that too.

Edited June 16, 2016 by milandro

[Aswald]

I've bought from China, HK and Japan ebay sellers. 98% and above and you're usually good.

[plaidshirts]

I've never had quality issues with grey market items. I've bought 3 Fuji lenses on eBay from sellers in Hong Kong so far with great results. What's funny is packages from Canada seem to take a lot longer to get to me than stuff from China or Japan.

[plaidshirts]

I read somewhere that sometimes these grey market lenses begin to have issues after 6-12 months time (not sure how legitimate that claim is, however).

 

This seems like a made-up charge to me.  Grey market lenses are identical to US copies - they were just made for a different market.

If you are rough with your equipment then you'd want to get a US version to get faster customer service, but if you're careful like me, take the 25% savings and buy grey.

[Immanuel]

 

Edited June 17, 2016 by Immanuel

[Immanuel]

Wow, is this the "guide to breaking the law and cheating the system/country likely pays for your roads and other necessities" thread?

Edited June 17, 2016 by Immanuel

[milandro]

Hardly. 

 

I am not suggesting that you ask the sender to under-declare the value, although it is my experience that they often do it of their own initiative.

 

Not only, parcels are generally x-rayed and often inspected so if they contain a camera or a lens and the declared value is €1 that would automatically start the procedure that I’ve described.

 

In one case for example I received a saxophone neck from a Taiwanese factory, it was a non commercial item which was a gift to me from the owner of the factory, a good friend, and it wouldn’t have been taxed if only he had it sent from his private address and not from the company address  (it had my name engraved on it so something that you can hardly sell!)

 

 

Sot they sent it, correctly, as a “ gift” but from a commercial address, and when the courier showed up he asked me €40 (where only half was VAT the rest was this mysterious “ handling through customs” charge that both, post and couriers charge for the luxury of them doing the job for which they’be been already paid fat the shipper’s end).

 

 I refused the package and it went back to its sender.

 

 

They gave me the neck “ brevi manu" when we met at a trade fair few weeks after.

 

What customs did was to assess the value based on the commercial value, they opened the “ gift” and looked up the value on internet (easy) and taxed it accordingly, of course they didn’t consider this was a true gift and not a commercial piece.

 

 

I would therefore discourage anyone to circumvent the rules, even in a bone fide case like this. That’s why your reading of my post is incorrect. Hardly any incitement to commit an illicit.

 

 

 

I’ve always paid whatever customs charges me and and as a matter of fact I am rather careful with buying outside the EU unless I am prepared to factor in the VAT (which might vary).

 

Generally I buy small items for less than €25. If and when I buy a larger item I pay what the person at the door asks ( they won’t release it otherwise) and live with it.

 

 

I also sell things on line (not cameras, saxophones from my collection) and never under-declare de value of the things that I sell. There is a practical aspect to this, along with a moral one, and that is that if you underdeclare the value you can only claim the declared value shod the item get stoled or lost.

 

The saxophones that I sell arrive to wherever they arrive and the people pay the duties or not depending on legislation in the place where they arrive.

 

I’ve sent saxophones to US many times and they never had to pay anything. One time I’ve sent it to a shop and he had to pay duty! Commercial addresses pay, privates generally, don’t.

 

 

 

Staying within the law, you can buy from shops in Gibraltar ( in the EU but technically a tax free zone) which are connected to Hong Kong shops.

 

 

There is no duty from HK to Gibraltar and there is no duty from Gibraltar to the EU.

 

 

 I don't know how long ago you had to go to the airport to pay the VAT but these days you just pay the mailman.

 

 

Yes, it was some time ago ( large format wooden cameras) but that wasn’t the problem. The problem was that they sent it through a commercial forwarder not a normal courier or post. It was not a door to door shipment.  Although I didn’t want that, It was meant to arrive at the airport and for me to pick it up.

 

This procedure is still used when shipping goods from on company to another in containers or pallets. These days it is unusual to do this for a box with 5 cameras in it.

A friend of mine ordered 10 saxophones and went through the exact same procedure not long ago.

 

 

By the way, when, as a consumer since companies don’t pay VAT when importing products but when they sell them on, when paying for a shipment from abroad where  you think that you might be paying duty, pay the shipment not in the same invoice as the goods.

 

 

If you do that you will be taxed VAT only on the imported good (as it should be done correctly) and not on the shipping price which is a “ service” and therefore exempt from VAT. (You cannot add value to a service that you receive and that expires when the goods arrive to you)

 

I hope this clears up you doubts.

Edited June 17, 2016 by milandro

[deva]

I buy from my local shop. They have a 30 day no questions asked return policy. For me it is worth it for that alone. It is an easy bus ride to drop a lens or other gear off if for any reason I decide I don't want it. Plus I like supporting local businesses.

Edited June 17, 2016 by deva

[milandro]

...and that’s the way I have always bought everything photographic myself with one exception, a secondhand 8mm from the Canary Islands (within the Eu).

 

Because I think that the guarantee plays a very important role in photographic items.

 

However if we are talking of a bag or a grip or things like that I am buying these abroad because the paypal guarantee (which now extends to return shipping costs too) suffices.

 

My “ local” business is a huge chain employing over 150 people. I have been a customer ever since they opened their first shop in Amsterdam over 20 years ago.

Edited June 17, 2016 by milandro

[Martin G]

I am selling mine if you are in the UK and I would say it is a good one. Bought from WEX and is in mint condition.

 

http://www.183560.co.uk/gallery/fuji-prime-lenses-18-35-60/

 

You can see some images there.

 

Panamoz is fine and they supply a three year warranty and their are no import duties. You can Pay them with PayPal so you have the PayPal protection as well.

 

Ignore the one for sale 30 seconds after I posted this it sold!

Edited June 17, 2016 by Martin G

[Migel Gabo]

Hi I'm new to the forum as well. Try eglobal central, they pay duty and taxes for u. If u get dinged with duty just email them and they refund the total duty and taxes.

Shipping is super fast, like 3 days to your door via dhl.

Check their prices, they're not always the cheapest, but I have got some super deals ie fuji 27mm f/2.8.

Cheers

[hlanphan]

I bought my Fujifilm 27mm F2.8 from eGlobal Central US site and they ship imported products from HK. Not only the shipping was fast (DHL Express took 2 days to get here, in Canada) but they also reimburse any tax/duty/fees collected by the carrier. They also had the absolute best price for this lens. I paid 193$ US for the lens.

Hope that helps.