Just wondered what the pro's and cons of buying in the sates were - obviously you should be paying the VAT on entry into the UK, but what other considerations are there?
Missus wants to go to NYC for the Jan sales and I was maybe thinknig of getting some gear whilst there.
Most US sold equipment comes with a one year limited warranty, details of which differ brand to brand. Most EU equipment comes with a two year warranty that may or may not be less complete in the second year compared with the warranty in the US. To use a US warranty, you normally have to ship things back to the producer, and not to the shop you purchased it in, and they do not normally accept shipment from a non-US location.
The big brands in the US may sometimes choose to warranty-repair an item even if it is too old. I had a canon P&S repaired for free recently even though it was four years and had taken around 8500 shots.
I do not know how Canon for example would handle a repair in the UK of an item purchased in the US, but I would think the warranty and repair situation through before purchasing too far away from where I lived.
Niels
[QUOTE=njlarsen;1260869]
I do not know how Canon for example would handle a repair in the UK of an item purchased in the US, but I would think the warranty and repair situation through before purchasing too far away from where I lived.
Niels[/QUOTE]
Canon lenses come with a 1 year international warranty and a US import should be repaired in the UK if required (loads of BF members have bought from 'Kerso' who imports from the states but ships from Scotland).
I believe the situation is different with Cameras and if you bought a Grey import the warranty would not be honored by Canon UK but would have to be sent back to the country of origin.