Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/12/12

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Buying abroad (prices & warranties)
From: Leikon35 <Leikon35@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 13:03:31 EST

<< 
 In a message dated 97-12-11 20:56:38 EST,  Stan Reinike writes:
 << 
  Do you know about how much tax I will have to pay for a new M6 ordered
  from outside the US and shipped back?
   >>
=======================================================
  I have here on my desk, an UK catalog from "Jessop Photographica"
  in which there is a statement "Equipment prices include VAT - for ex-
  port out of the UK deduct 15%.
 
  Since the UK & German prices are usually higher than the US, I see no
  reason to buy from there.   Japan is a different situation all together.
  There seems to be a group that is buying from Leica, at factory prices
  (not wholesale but factory cost).  They are unethically skipping the cost
  mark-up of the distributor and therefore can sell for less than wholsale.
  Sooner or later they will be caught by Solms & the practice will stop.
 
  American dealers that buy direct from Leica USA  pay about $1500 for
  a new M6, without any warranties, and then can offer their own,  if it is
  so desired  @ ($100/1 yr or $300/3rs).  My advice would be to avoid the
  so called "grey market"  and if you can't afford to pay the "complete 
  service" Leica price, don't buy it, as service  (as bad as it sometimes 
  appears)  is an inherent part of the Leica mystique.
 
  This is only my opinion, and from what I hear from Don Chatterton, it is
  really nothing to worry about since Leica problems like the M6 plastic
  gear breaking have been corrected & only very few LUGgers have had
  bad results with their equipment.  I think that some LUGger did count
  the results of Fernando's poll & found something like 10,  (of those that
  responded), leaving the assumption that the balance of us were happy.
 
  Marvin Moss