PMW-EX1 pricing. Rip off Britain. Again

Steve Shovlar

Steve Shovlar

DVXuser Sponsor
Well the pricing is out and the best price in the Uk is at Prestons at £4500 inc VAT. Creative are lagging behind at over £100 more.

Now compare that price with B&H. $6699 + tax
Tax in NY is something like 8.4%? $562 Total is $7261

Which is £3472. A whole £1,028 cheaper ($2149)

Is there any difference between a US version and a european version? Sony normally make their cameras switchable between Pal and NTSC.

Well, B&H won't ship to the UK with this camera because its a Cinealta. So that means jumping on a cheap flight over to NY for a couple of days to pick one up. Downside is paying the 8.4% tax from the shop, which is avoidable when ordering online. But I went across a month ago and the whole trip with flights and hotel was only £500, so a free holiday is again on offer.

Are all dealers in the US stuck with this tax and delivery embargo to the UK?
 
'Cross-border shopping' is a hot issue in Canada too -- with the Canadian dollar worth more than the American, and with pricing in the US still sitting 15% lower ... a buyer can save a quick 20%, more if your intentions extend to avoiding the taxes due when the item is brought back to Canada.

Is this a rip-off? No simple answer. All Canadians enjoy a funded health care, even those working at minimum wage retail jobs -- that gets paid for somehow. And minimum wage is $8 an hour, three times the wage on offer in some US states. Toss in regulations that protect language rights, and so raise costs ... and it is no surprize that Canada is a more expensive country to run per person. Same in the UK, truth be known, where the state assistance extends to paying prescription drug costs and , like Canada, keeping University tuition costs to just a few thousand annually.

So savings can be had, cross-border, though sometimes at risk to warranties and such -- check on the item you are buying -- but the larger socio-political question is not so simple, IMHO.

GB
 
Steve Shovlar said:
Well the pricing is out and the best price in the Uk is at Prestons at £4500 inc VAT. Creative are lagging behind at over £100 more.

Now compare that price with B&H. $6699 + tax
Tax in NY is something like 8.4%? $562 Total is $7261

Which is £3472. A whole £1,028 cheaper ($2149)

Is there any difference between a US version and a european version? Sony normally make their cameras switchable between Pal and NTSC.

Well, B&H won't ship to the UK with this camera because its a Cinealta. So that means jumping on a cheap flight over to NY for a couple of days to pick one up. Downside is paying the 8.4% tax from the shop, which is avoidable when ordering online. But I went across a month ago and the whole trip with flights and hotel was only £500, so a free holiday is again on offer.

Are all dealers in the US stuck with this tax and delivery embargo to the UK?
Click to expand...

I would advise from personal experience not to get a camera outside of your warranty area. Any problems and it has to be shipped back the US for an up to 3 week repair (depending on their workload) as opposed the the sony silver support warranty that gives you a loan camera after 10 days.

I used to live in NYC and London doing the whole Nylon thing, then I would have bought it the US (from B&H and getting it shipped to Connecticut to the in lawas to save tax) and every time I was in London and it needed repair easy. Now I am a full time Londoner again it would logistically too awkward!

The only thing sweetening it for me is i have 0% interest over 2 years on the camera, 2 8gb cards, 2 16gb cards, card reader and two long batteries.
 
Creative video are doing an open day this wednesday, promising the best price.

I would be tempted to go, but I'm too happy (and busy) with the HVX at the moment.
 
I bought my f350 from them, good company. I was wondering if their open day means they will have them in stock on wednesday
 
Prestons are also having an open day with free training course. Not that most would need it!

Sounds like both will have it in stock. Prestons are offering one year 0% finance, whilst Creative nothing to pay until Nov 08, then 29.9%!!!!! Or straight 19.9%!!!!
Ouch!
 
Just heard from Phil at Creative. They will have a demo unit on Wednesday. Are offering free shoulder mount for orders on any camcorders that day and they hope to have stock by the end of the week.
 
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