p.1 #1 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
I just looked at the price for the A1ii, and coming from the US, at the current exchange rate it looks like I could buy one for $6000 before the VAT refund. Does anyone have experience doing this, and it's it really going to be that much cheaper abroad? Any caveats? I am planning on purchasing straight from the Sony Flagship store in Ginza.
p.1 #3 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
Thanks! I understand if I buy from the Sony store I won't be stuck in the Japanese language. I have done a few repairs at my local shop, so I am totally taking a chance with the warranty. OTOH, I seem to be in Japan about once a year to snowboard, so I could get it worked on while I am in country...
p.1 #4 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
Sony store at Ginza has the same language limitations on the local Japanese model cameras bought from there as any other Japanese stores, so A1II bought from there or anywhere else in Japan would only have Japanese UI available. Sony store also has a corner where they sell "overseas models" with multiple languages and international warranty but available lineup doesn't include A1II or A1, and available models (latest available models are A7CII and A7CR) are more expensive than local versions.
Sony's price on A1II Japan model is currently 900K JPY before tax 990K with 10% tax. Map Camera and some others have them at 810K JPY before tax (891K with tax). They would be exactly same versions (with Japanese UI only).
p.1 #6 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
I just returned to the states after 3 months away. The declaration areas of JFK weren't even staffed. Not a single person declaring a single thing. The manpower to enforce such absurdity just doesn't exist, nor the willpower.
chez wrote:
Did you take into account the tariff when looking at your price? Wouldn’t you have to declare the camera when entering the states?
p.1 #7 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
shadow9d9 wrote:
I just returned to the states after 3 months away. The declaration areas of JFK weren't even staffed. Not a single person declaring a single thing. The manpower to enforce such absurdity just doesn't exist, nor the willpower.
Been that way for quite awhile. Tourist purchases are low yield/labor intensive. Major exception: Cash imports exceeding US$10,000.
p.1 #8 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
I say don't do it. First, consciously it's illegal not declaring it if above $800. And the tariff is probably more than the price difference. Second, the risk of being caught is not worthwhile.
p.1 #9 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
The 800 dollar limit was done away with. At least keep up with things if you are going to be condescending.
And caught by whom? Have you been out of the country? How would anyone know what gear you bought beforehand or not?
tctmp wrote:
I say don't do it. First, consciously it's illegal not declaring it if above $800. And the tariff is probably more than the price difference. Second, the risk of being caught is not worthwhile.
p.1 #10 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
shadow9d9 wrote:
The 800 dollar limit was done away with. At least keep up with things if you are going to be condescending.
And caught by whom? Have you been out of the country? How would anyone know what gear you bought beforehand or not?
I don't think the $800 exemption for bringing items with you for personal use or gifts when returning to the US has been eliminated. We recently returned to the US from an overseas vacation (after the date of the removal of the $800 de minimus rule for importing goods) and the immigration/customs officer asked us what we were bringing back and the value. It was under $800, and they didn't say we owed anything. This recent US government knowledge article concurs with our experience.
If you were bringing in camera equipment that you purchased overseas on your trip and you had the boxes, etc. in your luggage I would think that would be a good indicator that you hadn't bought it beforehand. I agree, however, that the rules/process are very confusing right now.
p.1 #11 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
shadow9d9 wrote:
The 800 dollar limit was done away with. At least keep up with things if you are going to be condescending.
Every time you open your mouth, you just totally totally embarrass yourself.
$800 is done with for postal packages in the sense that duty will charged for any shipping packages regardless the value. So the rule is only tightened. It's not done like what you are implying as if there is no limit regarding how much you can bring duty free. What you can bring with you duty free personally still has a limit of $800. So you are the one who indeed needs re-education.
There are two paths of entering the port of entry. Global entry / mobile passport requires you to fill out an electronic custom form where you need to check whether you have brought in more than $800 stuff or not. The other path is facing the immigration officer who probably will ask the question. Regardless, US law requires all travelers entering the U.S. to declare, even if not asked by the officer. So I suppose you will just put up a straight face lying to a government officer or submit a false electronic affidavit that is associated with your passport/identity, right?
shadow9d9 wrote:
And caught by whom? Have you been out of the country? How would anyone know what gear you bought beforehand or not?
Right, you publicly advocate committing fraud and smuggling. Enough said!
p.1 #12 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
Everything could be fine-
Or you could get fined and have your item seized-
It’s up to you how much risk you want to take and how comfortable you are lying to customs. That’s just the truth-
At the very least, ditch all of the brand new boxes. Seriously though, how much money would save? Is it really worth the hassle to save a couple hundred dollars and risk losing it? Risk may be small but it’s real-
p.1 #13 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
I never actually advocated anything either way. That is just you projecting what you wish happened.
I pointed the ridiculously flimsy argument presented and how out of touch with reality it was.
tctmp wrote:
Every time you open your mouth, you just totally totally embarrass yourself.
$800 is done with for postal packages in the sense that duty will charged for any shipping packages regardless the value. So the rule is only tightened. It's not done like what you are implying as if there is no limit regarding how much you can bring duty free. What you can bring with you duty free personally still has a limit of $800. So you are the one who indeed needs re-education.
There are two paths of entering the port of entry. Global entry / mobile passport requires you to fill out an electronic custom form where you need to check whether you have brought in more than $800 stuff or not. The other path is facing the immigration officer who probably will ask the question. Regardless, US law requires all travelers entering the U.S. to declare, even if not asked by the officer. So I suppose you will just put up a straight face lying to a government officer or submit a false electronic affidavit that is associated with your passport/identity, right?
Right, you publicly advocate committing fraud and smuggling. Enough said!...Show more →
p.1 #14 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
A couple of things to think about:
- Japanese warranty is not valid in the US, so any repair will be at your own expense
- A foreign bought/grey market camera will yield you a worse second hand value in the US if/when you try to resell it
- Yes, technically, you have to declare a camera when you come back to the US, but that is up to you. One way is to use the camera in Japan and carry it in your boarding bag, then you ship home the empty box/papers etc to the US with zero declared value.
How much are you really saving over buying minty used here on FM?
p.1 #15 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
The Japanese language thing worries me, so I have decided not to do it. I would save a fair amount -$1000 - but fortunately I'm lucky enough to be able to afford to pass up the savings. However, when it comes to bringing in products from abroad in general, they pretty much look the other way when you do global entry
p.1 #16 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
You can just go into a store and ask. If they don't speak English, just ask "aygo menu"?
Newenglandrocks wrote:
The Japanese language thing worries me, so I have decided not to do it. I would save a fair amount -$1000 - but fortunately I'm lucky enough to be able to afford to pass up the savings. However, when it comes to bringing in products from abroad in general, they pretty much look the other way when you do global entry
p.1 #17 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
Well, the other factor is that by wintertime, you have no idea what the exchange rate will be. I moved to Paris from the USA last year, and we're still getting paid in USD. Since then, we've lost 8-10% of our purchasing power. Ergo, you never know what will happen by that time.
p.1 #18 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
shadow9d9 wrote:
I never actually advocated anything either way. That is just you projecting what you wish happened.
Right, that's my conclusion of what you said, that you are advocating fraud and smuggling. Others can read and make their own conclusions.
shadow9d9 wrote:
I pointed the ridiculously flimsy argument presented and how out of touch with reality it was.
I said there is $800 duty free limit when entering, you said that doesn't exist. Others have also pointed out you are wrong. It's obvious you are the one who's out of touch and need to keep up. Any rhetoric you try to put out does not change that fact.
p.1 #19 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
tctmp wrote:
Right, that's my conclusion of what you said, that you are advocating fraud and smuggling. Others can read and make their own conclusions.
I said there is $800 duty free limit when entering, you said that doesn't exist. Others have also pointed out you are wrong. It's obvious you are the one who's out of touch and need to keep up. Any rhetoric you try to put out does not change that fact.
You desperately want to jump to that conclusion so it could give you a way to attack. So, that's a big duh. You found what you needed/wanted. Easier to attack than defend. It comes from having a weak argument.
The reality of airports is very, very different than the reality. It was just alarmist nonsense that doesn't match reality in any way. And there is no way for anyone to know if one camera is newer than another. It doesn't even make sense from a basic logical perspective.
The $800 seems to be for imports, but not necessarily travelers. I was told by a close friend that the removal of $800 de minimis also applied to travelers. Looks like it is kept separate. I did a cursory search to confirm, but should have been more thorough. My apologies.
p.1 #20 · Looking to buy an A1ii in Tokyo this winter
shadow9d9 wrote:
You desperately want to jump to that conclusion so it could give you a way to attack. So, that's a big duh. You found what you needed/wanted. Easier to attack than defend. It comes from having a weak argument.
The reality of airports is very, very different than the reality. It was just alarmist nonsense that doesn't match reality in any way. And there is no way for anyone to know if one camera is newer than another. It doesn't even make sense from a basic logical perspective.
The $800 seems to be for imports, but not necessarily travelers. I was told by a close friend that the removal of $800 de minimis also applied to travelers. Looks like it is kept separate. I did a cursory search to confirm, but should have been more thorough. My apologies....Show more →
First, remember you were the one who started this, not me. I never responded to your first post even though I thought it's already nonsense. But when you saw my post, you somehow thought you had an opportunity to take cheap shots with your "I'm a world traveler, have you been out of the country? keep up with things if you are going to post" nonsense. Unfortunately that has clearly come back to haunt you. Of course, that's not the first time.
Now you are playing the words game of "blaming the friend". What a joke. For any frequent traveler who have entered US, they should have certainly noticed either on the form or electronically the question of "have you brought in merchandise with a value of more than $800". If you can't even get this $800 thing right (especially as a self proclaimed frequent traveler), why would people trust you on anything else. You have lost all your credibility. Again, of course that's not the first time.
So as a recap, I only said 3 things.
(1) There is a $800 duty free limit. You argued against it and you were wrong and I'm right.
(2) It's illegal to not declare something above $800. Everyone on this thread except you accepts that.
(3) The risk is not worthwhile. Of course as other people have shown that they clearly understand it's personal assessment, so no defense is ever needed. Only the grumpy and illogical you somehow feel the need to argue it's wrong, so you are arguing "the risk is worthwhile". And with your strong rhetoric and insisting to people on this, that's certainly equivalent to advocating smuggling. And before smuggling, you also have to falsify to the US government. So you are certainly advocating fraud and smuggling. People with half a brain understands that with what you wrote.
