Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

this is the Dixons dutyfree link - Nikon D50 GBP382.89
http://www.dixonstaxfree.co.uk/index...aging&group=13

and this is the Ebuyer non-dutyfree link - Nikon D50 GBP 378.74
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...pecial_uid=907

so NOT buying Dixons duty free actually saves you GBP 4 !!
if it really was dutyfree it should cost GBP 322.33

Re: Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

As an American looking at the Dixon prices, I was stunned.

Everything they offer 'duty free' is significantly more expensive
than the prices available here in the US - and not just from
the big mail and internet dealers - but even from local shops.

Re: Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

What a discovery and you needed to crosspost just to show how intelligent
you are !

"Hooverphonic" <[email protected]> a �crit dans le message de news:
[email protected] om...
    > this is the Dixons dutyfree link - Nikon D50 GBP382.89
    > http://www.dixonstaxfree.co.uk/index...aging&group=13
    > and this is the Ebuyer non-dutyfree link - Nikon D50 GBP 378.74
    > http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...pecial_uid=907
    > so NOT buying Dixons duty free actually saves you GBP 4 !!
    > if it really was dutyfree it should cost GBP 322.33
    >

Re: Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

Dave Patterson wrote:
    > As an American looking at the Dixon prices, I was stunned.
    > Everything they offer 'duty free' is significantly more expensive
    > than the prices available here in the US - and not just from
    > the big mail and internet dealers - but even from local shops.

Yep. Often for a big ticket item it's cheaper to buy a plane ticket and
go to New York to shop than to stay in Europe.

B;

Re: Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

"Hooverphonic" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] ups.com...
    > this is the Dixons dutyfree link - Nikon D50 GBP382.89
    > http://www.dixonstaxfree.co.uk/index...aging&group=13
    > and this is the Ebuyer non-dutyfree link - Nikon D50 GBP 378.74
    > http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...pecial_uid=907
    > so NOT buying Dixons duty free actually saves you GBP 4 !!
    > if it really was dutyfree it should cost GBP 322.33
Who ever gets a good deal at Dixons ?
Derek.

Re: Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

Why would you expect the best deals at an airport?

Re: Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

"Hooverphonic" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] ups.com...
    > this is the Dixons dutyfree link - Nikon D50 GBP382.89
    > http://www.dixonstaxfree.co.uk/index...aging&group=13
    > and this is the Ebuyer non-dutyfree link - Nikon D50 GBP 378.74
    > http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...pecial_uid=907
    > so NOT buying Dixons duty free actually saves you GBP 4 !!
    > if it really was dutyfree it should cost GBP 322.33
Perhaps duty free, but not tax free. ;-) KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3600 live cameras or
visit NASA, the Vatican, the Smithsonian, the Louvre, CIA, FBI or
CNN, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards & 150 foreign languages
Visit Hawaii, Israel and more: http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

Re: Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

It's all about hte marketing. They are selling to a captive audience, who
without the general means to check prices unless they have a hotspot & a
laptop, think they are getting a bargain. It's only when they get home that
they realise a lot of the time.

As George from Seinfeld says - "what's duty? it's nothing, its like sales
tax", well in England I think it's a lot more, but they might just try to
take advantage of that......


"Dave Patterson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > As an American looking at the Dixon prices, I was stunned.
    > Everything they offer 'duty free' is significantly more expensive
    > than the prices available here in the US - and not just from
    > the big mail and internet dealers - but even from local shops.
    >

Re: Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

There is a big difference between "Duty Free" and "Profit Free" -
never confuse the two.


On 11 Jul 2006 07:37:22 -0700, "Hooverphonic"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >this is the Dixons dutyfree link - Nikon D50 GBP382.89
    >http://www.dixonstaxfree.co.uk/index...aging&group=13
    >and this is the Ebuyer non-dutyfree link - Nikon D50 GBP 378.74
    >http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...pecial_uid=907
    >so NOT buying Dixons duty free actually saves you GBP 4 !!
    >if it really was dutyfree it should cost GBP 322.33

Re: Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

Alohacyberian <[email protected]> wrote:
    >"Hooverphonic" <[email protected]> wrote in message

    >> this is the Dixons dutyfree link - Nikon D50 GBP382.89
    >> http://www.dixonstaxfree.co.uk/index...&section=imagi
    >ng&group=13

    >> and this is the Ebuyer non-dutyfree link - Nikon D50 GBP 378.74
    >> http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...5&action=c3BlY
    >2lhbHM=&special_uid=907

    >> so NOT buying Dixons duty free actually saves you GBP 4 !!
    >> if it really was dutyfree it should cost GBP 322.33

    >Perhaps duty free, but not tax free. ;-) KM

True. Prices within the UK include the 17.5% Value Added Tax (VAT).
If you buy on the high street, you can actually claim that VAT back
after you leave the country. You just need a form from the retailer,
and get it stamped before you check in at the airport (carrying the
goods out of the country with you). They will mail you a cheque
for 17.5% of what you paid.

When you travel between countries of the EU, you must still pay VAT
(but no duty). Therefore, whether you pay VAT or not depends on your
destination. To make things simpler marketing-wise, Dixons has decided
to charge the same for everyone at "duty free" regardless of
destination. So Dixons swallows the VAT for those travelling within EU,
and they guarantee the price will be highstreet price minus VAT. For
those travelling outside EU, they don't need to pay VAT to HM Treasury.

The Ebuyer price is probably for grey market goods, and doesn't count
as a high street price. I bought a D70 grey-market, and got the VAT
back on leaving UK for maximum benefit. Beware, though, that you will
have a hell of job getting warranty service for grey-market Nikon stuff,
because they code their serial numbers according to country, and assume
that no one ever moves between countries. They only provide the
warranty service in the country of serial-number. (Mine was Au).
Anyway, the camera made it through a year without needing the warranty
and now it's expired, so I was lucky.

If you are actually going through UK, you can visit shops in London
(e.g. Tottenham Court) and get a decent price and the VAT back, and
it won't be far off the price in the US.

Remember buying on the street in US (e.g. New York) you pay sales tax
on top the price, and can not claim that back upon leaving the country.

(There are fiddles where you could buy mail-order from one state to
another, but good luck getting anything delivered mail order to a hotel
with a credit card not addressed there and issued outside the US).



--
Ken Tough

Re: Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

Following up to Ken Tough <[email protected]> :

    >True. Prices within the UK include the 17.5% Value Added Tax (VAT).
    >If you buy on the high street, you can actually claim that VAT back
    >after you leave the country.

Only if you are traveling back to a non-EU country.
--
Tim C.

Re: Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

In article <[email protected]>,
Ken Tough <[email protected]> wrote:

    > True. Prices within the UK include the 17.5% Value Added Tax (VAT).
    > If you buy on the high street, you can actually claim that VAT back
    > after you leave the country. You just need a form from the retailer,
    > and get it stamped before you check in at the airport (carrying the
    > goods out of the country with you). They will mail you a cheque
    > for 17.5% of what you paid.

I looked at prices for the Nokia E61. 349 pounds. Even if you got 20%
VAT back, it's still way more than what you'd pay in the US, under $400.

Re: Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

On Thu, 13 Jul 2006 00:53:39 GMT, Ken Tough <[email protected]>
wrote:

<SNIP>
    >True. Prices within the UK include the 17.5% Value Added Tax (VAT).
    >If you buy on the high street, you can actually claim that VAT back
    >after you leave the country. You just need a form from the retailer,
    >and get it stamped before you check in at the airport (carrying the
    >goods out of the country with you). They will mail you a cheque
    >for 17.5% of what you paid.

Hi

Sorry to be pedantic, but that is not strictly correct.

Let's assume you bought an item costing �100 which included 17.5% VAT;
what you would actually get refunded is �14.89, NOT �17.50.

This is because something costing �100 INCLUDING VAT, breaks down to a
VAT-free cost of �85.11 plus 17.5% of this sum (�14.89) adding up to
your �100.

In other words, you cannot work out the VAT-free cost of an item by
just deducting 17.5% of the purchase price; the way to do it is to
divide by 1.175.

Regards
KGB

Re: Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

KGB (KGB) wrote:


    > In other words, you cannot work out the VAT-free cost of an item by
    > just deducting 17.5% of the purchase price; the way to do it is to
    > divide by 1.175.

Or simply multiply by 1/1.175 :)

You won't believe how many people believe that buying a stock at a 15
percent discount means you gain 15 percent if the price doesn't change.
(The gain is actually 15/85, not 15/100)

Re: Buying a DUTY FREE camera from Dixons at Heathrow
 

On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 02:48:04 GMT, mrtravel
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >KGB (KGB) wrote:
    >> In other words, you cannot work out the VAT-free cost of an item by
    >> just deducting 17.5% of the purchase price; the way to do it is to
    >> divide by 1.175.
    >Or simply multiply by 1/1.175 :)
    >You won't believe how many people believe that buying a stock at a 15
    >percent discount means you gain 15 percent if the price doesn't change.
    >(The gain is actually 15/85, not 15/100)

Which is even betterr.

************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *