Buying Cameras in India: what's the tax thing?

Nick-H

Just popped into a camera store today, in a bit of a hurry, but had time to enquire the price on a camera I'm interested in.

"27,000", Hmmm... seems like a good price.

..."or 32,000 with local taxes".

I don't have to pay the local taxes? "No".

Really? So why would I? What's going on here?

This is, by the way, a big camera store, not a grey-market bazaar.

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Digital Drifter

They do some fudging with the VAT thing, if you pay cash down in full.

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aadil

He saves you the money for the taxes if you don't ask for a bill so he does not show it in his accounts and you don't get a guarantee card to prove that you bought it from them. HAHAHA!!! It almost becomes like a grey market deal now!!! Sometimes they will make a marking inside the camera with the date and a initial with an indelible ink marker to recognise that the camera was bought from them if you ever bring it back with a problem so you can rest assured that they will not say that they don't know you!!! Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Aadil.

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john.sw

There is no VAT in Tamil Nadu, but there is Sales Tax.

If you pay cash, the retailer has no need to bother the sales tax office with technicalities.

I would negotiate based on a credit card sale, and then offer to pay cash.

You should save an extra 5%.

Make sure you get a pukka guarantee card from the manufacturer. Sony, for instance, will not even let you register your purchase unless you have the code on the original guarantee card.

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Nick-H

Went, in the end for a Real Grey Import thus saving a further 5,000Rs, and I'm quite happy to have got a Canon S2 IS for about GBP285. The cheapest place I know in UK is 340 .

At worst it is equivalent to buying second-hand. At best the shop offers a one-year guarantee --- and they did not try to bullshit me that it was anything else.

shere

Not a bad price. Cheapest i have seen it in UK is at following site (£251.99)

http://www.digitalrev.com/en/product...19&item_id=776

They are Hong Kong company so it may get taxed and import duty added if picked up by customs.

Nick-H

That would be a superb price, but even if I was in UK I would be shy to by from Hong Kong. Also, like buying from USA, British customs would have added a hefty wack.

I would never buy a camera from overseas here. An IMer was stung with a customs bill equivalent to a new camera when receiving his own, sent by courier.