Buying stuff from B&H (USA)

Hi, maybe not the right forum sub section, so please move if not.

I need to buy the following 2 items for my Son from B&H in USA, but i have not used them before.

These 2 items to buy here in Australia will be anywhere from $1125 to $1250m i can buy both items from B&H for $465USD, which is about $725au, plus around $50au to post, saving me around $375 to $400.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1371618-REG/angelbird_avp256cfx2_ursa_avp_cf_256_match.html

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...fs31pk_cfast_single_card_reader.html/overview

What taxes or import duties will i need to pay, if any, and how long should i realistically expect those items to arrive.

I originally wanted to buy both items direct from Angelbird in Austria, as they sell them for the same cost as B&H are selling them for at the moment, however one of the guys over at the BlackMagic forum (who lives in Austria) has advised me that Angelbirds offices are closed due to the COVID19 shut downs.

Thanks for your time.

 

I am not sure about the GST threshold now, but I am pretty sure B&H would collect it for you. In the past I have had delivery from them in about 4-5 days. Great company to deal with!

 

10% gst, there’s no gst threshold anymore

 

This.

From the ATO:

The Department of Home Affairs collects GST on taxable importations. The GST payable is 10% of the value of the taxable importation.

The value of taxable importation is the sum of:

• the customs value of the goods
• any customs duty payable
• the amount paid or payable to transport the goods to their place of consignment in Australia
• the insurance cost for that transport

​

You can thank Gerry Harvey who obviously doesn't have enough race horses.

 

Can confirm B&H collect GST now (you'll see it ask about it). Can't remember if they do it automatically or give you the option. I've found about a week if you ship with the UPS of Fedex saver options (they say about a week) though if you order on Monday, sometimes it's in your hands by Thursday, but don't count on that right now.

 

Thanks guys, i had read some bad reports about this business, which is why i asked, but they seem to have the best prices.

I am a firm believer in supporting Australian business, and i have often bagged others for buying stuff from USA, but back then the difference in the the exchange rate did not seem to make it worth while to buy from USA, however i am kind of thinking that in this particular case (buying these CFast cards and reader) that there is massive discrepancy in pricing between Australia and other places such as USA and Austria, so i am curious who or what is to blame for this, is it the import duties/taxes, shipping, or just greedy retailers here in Australia, because the price difference is huge, especially when you do the currency conversion, and add the 10% GST.

Since posting this Thread, i have found some discrepancies in what B&H has actually been advertising for $399USD, and what Angelbird is selling for the same price, and compared them to what i can buy at 2 stores here in Australia.

These 2 Australian stores are selling the matched URSA cards for $1025 and $1257 respectively, these appear to be the old 400MB/s write speed cards (the newer 490MB/s cards are selling for over $1500 per set)

https://www.videoguys.com.au/Shop/p...-cfast-2-0-256gb-x-2-pack-abd-avp256cfx2.html
https://www.digidirect.com.au/photo...ck-for-the-blackmagic-design-ursa-mini-2-pack

These cards being sold at B&H in USA for $399USD ($615au or $677 with GST) are also the older ones with the write speed of 400MB/s.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...vp256cfx2_ursa_avp_cf_256_match.html/overview

These ones being sold direct from the Angelbird website are $399USD but these ones state in the spec sheet that they are the newer, faster 490MB/s write speed cards (which i would prefer to buy)

https://www.angelbird.com/prod/match-pack-for-ursa-mini-1834/

Very confusing to say the least, however not being able to buy the new faster cards direct from Angelbird right now (or so it seems) i may have to just bite the bullet and get the 400MB/s cards from B&H as i do know already that the 400MB/s write speed is fast enough to shoot 4.6k BRAW 3:1 (183MB/s) and 4.6k ProRes 444 (238MB/s) as well as probably just managing to record 4.6k ProRes XQ (360MB/s)

Those Data rates are for recording at 25 and 30fps

Just got this link from the Austrian Guy in the BlackMagic Forum, it states the GST is applied to the cost price, insurance, postage and import/customs duty, but it does not say how it is paid.

https://www.wwcf.com.au/import-tax-import-duty-australia/

 

I've purchased from B&H and never had a problem. Goods always arrived safe and sound.

 

Is there a customs duty fee applicable, and who pays the fees and GST, is it added to the cost by B&H at checkout, or do we pay it separately.

This is the bit that i was unsure of, especially with B&H.

 

The last time I purchased from B&H (which would've been a heap of LEE filters), I'm pretty sure they didn't charge the GST. I was stung once it landed, but that was a couple of years ago.

 

Well i finally got a reply from Angelbird in Austria, but they did not answer some of the questions i asked, so i think i will do a Cart in B&H and see what other charges apply to the purchase during a checkout.

EDIT: did a Shopping Cart with B&H and all up it will be US$530 (AU$825) which includes postage and all GST and Duties/Taxes, so i won't have to pay anything here in Aust when they arrive.


All up i would be saving about $300 over buying the stuff from VideoGuys here in Australia.

Would save about the same if i buy the stuff from Angelbird in Austria, only it seems i would be getting the newer/faster cards if buying from Angelbird.

 

B&H shows the GST charge very clearly when you add items to your cart.

They are an extremely reputable store and I have made several purchases from them over the last decade. I even had a seamless experience of them replacing a beauty dish that was damaged in shipping. They also refunded the difference when an item I purchased went on sale shortly afterwards.

 

have you tried price matching with local stores?

 

i got an ssd from the u.s. (that store, dont know what specific state's store did the order) but it was a long time ago...2008. the order had tracking on it.
still have the ssd.

 

I contacted 3 stores here in Australia asking why their prices were so high for the Angelbird CFast cards and the reader, and they all claim that they are not making much money on that sort of stuff because of what it cost them to buy them, which is bulldust as far as i am concerned.

1 of them was selling those 2 matched Angelbird CFast cards for $1257 + post, and the other 2 places were $1025 + post, so that alone is a lot of difference right there, and those were the older slower 400MB/s cards, not the new 490MB/s cards that Angelbird is selling from their own website for only $399USD.

When i told these 3 stores that i can buy the new matched pair of 490MB/s Angelbird CFast cards for $620au + the CFast Card Reader for $90au direct from Angelbird and from B&H they all told me that by the time i pay import duties and GST the price will be very close to their prices anyway, which was also a load of crap.

Last night i bit the bullet and ordered the 2 matched CFast cards + the CFast card reader direct from Angelbird in Austria as their cards are the newer 490MB/s cards (B&H has the 400MB/s cards) and both items with postage was $489USD ($760au billed to my Paypal) so i am now waiting to find out if they will be charging me the import duty and GST or if i need to pay that myself, however i believe the import duty (if there is one) plus GST should be no more than $100au.

 

I have purchased from B&H and have had shipped to Australia previously - probably more than 7 years ago though! I wouldn't hesitate from purchasing from them - they are one of the biggest names in the business.
When I purchased previously, GST etc was only on purchases >$1000 and my purchases were always less than that. I can't say how it works now but it sounds like people who have already posted have outlined enough details for you.

 

Thanks everyone for all the great info, much appreciated, although on items that i feel i won't save much on i would still support Aussie stores, i just like my cash supporting Aussie jobs.

Although i still think there is a big issue in the system somewhere, causing Australian prices to be so much higher than overseas prices.

In this case, i just had to deal with Angelbird directly because their cards are the newer/faster ones, and selling for the same price as the older 400MB/s cards elsewhere.

 

Is second hand still GST free?

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802084897-USE/angelbird_avp128cfx2_128gb_av_pro_cf.html

 

I haven't come across too many bad reports about the way they handle business with customers, but I do remember seeing this a few years ago:

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/27/...d-for-discrimination-of-hispanic-workers.html

I've ordered plenty from them in the past with absolutely no issues, with some items arriving to me before others I had ordered domestically at around the same time.

 

Hey Guys, the Angelbird CFast Cards and Reader arrived from Austria last Friday, he was not at home when UPS made the delivery, so they left a card to arrange pickup from one of their local drop off locations today, which he collected this afternoon.

There was no customs paperwork supplied to pay any GST or Customs/Import duties, so maybe the GST and other fees are not applicable on stuff bought from certain countries, unless they are going to post or email the paperwork for payment, but i would have thought those fees would have to be paid first before delivery is made.

If i don't get any paperwork to pay those fees, i will have saved $400 on those items from Austria over buying them here in Australia, even including postage, so i don't know why things are so dam expensive here, it doesn't make sense to me.

Anyway, it took 4 days to arrive since they were posted on May 18th, going from Austria, Germany, UK, 2 stops in USA, Sydney, then Melbourne.


I would almost bet that if i bought them from B&W in USA they would still be in the USA

On another note, i sent a 3kg box (40cmx40cmx50cm) to Germany on April 5th, normally a 7 day transit, but with COVID-19 the PO said it would take at least 14 days, so i have now lodged a lost item case, and not heard from them for 6 days since lodging it, so i have had a good and bad experience, but the 4 day delivery was with UPS, not Aus Post.

 

Hi, if someone was to purschase a oled 17" $3-4 K laptop from bhp it be no problem ay?