Buying Direct from ZWO / Manufacturer Vs Store

[Star Mariner]

Hi,

Newbie cheap skate here!! and maybe a stupid question but I was wondering if I should buy direct from ZWO rather than from a store?  has anyone else tried ordering from the manufacturer and what sort of shipping costs / taxes will there be direct from China? 

I could potentially save a few hundred quid or end up paying more on import tax etc hmm???🤔

[Shimrod]

1 hour ago, Star Mariner said:

Hi,

Newbie cheap skate here!! and maybe a stupid question but I was wondering if I should buy direct from ZWO rather than from a store?  has anyone else tried ordering from the manufacturer and what sort of shipping costs / taxes will there be direct from China? 

I could potentially save a few hundred quid or end up paying more on import tax etc hmm???🤔

If you avoid paying VAT (not guaranteed) and everything works fine you can save yourself some money buying direct. If you have to pay VAT, the prices form ZWO don't differ greatly from what you would pay over here. If something goes wrong with the camera (or it is DOA) it would be much easier to deal with a UK based supplier. It comes down to how much risk are you willing to take to save some money. I bought a guide camera in the current ZWO sale from FLO, and it was only about £6 more than it would be buying direct - not worth the stress of dealing direct with China.

[ONIKKINEN]

You'll save around 10% when buying straight from ZWO with for example a ZWO 2600MC, assuming you would buy from FLO otherwise. Up to you to decide whether or not that's worth the hassle if there is trouble. If i had a local seller i probably wouldn't risk it for this kind of price difference. Its not really possible to spend more on import taxes since that happens for someone anyway, either you or the importer of the product. In this case the importer takes a cut to cover the costs of dealing with potential returns, hence the 10% difference in price.

[Star Mariner]

Yes you're right, if something did go wrong I can imagine the frustration dealing with it. that settles it, FLO or RVO it is then. 

Cheers 

[david_taurus83]

Looking at the recent sale FLO had, there were a few cameras that had been fixed under warranty so things can go wrong. I'd rather have the support of the retailer here in the UK than having to send it back to China myself. Its that extra insurance that your paying for by buying locally.

Edited July 30, 2021 by david_taurus83
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