P3D Why buy an RBT directly from Germany?

[Jon Golden <3dman@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>Okay... a friend of mine last night (originally from Germany
who visits family there occasionally) suggested it might be
cheaper to buy an RBT *in* Germany and to bring it back.  
Could this be true?  How would that affect warranty?  Doesn't
warranty require shipping an RBT back to RBT in Germany
"anyway"?
No offense meant to Jon, but I couldn't come up with a
good answer to why getting it in Germany couldn't be a
much thriftier method like I was told it is for other things
made in Gemany (and otherwise bought in the U.S.).  Is
there an obvious downside that my wishful thinking is
missing? Go ahead and slap my face back into reality!
Mike K.___________

Well Mike...you are not the first person to ask this question, and it is
a good question.


To get an RBT camera in Germany would not be less expensive....in
Germany there is a 15% tax on the list price of an RBT camera....so dont
forget to factor that in...plus the cost of arranging the purchase in
phone calls, exchanging currency and getting there.

RBT will only direct you back to me as North American distributor, who
supports the product if you have a problem with it.  WHY?...because RBT
will not provide you a camera directly as a US buyer.

Get a friend in Germany to buy you a camera?... but they will have to
pay the German 15% tax on the camera.  Have it shipped to America, pay
duties, insurance and entry fees, dont think that saves you any $$. 
That would in fact cost a lot more.
If German customs catches the camera, plan on not knowing about it until
you wonder why you have not received a camera.  Then you can make all
the long distance call$ to find out what happened....and I say once
again..."I wish you luck"...with government offices.
If US customs does not correctly classify the camera...plan on paying a
lot more for the duties and entry fees if you have not prepared the
paperwork properly for them...no paprwork means the item defaults to the
highest % rate....or package is held or returned to Germany.
Travel to Germany, get the camera there, but RBT wont have a camera for
you...unless you plan now up to a year in advance.  You wont save any
money flying there (unless you have the FF miles..in which case thats
fine, but you will still need to arrange the order with me). Remember,
when you leave Germany, you'll have to sneak past the strictest customs
in the world, to try to beat the 15% German tax.
If you dont get by, customs will take your camera in to custody until
you straighten out the problem, which is not just paying the tax....you
better have origination papers and the proper documents, or you will
leave the camera with them...and plan on a lot of
paperwork...remember...customs is always right until you prove them
wrong.

SUPPORT...supporting RBT the products, require importing/exporting
services  In order to bring cameras in to the US....I get them in
batches that are ordered up to a year in advance, the monies have to be
appropriated to buy the German currency...which is my risk, due to the
volatility of the world market..
If you go to a bank to convert your $ to marks...you will pay retail
rates to convert. 

SERVICE: RBT is not what most woud call, in a retail consumer sense ,
"service oriented".  It is not easy to get in touch with them, and will
not respond in a timely fashion to random requests.  Remember..they are
primarily manufacturers, catering  to the European markets.  If an RBT
camera has a problem, I coordinate the return shipment, which is not as
simple as just packing up a camera and shipping it off to RBT.  If you
dont provide the proper paperwork, German customs and US Customs will
impound the package, and could deliberatley slap redundant high % of
unwarranted duties on the camera...coming and going...even if already
paid once...so there are  paperwork measures.  I KNOW...it happend to
one RBT customer who did this the wrong way an between he and I we spent
about 10 hours of our time to prove that he did not owe almost 500.00 in
duties on a camera that was two years old, just having a littel service
done.  Almost one year later we closed that folder of beaureacracy.

Well I could go on and on, so...if there are any further questions...I
welcome them...Happy Holidddays.   Jon G



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