If I buy a camera from Japan - what all is involved in this transaction? Duty/customs? Taxes:? Broker's fee???? Will I have to pick it up from U.S. customs? Are there any hidden fees I need to know? It is not an expensive camera - under $200. From eBay.
I've bought a ton of stuff from
Map Camera on ebay, and there is
nothing extra you have to do or pay for. You buy it / pay for it on Ebay, and the product arrives at your door a couple of days later. No taxes, duties, declarations, anything.
But describing Map's service that way doesn't do it justice, because
(a) they're conservative about the way they grade used gear condition, which they register on a letter grade scale (A, B, C, etc). Lenses and camera bodies they grade as a "B" always seem perfect to me on arrival and inspection, as if they've never been used. I would buy a "C" grade product from them with no hesitation that it'd work wonderfully. If you like the images you see on the auction listing, you really,
really won't be disappointed with what you get.
(b) they package your product in a way I can only describe as
beautiful. Ample bubble-wrap padding, the wrap itself thickly doubled-up and folded to form-fit the box, then taped with precise military corners. It's kind of nuts. Who takes the time to do that? They do!
(c) they communicate with you at every stage of the product's shipping, so a text or e.mail as it goes to the shipper, through customs, arrival in US, etc.
(d) the product arrives at your door shockingly fast, given that it'll have travelled half-way around the earth. I live in California so YMMV anywhere else, but every time I've ordered from them the lens or camera body arrives at my door like 48 hours after I hit the ebay "buy" button.
(e) there's a crisp thank-you note in the package!
Seriously, their service absolutely demolishes every American photographic vendor,
new or used, I've ever done business with. They make B&H and Adorama look like a bunch of sloppy, lazy chumps.
Check 'em out!
