www.d-d-electronics.com.sg - DD Electronics Singapore

[rflower]

Was looking around for a new lens. (Tokina 11-16 2.

Went to ShopBot.com.au and searched for the lens in question.

It came up with a cheap price at www.d-d-electronics.com.sg. My dad and I thought we would try them out.

Ordered the lens around lunchtime on the 7th
Money appeared to go from my visa card around 5pm on the 7th.

Parcel arrived in my hot little hand by lunchtime on the 8th. Dad also ordered one (different delivery address, different order) Parcel arrived in his hot little hand by lunchtime on the 8th also.

Parcel shipped with Australian Air Express.

They have a "Sydney" number on their web page (which possibly is a VOIP service to Singapore), which was answered (on a couple of occasions) by someone who spoke English as well as I was. Dad rang them a couple of times to confirm bits on the order, and then was chasing up about the delivery details. The last time I spoke to them (Thursday 1700ish), they mentioned that I should have the lens by Friday or Monday at the latest. I confirmed which Friday that was (thinking the 15th) they said no the 8th ...

Potentially they are affiliated with www.d-d-photographics.com.au, as the 2 parcels were dispatched from Sydney. Their price for the lens is cheaper than www.d-d-photographics.com.au though.

All in all, lens cost $703 landed here in Australia 24 hours from ordering.

Now can anyone tell me why you spend double that (RRP around $1400), to buy the same lens at a bricks and mortar shop in Oz?

[biggerry]

Now can anyone tell me why you spend double that (RRP around $1400), to buy the same lens at a bricks and mortar shop in Oz?

I bought this lens about a month ago from D-D Photographics, the brick and mortar version, the price was about AUD730 from memory, however looking at their website the price seems to have increased to AUD837?

I remember looking at the HK postage option, however it worked out the same price as if I drove to North Sydney where the D-D store is and picked one up. The did have quite some stock issues when I got mine and it was delayed by a week, however it seems they were in pretty short supply then.

Enjoy the lens, its great imo. takes some getting used to though! I always find dialling the exposure down to -1 for me works best (D80), similiarly to Camerons Tokin 10-17 fisheye I have found both the lens cause the camera to over exposure consistently.

[surenj]

Ordered a Canon 10-22 with these guys. $830 odd delivered with a Gitzo cleaning pack ($4!). Received within 3 days of ordering. Very satisfied.

Now can anyone tell me why you spend double that (RRP around $1400), to buy the same lens at a bricks and mortar shop in Oz?

Because we want to help our community; You are right, I can't find a good answer to this question.

[aim54x]

Now can anyone tell me why you spend double that (RRP around $1400), to buy the same lens at a bricks and mortar shop in Oz?

All I know is that it is NOT the retailer's getting greedy, but rather the importer (Adeal) who massively overcharges for this lens at a wholesale level. On questioning a rep a while back regarding the massive difference in pricing between the Grey and Aust Tokina lenses I was told something along the lines of "they were built when the dollar was poor, hence the price is high as the cost of production has to be recouped" which I cannot believe.

I know I will buy my Tokina grey (they come with a 2 year international warranty).

[ATJ]

Now can anyone tell me why you spend double that (RRP around $1400), to buy the same lens at a bricks and mortar shop in Oz?

The Tokina 11-16mm can be purchased through this very site for AU$708, delivered. Why would any member of this site buy from anywhere else when knowing that purchasing through this site helps out with the running costs of this site?

[biggerry]

The Tokina 11-16mm can be purchased through this very site for AU$708, delivered. Why would any member of this site buy from anywhere else when knowing that purchasing through this site helps out with the running costs of this site?

I emailed HK supplies regarding this lens when I was looking and was informed 'Not Available'.

[ATJ]

The Tokina 11-16mm can be purchased through this very site for AU$708, delivered. Why would any member of this site buy from anywhere else when knowing that purchasing through this site helps out with the running costs of this site?

I emailed HK supplies regarding this lens when I was looking and was informed 'Not Available'.

Well... you may have got the same answer from Gary, but you'd have been better off asking him. While Poon is both HK Supplies and the supplier for the Bargins section, I believe he does a better service for us. At the very least Gary would be talking to the right person rather than just whomever is answering their emails at the time.

Of course, if the wait is too long, it makes sense to purchase elsewhere for around the same price.

[biggerry]

Well... you may have got the same answer from Gary, but you'd have been better off asking him.

fair call

[ATJ]

After finding out that Poon is probably not going to be supplying us with bargains any more, I decided to get my Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye from DD Electronics Singapore.

The initial communications with them were a little tedious. When I went to order the lens on Friday, their site said they were out of stock and so it was not possible to place an order (no "Add to cart" button). I emailed them and was told they were in stock but I was not provided with any information on how to purchase. I emailed back explaining there was no "Add to cart" button and was told to call to discuss. I called the Sydney number on Saturday and was told that I need to email (the same guy who I had already been emailing with) to arrange the purchase. So I emailed again, but the response still did not tell me how I could make the purchase. Another email from me and I got a response saying they'd get back to me on Monday. I received an email today saying they'd updated the site and I could not order.

My next (minor) complaint is the pricing. The site lets you choose between US, NZ and AU dollars, British pounds Euros and MY Ringit. I chose AU$. The lens was listed at AU$626 and I was told shipping would be AU$39. As I placed the order, all prices were shown in AU dollars. My expectation was that I my credit card would be charged in AU$. When I received the confirmation email, the prices were in US dollars: US$569 for the lens and US$35 for shipping. AU$665 became US$604 which works out at an exchange rate of US$0.9083. According to the currency application on my iPod, the current rate is US$0.9016 but that's likely to change before my credit card is billed. Additionally, I don't always get a good rate on my Visa card and I'll get hit with an international transaction fee (the card was chosen as I expected to billed in Australian dollars). I expect it is going to cost me an extra $20-40. It will still be a good price but more than they led me to believe.

I'll update when the lens arrives and what the actual cost was.

[aim54x]

That does sound a bit strange for them to offer AUD and then force you to pay in USD....

[digitor]

It is a bit strange - especially when they say they will add GST, even though you are purchasing from Singapore. The other day, I was checking the price of a 24-70 on the .sg site so as to compare it to the au price, and a popup window informed me that they would deduct GST as I was an Australian customer.

What with that, and the freight, made the price almost exactly the same as buying from DD Australia.

Funny, that.

Cheers

[ATJ]

They did not say they would charge GST, nor did they charge it. I did get a warning that they would not be responsible for any charges from Customs, but as the total cost is less than AU$1000, I don't expect any such charges.

Edit: Me thinks you did not read the pop-up correctly:

For Australian Customers: Any order over the value of $1000 AUD will be subject to an additional GST component 10% of the TOTAL order value PLUS $52.50 AUD customs clearance fee. If your order is over $1000, DDE Singapore will charge you these taxes and charges, as a service to facilitate quicker delivery. Please keep this condition in mind when processing your order

Yes, they will charge you the things that you would get charged for anyway.

[gstark]

They did not say they would charge GST, nor did they charge it. I did get a warning that they would not be responsible for any charges from Customs, but as the total cost is less than AU$1000, I don't expect any such charges.

Edit: Me thinks you did not read the pop-up correctly:

For Australian Customers: Any order over the value of $1000 AUD will be subject to an additional GST component 10% of the TOTAL order value PLUS $52.50 AUD customs clearance fee. If your order is over $1000, DDE Singapore will charge you these taxes and charges, as a service to facilitate quicker delivery. Please keep this condition in mind when processing your order

Yes, they will charge you the things that you would get charged for anyway.

Hold on a minute ...

There is no GST charge just because the order exceeds Au$1000. The determination of whether GST is payable is entirely at the sole discretion of the Australian Customs, and until the goods are assessed by Customs, at the point of importation, there is no such liability. Customs may decide to waive the GST completely, or they may decide to impose GST even when the stated price is less than Au$1000.

This has nothing to do with the vendor, and they are not even privvy to the process. When the assessment is made, any GST is and/or duty is payable, not to the vendor, but to the Australian Government.

This sounds more than a little bit odd.

[DaveB]

It is a bit strange - especially when they say they will add GST, even though you are purchasing from Singapore. The other day, I was checking the price of a 24-70 on the .sg site so as to compare it to the au price, and a popup window informed me that they would deduct GST as I was an Australian customer.

Be careful here. Singapore has its own GST (7%) which would only apply to Singaporean customers.

Don't get confused: Australian GST != Singaporean GST

As noted, any Australian GST that gets assessed and imposed by Customs when it lands in Australia is outside the vendor's control.

[ATJ]

It is a bit strange - especially when they say they will add GST, even though you are purchasing from Singapore. The other day, I was checking the price of a 24-70 on the .sg site so as to compare it to the au price, and a popup window informed me that they would deduct GST as I was an Australian customer.

Be careful here. Singapore has its own GST (7%) which would only apply to Singaporean customers.

Don't get confused: Australian GST != Singaporean GST

As noted, any Australian GST that gets assessed and imposed by Customs when it lands in Australia is outside the vendor's control.

The pop-up (which I quoted above) is talking about Australian GST. Basically what this vendor is doing is if the total cost of the goods is greater than AU$1,000, they are adding on the Australian GST as well as AU$52.50 customs clearance fee.

As Gary says, this is odd, especially since customs don't always assess goods which are more than AU$1,000, although my experience has been that if it is over AU$1,000 (and the vendor provided an accurate invoice) and it comes in via courier (rather than post) it will always get assessed and the extra cost will be equal to or greater than what DDE are charging.

As to why they, a SG based seller are doing it, I can only assume it has something to do with their relationship with DDP in Australia.

[DaveB]

As to why they, a SG based seller are doing it, I can only assume it has something to do with their relationship with DDP in Australia.

Indeed, if an overseas seller charges you the GST, I don't think they've got a way to pay Australian Customs on your behalf if they're shipping it directly to you. It would only seem to make sense if they're getting a local agent to ship to you, and that agent then handles the GST for them/you.

Otherwise there seems to be a risk of you paying for the GST twice.
Also note that when Customs decide that a shipment should be charged GST (and for postal items there's a nominal grace value of $1000) that GST is then charged on the item value PLUS the shipping cost. Clearance fees charged by shipping brokers (UPS is a bastard for this) are extra as well.

[ATJ]

As to why they, a SG based seller are doing it, I can only assume it has something to do with their relationship with DDP in Australia.

Indeed, if an overseas seller charges you the GST, I don't think they've got a way to pay Australian Customs on your behalf if they're shipping it directly to you. It would only seem to make sense if they're getting a local agent to ship to you, and that agent then handles the GST for them/you.

As I suggested, I believe this is something to do with their relationship with DDP in Australia.

Otherwise there seems to be a risk of you paying for the GST twice.
Also note that when Customs decide that a shipment should be charged GST (and for postal items there's a nominal grace value of $1000) that GST is then charged on the item value PLUS the shipping cost. Clearance fees charged by shipping brokers (UPS is a bastard for this) are extra as well.

And that is exactly how they say they will calculate it, as per the information I quoted.

Anyway, mine was under $1000 and I didn't get charged any extra. I ordered yesterday. The package was shipped yesterday afternoon, has already cleared customs, has already been processed at "Sort Facility New South Wales Outlying Areas" and is supposed to be on the truck to get delivered to me.

[barry]

After finding out that Poon is probably not going to be supplying us with bargains any more

Hello, did I miss something here????

[ATJ]

After finding out that Poon is probably not going to be supplying us with bargains any more

Hello, did I miss something here????

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=37609&p=407980#p407980

[barry]

Thanks Andrew, it will be interesting to see what happens.

[digitor]

Edit: Me thinks you did not read the pop-up correctly:

For Australian Customers: Any order over the value of $1000 AUD will be subject to an additional GST component 10% of the TOTAL order value PLUS $52.50 AUD customs clearance fee. If your order is over $1000, DDE Singapore will charge you these taxes and charges, as a service to facilitate quicker delivery. Please keep this condition in mind when processing your order

Yes, they will charge you the things that you would get charged for anyway.

If this comment was directed at me, I don't know why you think that I read the popup incorrectly - as far as I can see, the text you quoted supports exactly what I said in my post above.

Cheers

[DaveB]

Andrew, I think we're probably in violent agreement here but just to be clear for onlookers, if someone pays Value + Shipping to the overseas supplier, the additional costs that can be incurred upon import include:
Brokerage + 0.10 (GST) * (Value + Shipping)

Where the shipping for an item was expensive, I've seen people surprised because they had only factored in the possible cost of 0.10 * Value.

It sounds like your order's gone quite smoothly!

[gstark]

Where the shipping for an item was expensive, I've seen people surprised because they had only factored in the possible cost of 0.10 * Value.

Correct.

And there's always the possibility that Oz customs may still charge you GST on an import, even though it's listed value is less than PP$1k. If they take the view that the stated value of the goods is not reasonable, then you're SOL.

Personally, I think it's just plain wrong for the vendor to presume that there will be a GST charge invoked on any given order; that's simply not within their realm, and while they might claim that it could make the transaction smoother, I've been invloved on the processing of hundreds of these, and the only issues encountered have been because the carrier screwed up in some way.

Charging you, in advance, for a charge that might not even be levied, does nothing to alleviate an issue where the carrier is sending something to Surrey Hills in Vic, instead of Surry Hills in NSW.

[ATJ]

Edit: Me thinks you did not read the pop-up correctly:

For Australian Customers: Any order over the value of $1000 AUD will be subject to an additional GST component 10% of the TOTAL order value PLUS $52.50 AUD customs clearance fee. If your order is over $1000, DDE Singapore will charge you these taxes and charges, as a service to facilitate quicker delivery. Please keep this condition in mind when processing your order

Yes, they will charge you the things that you would get charged for anyway.

If this comment was directed at me, I don't know why you think that I read the popup incorrectly - as far as I can see, the text you quoted supports exactly what I said in my post above.

I don't see your original statement as being the same as the pop-up.

You stated that they would "deduct GST as I was an Australian customer", but did not include any conditions. What the pop-up says is they will charge you the GST and customs clearance charges, if your order is over $1000. That last condition makes a big difference, especially if the order is under $1,000.

Further, if you were to purchase goods from B&H or Adorama (or a host of other OS sites) and the total cost of the order was over $1,000, there's a very good chance you would be charged GST on the total order cost plus a customs clearance fee (plus other fees) by the courier company bringing the order into the country. i.e. these are charges that you would be paying anyway. Yes, there is a minute chance that the goods aren't assessed as such, but I have never seen that happen when brought in by a courier (and where the shipper provides an accurate invoice).

Note, I am not saying I agree with DDE SG collecting those charges or support it, just simply reading and comprehending what they have on their site. At least they tell you up front that they will make those charges and as a customer you can choose whether or not you want to go ahead.

Let's pretend for the moment that they chose not to treat orders over AU$1,000 any differently. i.e. they just ship the order and charge you the base cost. If the order was over AU$1,000, there's a very good chance you would have been charged GST on the total order, plus a customs clearance fee and maybe other fees as the order came through customs. As you state, this would have pushed up the price so it isn't all that different from DDP in Australia. Aren't you glad that you knew all this up front before you purchased anything?

[ATJ]

Personally, I think it's just plain wrong for the vendor to presume that there will be a GST charge invoked on any given order; that's simply not within their realm, and while they might claim that it could make the transaction smoother, I've been invloved on the processing of hundreds of these, and the only issues encountered have been because the carrier screwed up in some way.

I'm inclined to agree that they are going about it the wrong way, however, they are up front about it and tell you BEFORE you place an order. If you are not happy with their approach, don't buy from them. Simple.

[Mr Darcy]

SOL.

I think it's just plain wrong for the vendor to presume that there will be a GST charge invoked on any given order

Gary, I suspect this has to do with the way they work. My suspicion is that if the order is over AUD1000, it actually gets shipped form DD-AU stock already in the country. This will have come in as part of a commercial shipment & WILL have incurred GST & customs already. This is also in accord that the SG popup message does not appear to refer to GST on the shipping which would be the case if they shipped directly

[gstark]

Greg,

SOL.

Shit out of luck.

I think it's just plain wrong for the vendor to presume that there will be a GST charge invoked on any given order

Gary, I suspect this has to do with the way they work. My suspicion is that if the order is over AUD1000, it actually gets shipped form DD-AU stock already in the country. This will have come in as part of a commercial shipment & WILL have incurred GST & customs already. This is also in accord that the SG popup message does not appear to refer to GST on the shipping which would be the case if they shipped directly

You may well be correct.

But it then makes me wonder about the actual customs and shipping charges here ... at some point shipping would have been incurred, but where is it? If it was included as a bulk shipment with other goods, then ok, but then the total order would have been processed by the customs agent, and only the one handling fee assessed against the total order.

Call my skeptical if you wish ...

Andrew: yes, absolutely.

[radar]

Further, if you were to purchase goods from B&H or Adorama (or a host of other OS sites) and the total cost of the order was over $1,000, there's a very good chance you would be charged GST on the total order cost plus a customs clearance fee (plus other fees) by the courier company bringing the order into the country. i.e. these are charges that you would be paying anyway. Yes, there is a minute chance that the goods aren't assessed as such, but I have never seen that happen when brought in by a courier (and where the shipper provides an accurate invoice).

and that is my experience with B&H. Those large USA stores put an accurate invoice on their shipments. I imagine that a list is also given to UPS/FedEx, etc so when it gets to Australian customs, UPS just submits their list of parcels with goods worth above $1K to Australian Customs, UPS collects GST and brokerage fee from receiver, ie me, then it gets delivered. Sure Australian Customs may wish to also inspect those parcels that are listed under the $1k threshold but as Gary said above, that is up to them to decide. In my case, it was still cheaper to order from B&H, pay GST, get some extra bits and still be cheaper then the Australian price.

[ATJ]

The lens arrived this afternoon. Less than 2 days from Singapore is pretty good (and that was with the DHL flick pass - 12 hours SG to SYD, 36 hours SYD to Glenbrook).

I'm still waiting for the charge to show up on my Visa card so know exactly how much it cost.

[DaveB]

I imagine that a list is also given to UPS/FedEx, etc so when it gets to Australian customs, UPS just submits their list of parcels with goods worth above $1K to Australian Customs, UPS collects GST and brokerage fee from receiver, ie me, then it gets delivered. Sure Australian Customs may wish to also inspect those parcels that are listed under the $1k threshold but as Gary said above, that is up to them to decide.

If you read the rules at customs.gov.au you'll find that they have the freedom to assess a bunch of concurrent shipments (e.g. from the same supplier to the same destination) as a single import, and GST can then be charged on the lot. Not just the individual parcels over AU$1K value, but everything.

This applies to multiple parcels from the one order, or multiple small orders that look like you're trying to rort the system. Not that they work this way all the time, but they CAN.

[digitor]

Edit: Me thinks you did not read the pop-up correctly:

For Australian Customers: Any order over the value of $1000 AUD will be subject to an additional GST component 10% of the TOTAL order value PLUS $52.50 AUD customs clearance fee. If your order is over $1000, DDE Singapore will charge you these taxes and charges, as a service to facilitate quicker delivery. Please keep this condition in mind when processing your order

Yes, they will charge you the things that you would get charged for anyway.

If this comment was directed at me, I don't know why you think that I read the popup incorrectly - as far as I can see, the text you quoted supports exactly what I said in my post above.

I don't see your original statement as being the same as the pop-up.

You stated that they would "deduct GST as I was an Australian customer", but did not include any conditions. What the pop-up says is they will charge you the GST and customs clearance charges, if your order is over $1000. That last condition makes a big difference, especially if the order is under $1,000.

As I said I was looking at a 24-70 Nikkor, I guess I assumed you would realise it was over $1000. My mistake.

No overseas vendor I have dealt with has ever "offered" to take any Australian taxes or fees from me, I can't see how that would work - what they do say, however, is that I may be liable for any import taxes and fees etc. and that is my responsibility. I accept that, and on every occasion when I have bought items which cost more than $1000 I have been prepared to pay any taxes levied.

Overseas companies do not collect GST on on behalf of the ATO, it's as simple as that, really.

Cheers

[ATJ]

My next (minor) complaint is the pricing. The site lets you choose between US, NZ and AU dollars, British pounds Euros and MY Ringit. I chose AU$. The lens was listed at AU$626 and I was told shipping would be AU$39. As I placed the order, all prices were shown in AU dollars. My expectation was that I my credit card would be charged in AU$. When I received the confirmation email, the prices were in US dollars: US$569 for the lens and US$35 for shipping. AU$665 became US$604 which works out at an exchange rate of US$0.9083. According to the currency application on my iPod, the current rate is US$0.9016 but that's likely to change before my credit card is billed. Additionally, I don't always get a good rate on my Visa card and I'll get hit with an international transaction fee (the card was chosen as I expected to billed in Australian dollars). I expect it is going to cost me an extra $20-40. It will still be a good price but more than they led me to believe.

I'm happy to say I was wrong here. My credit card was in fact charged in Australian dollars (and the shipping was $1 was less) so total cost was AU$664.

So, other than the slight frustration with the initial communications, the whole experience was very good. The order was shipped very promptly.

[Greg B]

Nothing to do with the lengthy GST discussion, but I purchased a new "travel" camera
through d-d-electronics.com.sg a couple of months back (a Canon SX20-IS, not the sort
of thing that Poon would carry), and the whole process was completely painless. There was a
delay of a few days due to being out of stock, but my card wasn't charged until the camera
was dispatched. The price was quoted and charged in AUD.

I had been encouraged by Russell's original post in this thread, and I have to say that
the whole transaction was very satisfactory.

(And on a side note, the SX20 is a great camera, large range with a respectable 28mm
at the wide end and a generous 560 mm at the long end, excellent video, lots of manual control
and heaps of features. I am looking forward to taking it to Turkey in a few months.)

[kobeson]

Ordered a Canon 10-22 with these guys. $830 odd delivered with a Gitzo cleaning pack ($4!). Received within 3 days of ordering. Very satisfied.

Now can anyone tell me why you spend double that (RRP around $1400), to buy the same lens at a bricks and mortar shop in Oz?

Because we want to help our community; You are right, I can't find a good answer to this question.

How was your 10-22? I am considering this lens as the quality control seems to be better than the 3rd party alternatives.

[kobeson]

Now can anyone tell me why you spend double that (RRP around $1400), to buy the same lens at a bricks and mortar shop in Oz?

The Tokina 11-16mm can be purchased through this very site for AU$708, delivered. Why would any member of this site buy from anywhere else when knowing that purchasing through this site helps out with the running costs of this site?

Did you have any problem with your Tokina lens?

I am contemplating importing one (or the Canon), but am concerned about quality control. Would hate to have to send it back.

Also, did it come with a warranty? And who do you send it to for repair if so?

[surenj]

How was your 10-22? I am considering this lens as the quality control seems to be better than the 3rd party alternatives.

Very happy. I only use it for landscapes. Love the 22mm end as well. Less need to change lenses.

[biggerry]

Did you have any problem with your Tokina lens?

nope, it over exposes a bit, but that is common apparently.

but am concerned about quality control. Would hate to have to send it back.

Tokina, from my experience has quite a good record, the only Tokina I own is very well built.

Also, did it come with a warranty?

yes

And who do you send it to for repair if so?

I woudl take it back to DDphotographics, the brick and mortar store in Sydney where I bought it.

[ATJ]

What Gerry said.

[kobeson]

Thanks guys.

I think I will be deciding between the Tokina and Canon most likely, as they seem to have better quality control.

I read somewhere that Tokina are all grey, that they are all imported from Japan. So this would mean a worldwide warranty would it not?

In saying that, ddp sounds good being based in Sydney. They ship from Singapore do they? Or are they stocked in Sydney? Wish there was one in Melbourne, was in Sydney just a few months back - just my luck now I am keen on a lens

[biggerry]

They ship from Singapore do they? Or are they stocked in Sydney?

both, call them to see if its in stock otherwise its only a week odd wait.

[kobeson]

Oh ok, awesome. Thanks for the help

[roland1599]

Awesome!! It’s just what I need!!

[dervish16]

Just thought I would add that I have bought my D90, 18-200mm and tokina 11-16mm all from this store and am very happy with there price, postage time and service. They are the cheapest I could find.

[shazinaz]

I would love to explore.

[surenj]

I would love to explore.

Bazinga!