Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/09/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Sam, There are a number of photo shops, new and used, Leica and otherwise, on Boulevard Beaumarchais (La Maison du Leica is one of them), near the Bastille metro station. I have usually found prices on Leica things much higher in France than in Germany. On used stuff you could get lucky, of course. Regarding the French VAT, it is 20.5% and you can get it back from La Maison du Leica and most other retailers if you live outside the EU. A couple of things to keep in mind: - - if the shop has a "Tax Free for Tourists" sign, then you can the money in cash at the airport when departing, but the company that does the processing will take a large cut as its fee. For that reason, I prefer the shops which do the refund themselves: you get your receipt stamped by customs on your way out of the country, send it back to the shop, which will then credit your credit card. Takes a bit longer but you get it all back that way. - - the above may not apply to used items, whose prices contain much less VAT, because on a used item, VAT is only payable on the dealer's margin. But this also depends on whether the dealer bought the item from another dealer or from a private individual--so you need to ask! - - if you go to La Maison du Leica, be prepared to spend a long time waiting around if there are other customers. People chat a lot there and transactions take a long time. All in all, if you really want to buy the above items cheap, take a trip to Germany. Nathan Sam Krneta wrote: > My wife and her friend will be in Paris this coming week. I'm looking > for a few items to add to my stable. > > New or used: > M7 > Contax T3 > Noctilux > 35 Summilux ASPH > > Does it make any financial sense to shop in Paris for these items? > > Sam Krneta - -- Nathan Wajsman Herrliberg (ZH), Switzerland e-mail: wajsman@webshuttle.ch Mobile: +41 78 732 1430 Photography page: http://www.wajsman.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html