Buying products overseas is not easy :
First, you better have to make bulk orders (regroup a few friends/relatives/co-workers interested in the same product...), because, in France, you have to pay customs fees and VAT on the goods + on the shipping costs ; which means, if you buy a small inexpensive thing, you will pay far more customs fees and VAT on the shipping than on the product itself !!!!!

And if you want to keep the shipping costs low, you have to use Postal Services, wait a few weeks (3, generally), and deal with many curious problems (your package goes back to the States when it arrives in France, or it comes back to you 4 days after you send it to the States .... <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> )

Another pb is the payment : if credit card is not accepted, you have to send money via wire transfert. For small amounts, the bank fees are quite high (in proportion...).

And finally, you have to deal with defective equipments ....... that means send products back (and maybe pay again customs fees on the free replacement products when they arrive....)

So far, I have make orders at Kriana Corp (krill lights - I couldn't get in touch with their french distributor) and Photonlight.com (Photon 3 and Xlights - the french prices seemed high and I emptied the distributor stock <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />, but I finally only made a very small saving).

No problem with Kriana. Good contact with Kris PAULY. Good products.

A few defective Photon lights ; hopefully, Brian AVERY is a great guy and he always found solutions for my defective or shipping problems. Great service.


Alain