Florida Sunshine - Bargains for poor Brits !

[Dave L]

Hello folks,

Can you advise me ? Myself and the family are having a hol in sunny Florida in April and staying with our American friends in Cocoa Beach on the east coast. Because the pound is high against the dollar it might be a good thing to purchase memory cards while we are out there...what is available in the area in terms of camera shops etc ? Is it quite cheap in Florida for camera equipment ? Thanks you !

Dave
Wiltshire,England

[p220sigmans]

Dave,
I hope that you enjoy your visit to the US. I wish I could go back to England, but for the same reason you are looking at purchasing memory cards, I can't afford the trip right now.

On to your question. You can probably find a local shop that would have them, but a better suggestion might be to order them from somewhere like B&H in New York or some other out-of-state store and have them shipped to your friend's address in FL. You don't have the sales taxes that way. I'm not sure what the sales tax rate is for Cocoa Beach and the surrounding area, but it is likely 7-9%. The savings there would likely cover the shipping depending one how much you spend and you would be more likely to get a better price from the internet saving you some money.

Have fun on your trip.
Terry

[Dave L]

Thank you Terry for the advice !! Tax ??? That nasty little little word T A X !!! We all spend so much time trying to work some legal way around it......but elect and pay politicians to impose it ! TAX is becoming a huge issue again over here - our government loves taxes !

On the internet issue ...could we purchase over the web before we leave the UK and will these web companies accept our British Credit Cards ?

[p220sigmans]

Dave,
I can't really answer your question about ordering before you leave. I would suggest that you visit B&H's website and see if they have a policy on it. If they don't have one posted, you can probably e-mail them with the question.

Terry

[paulnj]

i know that pete(from australia) uses his card for purchases.... need to fax over proof of who you are to B&H though. as for shipping to a US address, email them and get a verified account and you'll be kosher

living way up in NJ i can't advise on a shop in florida . but i can assure you that a 512(or bigger) card from B&H is your best bet! i tried to find any card over 256 at every place within 30 miles of me with no luck, i'm sure you will find only 256mb cards and under at nearly all shops in FL too.

the reason for not carrying large cards would be the fact that month to month they drop in price(loose cash after 3 months) from wholesalers. i know from working at a lab and knowing 5 other shop owners

[Dave L]

I appreciate your reply. Will give B and H a look. Think anything over 256 might be a little too much for me...but can not resist a bargain ! So I'll look out for for the higher cards...not sure whether my Minolta X20 can use anything in the 512 size ! I have a friend nearby vsiting rels in Colorado next week...he has decided to buy the latest Nikon 8mp in the States (order this weekend) and hoping to get it on its release date around 15th. He is looking at reliable suppliers as well as he needs the cam for his holiday and doesn't need any hitches ! The brits love coming over to the States - specially when you make the dollar so welcoming ! God bless You !

[Liz]

I agree with everyone else - ordering ahead from B&H is a good idea. They get orders internationally all the time, and have an excellent reputation.

I called and spoke to a salesman at B&H (customer service was closed for the day). The salesman said they do take foreign credit cards. People do have merchandise shipped to another US address, so that part is fine. He said when the order is done by phone, they ask you to fax a copy of the front & back of your credit card. You only have to do this once, so if you order something else, you won't have to fax it again. He didn't know how they work it out when ordering on the internet, but customer service would know. I'll call customer service tomorrow & follow up here.

BTW.........you really should get the 256mb - you will be surprised how quickly it gets used, especially on vacation.

Liz

Hello folks,

Can you advise me ? Myself and the family are having a hol in sunny Florida in April and staying with our American friends in Cocoa Beach on the east coast. Because the pound is high against the dollar it might be a good thing to purchase memory cards while we are out there...what is available in the area in terms of camera shops etc ? Is it quite cheap in Florida for camera equipment ? Thanks you !

Dave
Wiltshire,England

[Dave L]

Hi Liz,

thank you very much for your advice and efforts - this is very thoughtful of you ! we are flying out to Florida in April via Charlotte NC (there is a thread re: Charlotte !!) a co-incidence ! I shall have to check it out ! Love coming to the States - we have a shared heritage ! You should have seen our little village when the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack fly together ! The 101st airbourne were here during the war and 2 years ago the Brits did a re-enactment - our visiting American friends were amazed to see your flag everywhere !

Take care,folks


dave

[Liz]

I didn't forget you! B&H closes Friday at 1:00 and I lost track of the time yesterday. They're closed on Saturdays and this Sunday is a Jewish holiday. I'll call Monday - sorry for the delay. Have a great weekend.

Liz

Hi Liz,

thank you very much for your advice and efforts - this is very thoughtful of you ! we are flying out to Florida in April via Charlotte NC (there is a thread re: Charlotte !!) a co-incidence ! I shall have to check it out ! Love coming to the States - we have a shared heritage ! You should have seen our little village when the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack fly together ! The 101st airbourne were here during the war and 2 years ago the Brits did a re-enactment - our visiting American friends were amazed to see your flag everywhere !

Take care,folks


dave

[Dave L]

Liz - now that is what i call pastoral care ! Please don't put yourself out on my account ! The fact that I can purchase stuff from the US is a revelation in itself ! So many thanks.