Hard to get Pro 300 Cartridges

[palombian]

My post was not meant as an exhaustive study of pricing. I gave a comparison of ink and chip costs based on Artur5's figures vs what I saw in a quick USA search on Google. Shipping, customs, VAT, tax - whatever - is a necessary calculation but independent of base cost of the supplies I presented. Maybe you can avoid your taxman and keep your costs lower using one supplier over the other.

For those in the EU it sounds like July is the month to do serious buying and avoid VAT. For Artur5, maybe a road trip in July both for vacation and to save on shipping is a consideration - two birds with one stone. Mrs. Artur5 might like this idea, too.

Still, why would you buy chips from mikling at a 50% upcharge when you can get them through Alibaba for $48 dollars less for a complete set? Are shipping/VAT/etc less coming from mikling than Alibaba?

This is about saving money without compromising further performance.

You are right about buying the onetime chips directly from Aliexpress (what I do also with ARC's for the Maxify) instead of passing via a reseller.

But you didn't get the VAT issue right. European customers indeed will pay VAT also on items under € 22, but this is minimal because of the much lower prices. Ali already anticipated with European hubs and warehouses.
For example: I bought first quality chipped USB-C PD cables for a few €, while webshops here charge € 20 or more, delivery in less than 2 weeks.
Most important, webshops can acquire a VAT license, so they can collect the VAT and pay to the authorities and ship without additional custom clearance. This should facilitate online commerce for all participants.

Maybe a well known reseller in Toronto would reconsider shipping abroad.

 

[stratman]

But you didn't get the VAT issue right.

I thought you meant that the EU gave a holiday from VAT in July. There are some areas of the US that give a brief holiday from State taxes each year.

Maybe a well known reseller in Toronto would reconsider shipping abroad.

As I recall, it was the cost and hassles of theft of his shipments that caused mikling to stop international shipping.

How would your costs of buying from with mikling in Canada change if Precision Colors had a VAT license? Shipping costs?

Is there a cost obtaining and maintaining a VAT license and how would the additional paperwork affect his life?

 

[palombian]

I thought you meant that the EU gave a holiday from VAT in July. There are some areas of the US that give a brief holiday from State taxes each year.


As I recall, it was the cost and hassles of theft of his shipments that caused mikling to stop international shipping.

How would your costs of buying from with mikling in Canada change if Precision Colors had a VAT license? Shipping costs?

Is there a cost obtaining and maintaining a VAT license and how would the additional paperwork affect his life?

Formerly I ordered one or two bottles shipped immediately to Belgium. Small packets passed under the radar of customs so I did not pay VAT or custom handling charges (FYI import duties are only due for values above € 150).
So I paid probably less than US customers depending on the State tax (if this was charged).
Transit time was less than two weeks. Thanks Mike.

With a VAT license I would pay 21% more and the package would pass officially without custom handling costs.

Now you pay inland shipping to MyUS, handling charges (they open the package and verify every item for import regulations and duties), insurance, VAT, import duties plus a second shipping charge.
So at least 75% more (grouped order with 4-5 weeks shipping), but can be 100% for fast shipping of a small package.

If I have to wait a month for 3th party ink that costs me € 0.25/ml and I have large format OEM the next day at € 0.45 (or lower for larger carts), but despite PC inks giving almost indistinguishable results, I am inclined to buy the OEM.

Calculating the gain of using 3th party ink based on the bottle price on the site against the official retail price of 1 OEM cartridge can be tempting, but in real life the difference is much less.

 

[stratman]

in real life the difference is much less

Yes, my point. The roulette wheel of cost vs the murky waters of diminishing returns.

 

[keechoon]

Hi everyone!

I am using a Pro-300 too and am trying to find out if the printer or cartridges are region coded. The price for OEM inks in my country has recently jumped by 50% and I'm looking at options from B&H.

Thanks!

 

[The Hat]

Which country ?.. Location would help..
Try ordering them directly from the Canon website for the best prices..

 

[keechoon]

T

Which country ?.. Location would help..
Try ordering them directly from the Canon website for the best price

Thanks for the reply, I'm from Singapore (Southeast Asia). The price increase was by Canon themselves from around US$16 to $24 per cartridge at least. Hence looking at whether the ink cartridges from US is usable as I frequently order film and papers from B&H.

 

[The Hat]

I'm from Singapore (Southeast Asia).

The European Carts code is PFI-300 so check your own carts and see what code is on them, I suspect it will be the same, and you’ll be able to order them from where ever there’re cheaper, the cheapest place for carts in the EU is from the Canon website..

Carts are priced at € 19.49 and free delivery..

 

[keechoon]

Thanks! Yes the cartridge are PFI-300. So far there ain't any other code for this printer from what I have found.

 

[stratman]

In a quick Google search, the least expensive I saw was from B&H Photo at $12 per PFI-300 cartridge. Don't know what your shipping charges would be.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=PFI-300&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma

Adorama and Amazon have cartridges for $13 each. They ship international as well. Shipping may tip the balance to either of these three.