PHOTO | Avoid buying a digital camera in Jordan, Ahmad Humeid advises.
Whoever buys a digital camera from a Jordanian store is probably getting grossly overcharged. So beware. If you have a relative or friend coming from the US (or even Europe) then by all means ask them to buy a camera for you.
While the price of electronics in Jordan has become relatively more reasonable, digital cameras in Jordan can easily cost up to double what they cost in the US. I have compared the prices of three digital cameras between two stores in Jordan and a very respectable US online retailer of photographic equipment and a German electronics retailer. I was shocked. In almost every case the price in Jordan was almost the double.
Another word of warning: if you have to absolutely buy a camera in Jordan, compare prices between different stores and ask around. The price difference between stores can sometime be in the range of 10 to 20%.
Jordanians are used to the fact that electronics in Jordan cost roughly 30% in Jordan compared to the US. It is not uncommon to see a DVD player that retails for $100 in the US being priced at JD 100 in Amman. But to pay double for a digital camera. That’s just too much. We shouldn’t be surprised at the recently revealed fact that Amman is the most expensive city to live in the Arab world (when compared to average incomes).
I almost don’t know anyone who bought a digital camera from Jordan. Many people wait for that friend or relative from abroad (especially from Dubai). Others bring back digital cameras from their vacation or business trips. Custom officials at the airport don’t really look for cameras when you arrive in Jordan because every tourist is carrying one. So while digital cameras are proliferating in Jordan, I don’t think that retailers in the country are benefiting much.
But why are cameras so expensive? Is it the custom duties? Is it agents and retailers simply overcharging unwitting customers?
I checked out the website of Jordan’s Customs Department, where a full list of tariffs is available. I looked under photographic equipment and found that cameras used for ‘shooting persons’ only have a 5% custom duty. ‘Other’ cameras have a 25% duty on them. Clearly, these numbers do not, alone, explain the super inflated prices in the stores.
Cameras are not heavy equipment, so it can’t be the shipping cost. The fact that the prices in Germany (and the UK) are close to those in the US, removes the excuse often used by Jordanian retailers that the European distributors cause the high prices in Jordan and the rest of the Middle East.
All this leaves us pointing the finger at Jordanian distributors and retailers. They in turn are usually quick to blame other import and sales related taxes for the high prices.
Whether it’s custom duties or sheer greed, one thing is certain. The high price of digital cameras is preventing a larger number of Jordanians from enjoying the benefits of these wonderful digital tools.
Comments
12 responses to “Same camera, double the price!”
It is simple economics. Low demand, controllable supply—>high profit margins and prices.
Sony DSC N1, check it out on Amazon, bought for about 300JDs (not from Amazon though)! Of course, this Camera hasn’t even reached Jordan yet, and when it does, it’ll be much cheaper (than 300JDs) elsewhere, and would sell here for at least 550JDs!
NEVER buy anything from Jordan, unless it’s really bulky, or has high demand, like Flash Memory, Cellphones, DVD/CD Media … ya know
not just cameras but also laptops and almost all computer accessories even some medical supplies what cost patient 200JD in Jordan would just cost him 50-80JD in KSA/Syria and I’m talking about same brand, same quality, same everything.
Thank you for this post, it’s published at exactly the right time
i was about to buy a digital camera from Jordan, but was a little bit confused since i’m flying to Germany in May and to Dubai in June… please do you have any idea if buying it from Germany is better than Dubai? cheaper? or i should wait till June and simply get one from Dubai?
Germany, yeah, definitely better, make sure NOT to pay VAT though …
Can any one tell me which is better place to buy digi cam—US or Dubai ?
i bought a canon digital rebel xti with 70-300mm lens for about 600JD from the US , while in jordan it will cost you around 1500 jd for body only…
thats a real rip off..
Thanks for the info, I am willing to buy Nikon D80 from the US, it’s about us1000 there it comes with 18-135 lense… anyone has ane feed back about this cam! and is there Nikon agent in Jordan! Is this cam a good one! thanks
Well bought used canon rebel xt off ebay for 300 jd (with lots of accessories) and its stuck at customs now dunno how much they are taking for it :S
I wonder how did you use the Jordan customs web site I tried to reach for such list but honestly failed everytime :S!
Same Here AMD PHENOM CPU costs Double also the mother boards …. gigbyte mother Board 2008 i dont remmber the model the price in new egg.com is 120 Dollar to 140Dollar in jordan the price is 270 JD
… we are living with vampires
tariq yosef … we are living with vampires
I found out today (November 25, 2009) that to buy a Transcend 4GB SDHC memory card for my camera would set me back a whopping 30 JD!! That’s about 3 times what the same card would cost in the UK. Isn’t there ANY digital/electronics stores in Amman that have REASONABLE prices???