| Author |
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pete
Guest
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 Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:06 am Post subject:
Cost of gear in UK. |
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Quite a lot of US products appear to be heavily overpriced here in the
UK.
For the last 4 years or more I've been put off buying any of these US
products mainly on principle. Though *some* companies do seem to be
selling at a comparable US/UK price. Which seems to disprove some
peoples assertions that the duty etc. makes a very high UK price
inevitable.
If I have HAD to have something, I've ordered from the states direct,
which leaves one with no aftersales service etc.
So now my studio is full of predominantly UK and European stuff. Which
is no terrible thing, but I'd like to have a fair (and wider) choice.
Now the exchange rate is 1.91 and has been fairly high for quite a
while, Comparing the less-tax prices, somewhere in the chain, around
40 - 60 percent is being added to the price of these items.
Just as an egsample:
A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524)
So around 50 percent dearer.
So, who is making this 'bonus'?
Pete.
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Pooh Bear
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:08 am Post subject:
Re: Cost of gear in UK. |
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Kurt Albershardt wrote:
| Quote: | pete wrote:
Now the exchange rate is 1.91 and has been fairly high for quite a
while, Comparing the less-tax prices, somewhere in the chain, around
40 - 60 percent is being added to the price of these items.
Just as an egsample:
A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524)
So around 50 percent dearer.
So, who is making this 'bonus'?
Partly the importer, partly the VAT.
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The VAT is 17.5%. Certainly not the only issue.
How much ( and where ) does sales tax apply in the US ?
Graham |
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Scott Dorsey
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:08 am Post subject:
Re: Cost of gear in UK. |
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pete <peteyusenet@hotmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Quite a lot of US products appear to be heavily overpriced here in the
UK.
For the last 4 years or more I've been put off buying any of these US
products mainly on principle. Though *some* companies do seem to be
selling at a comparable US/UK price. Which seems to disprove some
peoples assertions that the duty etc. makes a very high UK price
inevitable.
|
Products made in the US seem to sell for about as many pounds as they
do dollars. However, products made in Asia seem to do about the same
thing. From this I gather it's more of a distribution issue than
anything else.
With the dollar rapidly collapsing, this may not remain the case for
much longer, of course.
| Quote: | If I have HAD to have something, I've ordered from the states direct,
which leaves one with no aftersales service etc.
So now my studio is full of predominantly UK and European stuff. Which
is no terrible thing, but I'd like to have a fair (and wider) choice.
|
Hey, I envy you this, because I look at all of this neat European gear
and I realize I can no longer afford to buy anything from the UK or
Europe....
| Quote: | Now the exchange rate is 1.91 and has been fairly high for quite a
while, Comparing the less-tax prices, somewhere in the chain, around
40 - 60 percent is being added to the price of these items.
Just as an egsample:
A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524)
So around 50 percent dearer.
So, who is making this 'bonus'?
|
I suspect a lot of it has to do with the size of the market. A distribution
company that sells a hundred of something in the UK vs. a distribution company
that sells a thousand of them in the US. As I said earlier, it's not just
US-made gear that is like this. It's cheaper to buy Japanese gear in the US
than in the UK too.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
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Kurt Albershardt
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:09 am Post subject:
Re: Cost of gear in UK. |
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pete wrote:
| Quote: |
Now the exchange rate is 1.91 and has been fairly high for quite a
while, Comparing the less-tax prices, somewhere in the chain, around
40 - 60 percent is being added to the price of these items.
Just as an egsample:
A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524)
So around 50 percent dearer.
So, who is making this 'bonus'?
|
Partly the importer, partly the VAT.
Consider taing a cheap flight to NY, buying the stuff and carry or ship it back yourself. Do the math--sometimes this can save a bundle, especially if you get a few friends in on the deal. |
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play-on
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:09 am Post subject:
Re: Cost of gear in UK. |
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On 30 Nov 2004 20:58:10 -0500, kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
| Quote: | Hey, I envy you this, because I look at all of this neat European gear
and I realize I can no longer afford to buy anything from the UK or
Europe....
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Not being able to afford the wine bugs me more than the gear...
Al |
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Scott Dorsey
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:09 am Post subject:
Re: Cost of gear in UK. |
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play-on <playonATcomcast.net> wrote:
| Quote: | On 30 Nov 2004 20:58:10 -0500, kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
Hey, I envy you this, because I look at all of this neat European gear
and I realize I can no longer afford to buy anything from the UK or
Europe....
Not being able to afford the wine bugs me more than the gear...
|
I dunno where you are, but here I can still get Mouton-Cadet for $5.99
a bottle. (Well, Chakaal can, up in Laurel, MD.) The collapse in the
dollar is bad, but in this case it's at least partially offset by the
huge glut in wine on the international market from crop surplusses and
overplanting in California and a drop in wine consumption in Europe.
And it won't stay this way, so stock up.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
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Logan Shaw
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 11:26 am Post subject:
Re: Cost of gear in UK. |
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Pooh Bear wrote:
| Quote: | Kurt Albershardt wrote:
pete wrote:
A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524)
So around 50 percent dearer.
Partly the importer, partly the VAT.
The VAT is 17.5%. Certainly not the only issue.
How much ( and where ) does sales tax apply in the US ?
|
It's not a federal tax. (I believe the US Constitution only
grants the federal government the authority to tax trade between
the states, not inside an individual state.)
So, sales tax in the US is at the state, county, and local government
level. And even possibly by a transit authority (which may be formed
by a group of counties or cities) or by other groups, such as perhaps
a unified school district shared by 2 or 3 cities.
The laws therefore vary by what city, county, and state you're in,
but a typical example has the state taking most of the money. Here
in Austin, Texas, the state takes 6.25%, and sets a maximum rate
of 8.25%. The remaining 2% is split up evenly: 1% goes to The
City of Austin and 1% goes to Capital Metro, which is a transit
agency (which is supposed to start building some sort of rail line
any decade now, but I digress).
In other states, the rates vary from exactly zero tax (in four
states) up to about 8% or a maximum of definitely less than 10%,
with 7% being a typical number. Texas has a relatively high
sales tax rate at 8.25% in most cities, but that is because it
does not levy a state income tax. Meanwhile, Oregon has no
sales tax but has an income tax and high property taxes (or so
I hear).
As for what is taxed, in Texas most sales are taxed, with the
exception of food and medicine. (However, prepared foods, i.e.
foods that are ready to eat at the time of purchase, are taxed.)
Texas also has a fun quirk introduced by George W. Bush when he
was Governor of Texas: every year starting on the first Friday
in August and ending on the following Sunday, there is no sales
tax on most clothing items (things like jewelry, sports equipment,
and decorative accessories are not exempt). This has been widely
regarded as a cheap stunt to gain public approval on GWB's part
(notice he did the exact same sort of thing with federal income
tax right after he took office as president), but it is also
widely regarded as a cool thing that everybody loves and nobody
wants to see go away. Ostensibly, the point is that parents can
go buy their kids new clothes for the coming school year, but
you can also go out and buy yourself $500 worth of clothes all
at once and save $40 in taxes. That weekend, the shopping malls
(and any other place where you can buy clothes) are a mob scene
rivaled only by the Christmas shopping season.
- Logan |
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play-on
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 11:56 am Post subject:
Re: Cost of gear in UK. |
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On 30 Nov 2004 22:34:49 -0500, kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
| Quote: | play-on <playonATcomcast.net> wrote:
On 30 Nov 2004 20:58:10 -0500, kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
Hey, I envy you this, because I look at all of this neat European gear
and I realize I can no longer afford to buy anything from the UK or
Europe....
Not being able to afford the wine bugs me more than the gear...
I dunno where you are, but here I can still get Mouton-Cadet for $5.99
a bottle.
|
I was talking about the more expensive stuff, which now is becoming
*really* pricey. Like a bottle of Mersault white burgundy, used to be
$20 a bottle or so, now you see it for well over $40 or $50. At one
time I could afford a bottle once & awhile for special occasions but
not any more.
(Well, Chakaal can, up in Laurel, MD.) The collapse in the
| Quote: | dollar is bad, but in this case it's at least partially offset by the
huge glut in wine on the international market from crop surplusses and
overplanting in California and a drop in wine consumption in Europe.
And it won't stay this way, so stock up.
|
Yep, well there are a ton of good wines out there nowdays, from
places like Australia, Chile, S. Africa. etc, they all can make great
wines.
Al |
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Neil Henderson
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 11:59 am Post subject:
Re: Cost of gear in UK. |
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"Logan Shaw" <lshaw-usenet@austin.rr.com> wrote in message
news:7udrd.96618$jq5.55705@fe2.texas.rr.com...
| Quote: | Texas also has a fun quirk introduced by George W. Bush when he
was Governor of Texas: every year starting on the first Friday
in August and ending on the following Sunday, there is no sales
tax on most clothing items (things like jewelry, sports equipment,
and decorative accessories are not exempt). This has been widely
regarded as a cheap stunt to gain public approval on GWB's part
(notice he did the exact same sort of thing with federal income
tax right after he took office as president), but it is also
widely regarded as a cool thing that everybody loves and nobody
wants to see go away. Ostensibly, the point is that parents can
go buy their kids new clothes for the coming school year, but
you can also go out and buy yourself $500 worth of clothes all
at once and save $40 in taxes. That weekend, the shopping malls
(and any other place where you can buy clothes) are a mob scene
rivaled only by the Christmas shopping season.
|
Yeah, but there's a cap on the dollar amount per item (I think it's $100)
that qualifies for this, so it does indeed help the lower income folks more
than the rich people. So you can't go buy a Hugo Boss suit at the Galleria
in Dallas that weekend & get a tax abatement, for example. It's a really
good tax break that helps retailers and lower-income individuals alike.
Also interesting is what you mention about the TX state income tax - or lack
thereof - there's been talk lately about imposing one, despite the higher
sales tax, lottery revenues, etc... I live in El Paso, about 3 miles from
the New Mexico state border - where the property taxes are about a third of
what they are here - and I can tell you that the moment Texas imposes a
state income tax, this city of well over half a million people will become a
giant parking lot with regard to anyone earning over $60k (and owning a
home) is concerned. That's about the break-even point right now... $60k, and
owning a home valued at anywhere from 20% below to 20% above the average for
the market (depending on what part of town you live in and which school
disctricts are levying taxes on you, etc). If Texas imposes even a 2% income
tax, I would not be surprised if 50,000 people leave this area to migrate a
few miles to New Mexico.
Neil Henderson |
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Neil Henderson
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:05 pm Post subject:
Re: Cost of gear in UK. |
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"play-on" <playon@ATcomcast.net> wrote in message
news:siqqq0l3l3momo7vu8h1la57k539sgdo2s@4ax.com...
| Quote: | Yep, well there are a ton of good wines out there nowdays, from
places like Australia, Chile, S. Africa. etc, they all can make great
wines.
|
I've recently discovered Yellow Tail, from Australia, which makes a
not-too-half-ass-bad Merlot (although their Shiraz leaves quite a lot to be
desired), anyone else try this one yet?
Neil Henderson |
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Mike Diack
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:11 pm Post subject:
Re: Cost of gear in UK. |
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Logan Shaw <lshaw-usenet@austin.rr.com> wrote in news:7udrd.96618
$jq5.55705@fe2.texas.rr.com:
| Quote: | As for what is taxed, in Texas most sales are taxed, with the
exception of food and medicine. (However, prepared foods, i.e.
foods that are ready to eat at the time of purchase, are taxed.)
|
Prior to the introduction of GST a couple of decades ago, New Zealand
had a whole slew of sales taxes based on what some politicians deemed to
be luxury items or necessities ie cameras = 40%, cabbages = 0%
The electronic and audio industries were hit fairly hard (semiconductors
were 20%, speakers 30%) but test equipment (oscilloscopes etc) being
deemed essential industrial equipment, were zero rated - with the sole
exception of signal generators, which were rated at 20%. This sounds odd
until you get the official explanation. Generators, according to those
in power, were a part of a car. Car parts are 20%. QED. Mic stands were
the height of luxury at 30% but lighting stands were zero. The
difference (both with identical cast base) being the length of the
tubing (mics short, lights long) Led to some rather odd anomolies.
M |
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Logan Shaw
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:11 pm Post subject:
Re: Cost of gear in UK. |
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Mike Diack wrote:
| Quote: | but test equipment (oscilloscopes etc) being
deemed essential industrial equipment, were zero rated - with the sole
exception of signal generators, which were rated at 20%. This sounds odd
until you get the official explanation. Generators, according to those
in power, were a part of a car. Car parts are 20%. QED.
|
That's pretty crazy!
Reminds me of how (according to the history books I used in college),
at the time of the American revolution, one of the representatives
to the Continental Congress[1] had a problem: he wanted to support
the war[2], but the people in the area he represented were largely
pacifists (Quakers or some other group like that), so there was no
way they would allow him to vote in favor of allocating funds to
support acts of war. But everyone knew the necessity of the
government buying gunpowder, so eventually they re-worded things
so that this particular representative only had to vote to approve
the purchase of wheat and "other grains" (gunpowder being a "grain"),
which made everything OK with the pacifist folks back home *and*
made it possible to go ahead and go to war. (Which might well have
been what the folks back home really wanted anyway, even if they
couldn't officially come out and say it.)
I guess this is what you would call "American ingenuity". :-)
- Logan
[1] which, for you non-Americans, was a form of unofficial, impromptu
government formed to organize the colonies so they could rebel
[2] i.e. rebellion |
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play-on
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:11 pm Post subject:
Re: Cost of gear in UK. |
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On Tue, 30 Nov 2004 18:50:39 -0800, Kurt Albershardt <kurt@nv.net>
wrote:
| Quote: | pete wrote:
Now the exchange rate is 1.91 and has been fairly high for quite a
while, Comparing the less-tax prices, somewhere in the chain, around
40 - 60 percent is being added to the price of these items.
Just as an egsample:
A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524)
So around 50 percent dearer.
So, who is making this 'bonus'?
Partly the importer, partly the VAT.
Consider taing a cheap flight to NY, buying the stuff and carry or ship it back yourself. Do the math--sometimes this can save a bundle, especially if you get a few friends in on the deal.
|
Or, buy on ebay, from a reputable seller of course. Used gear can be
declared at a much lower value as well, saving you a lot of duty fees.
Al |
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James Perrett
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:11 pm Post subject:
Re: Cost of gear in UK. |
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pete wrote:
| Quote: |
Just as an egsample:
A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524)
So around 50 percent dearer.
So, who is making this 'bonus'?
Pete.
|
I've bought a few direct imports - often before they became officially
available in the UK. One example was the FMR RNC. This cost me 170
pounds direct from FMR including carriage, VAT and import duty. When
they found a UK distributor the official price was 199 pounds although
I've seen them a little cheaper. So I saved a little on the UK price but
not that much. If I had bought more than one then I would have saved on
the carriage, probably knocking 10-15 pounds off the price of each one.
If you are looking for a bargain it is also worth looking at some of the
German places like Thomann or Music Store in Cologne. One guy I know
buys all his music gear from Thomann now.
Cheers.
James. |
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Mike Rivers
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Dec 02, 2004 12:11 am Post subject:
Re: Cost of gear in UK. |
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In article <w2erd.35121$bP2.18703@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com> neil.henderson@sbcglobal.netNOSPAM writes:
| Quote: | I've recently discovered Yellow Tail, from Australia, which makes a
not-too-half-ass-bad Merlot (although their Shiraz leaves quite a lot to be
desired), anyone else try this one yet?
|
Ah, finally! Back to an appropriate topic for r.a.p. It seems that
Aussie wines are the next California wines. They're everywhere.
--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo |
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