Rip Off Britain

novice · 2023-04-19 17:56:56

Am I the only one who gets angry about how shoppers in the UK are treated? This has bothered me for years but it just seems to get worse and worse. I've been thinking about buying a table saw and was looking at a particular Dewalt model. While looking at reviews on Youtube someone mentioned the price in the US and I couldn't believe it, so I had a look at some US prices for that model. A lot of shops had it at $399 but one retailer was selling it for $329 (£264). The best price I can find here in the UK is £469! I know all the arguments about America being a bigger market and all that, but that really is taking the p**s. What we could do with is someone like that Martin Lewis to look into it and see if it's the manufacturers or retailers that are causing our high prices. If it's the retailers were stuck, but if it's certain manufacturers at least we could boycott their products. Does this bother anybody else as much as me?

***END OF RANT***

jeffreyC · 2023-04-19 19:20:12

How much of that price difference is due to UK taxes and import tariffs?

DeWalt is an American company so it can be expected that American taxes and tariffs will be lower.

Martin · 2023-04-19 20:47:28

Part of it can be explained by customs and taxes but there are American companies who simply have decided Europeans have to pay more. I think you can come up with examples yourselves but here is a hint: When I traveled to the U.S. on a regular basis as part of my job it struck me a suitcase full of blue jeans bought over there would pay the transatlantic air ticket.

/Martin

novice · 2023-04-20 08:53:43

jeffreyC - I only mention Dewalt because I was recently looking at their gear, and it was a large amount, but it's not just them. And this isn't something I've just noticed because of that one instance. Over the years I've come across many examples of this. I've even seen things made in the UK that are sold cheaper over there. And it's not just America either, although the difference is larger there. While we were part of the stinking EU, and it was supposed to be a single market, you could still buy things in Germany or France and have them shipped over for less than you could buy them here. I think the UK is an easy target for this because we tend to just accept things like this and put up with it.

Sector11 · 2023-04-21 01:13:14

You don't even want to know about the prices of things in Argentina.
Computers, phones are and example of ±200% markup.

novice · 2023-04-21 12:28:47

You have my sympathies pal. At least now I know we're not the only ones. Talking about markup, another thing I was looking at: Newborn 930-GTD caulk gun. Amazon US - $16.22 (£13.08), Amazon UK £42.37. My blood pressure is rising again.
It isn't just about prices though. There seems to be a lack of willingness with UK retailers to keep varied stock. I'm trying to build a circular saw jig an American guy on Youtube built, but I can't find the steel channel he used anywhere over here. It was just some smooth steel c-section, but our metal dealers only seem to stock rusty old rough stuff.

Martin · 2023-04-22 10:24:41

novice wrote:

While we were part of the stinking EU, and it was supposed to be a single market, you could still buy things in Germany or France and have them shipped over for less than you could buy them here.

I think you (accidentally?) highlighted one of the benefits of "stinking EU".
:-)

/Martin

el_koraco · 2023-04-22 11:25:24

this is because the communists in power have been nuking the pound.

novice · 2023-04-22 21:07:44

Martin wrote:

I think you (accidentally?) highlighted one of the benefits of "stinking EU".
:-)

No, I don't think so. We can still buy things cheaper over there even though we're out now, so it wasn't a benefit being in. I was simply pointing out the fact that the UK is always shafted. Why should the UK have been paying more when it was supposed to be in a single market?

Martin · 2023-04-23 07:53:38

novice wrote:

Martin wrote:
I think you (accidentally?) highlighted one of the benefits of "stinking EU".
:-)
No, I don't think so. We can still buy things cheaper over there even though we're out now, so it wasn't a benefit being in. I was simply pointing out the fact that the UK is always shafted. Why should the UK have been paying more when it was supposed to be in a single market?

Because your retailers rip you off? They will keep doing that until enough customers take their business elsewhere.

Talking of which. I use my bicycle for my daily commute. I do so year around and winter road conditions are not nice to the gear so I need to replace things that wear out. Brexit meant UK dealers became too expensive to consider. Germany or local are the options now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmj0my0B07Q

/Martin

novice · 2023-04-23 10:31:32

Nice, and you didn't fall off once.

You're right Martin, they do. But it's not just the UK retailers. A lot of manufacturers do it as well, even UK ones. I've been studying this for years and it's not just my imagination. A few years ago Jeremy Clarkson tried to get something done about the high price of cars over here. He was calling out the manufacturers for overcharging us. It worked for a while, and there was some levelling out, but the disparity seems to have gradually crept back again.
Bye the way, I wasn't blaming the EU itself for the difference in prices, that was just an example of where I thought we weren't getting a fair deal. I really shouldn't have let my dislike for the EU intrude into this discussion.

THX1138 · 2023-05-04 13:38:58

some time ago (15 years or so) I met some people online from the USA and wanted to send them some jam that they couldnt get over there. The jam (if memory serves me correctly) would have cost me £2.50. The tax, they or I would have to pay, plus the cost of shipping, would have made it about £100. I can well believe that since the UK government has been pretending to have left the EU, taxes to ship goods, to or from, the USA have gone through the roof

Last edited by THX1138 (2023-05-04 13:39:56)

Sector11 · 2023-05-04 21:14:23

Government method of legalized theft = tax it!

THX1138 · 2023-05-05 15:40:53

Sector11 wrote:

Government method of legalized theft = tax it!

Yeah, I totally agree, we should all pay for our own roads, and build our own sewers, and buy our own cables that link to the grid

THX1138 · 2023-05-05 15:43:49

novice wrote:

jeffreyC - you could still buy things in Germany or France and have them shipped over for less than you could buy them here.

such as?

Sector11 · 2023-05-05 20:39:11

THX1138 wrote:

Sector11 wrote:
Government method of legalized theft = tax it!
Yeah, I totally agree, we should all pay for our own roads, and build our own sewers, and buy our own cables that link to the grid

No some taxes are justified but let's take a look here:
You're born. Your parents have to pay for the doctor, and there are taxes involved.
As you grow up, your parents are paying taxes on everything they buy you with money that is already taxed: their Income tax - 33% (example)

Die: everything you own, that you paid tax to get when you bought or earned it goes to someone else and they have to pay tax to get it.

blah blah....

#1 2023-04-19 17:56:56

Rip Off Britain

#2 2023-04-19 19:20:12

Re: Rip Off Britain

#3 2023-04-19 20:47:28

Re: Rip Off Britain

#4 2023-04-20 08:53:43

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#5 2023-04-21 01:13:14

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#6 2023-04-21 12:28:47

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#7 2023-04-22 10:24:41

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#8 2023-04-22 11:25:24

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#9 2023-04-22 21:07:44

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#10 2023-04-23 07:53:38

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#11 2023-04-23 10:31:32

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#12 2023-05-04 13:38:58

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#13 2023-05-04 21:14:23

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#14 2023-05-05 15:40:53

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#15 2023-05-05 15:43:49

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#16 2023-05-05 20:39:11

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