Price Rant!

[adamsp123]

I wish right from the outset to state clearly I am NOT having a go at the retailers that we all love who supply us in the UK with all our lovely astrostuff, having been in the retail trade myself I know what these guys are up against, suppliers pricing policies and enormous overheads.

But clearly manufactures do have an effect on what we pay here, just look at car pricing policies in the UK a few years ago....anyway to the point of this rant.

All names and identities have been altered to protect the innocent and actors voices have been used where necessary.

Telescope Y ...I call it Y so as not to confuse it with planet X

Telescope Y in the USA delivered in the USA costs 40% less than same manufactured, different brand name, telescope Y supplied in the UK delivered in the UK. Even taking international delivery + import duty + VAT on top of the original cost it is still a bit cheaper than buying Tele Y here. I will buy in UK if I go ahead but it is annoying to see these huge differences.

Rant over...I do feel better now

BTW no animals were hurt in the making of this rant...the cat was out!

[Beulah]

I used to import tone wood for guitarmaking from the US in the heady days when it was $2 to the £. What a hoot it was in those days...you could even laugh at the customs + parcelforce handling fee.

Alas, no more.

It seems that rip off Britain seems to have forgotten the exchange rate. Often I see a $500 (£305) telescope go for.....£500 in the UK.........

[michigander]

It seems that £1 = $1 no matter what the official exchange rate is.

Dana

[brianb]

"Rip off Britain" is by no means confined to astronomy products, the same pricing differential seems to be common right across the board. But the thing that really p's me off is the many, many mail order / internet retailers who apply a massive shipping surcharge on orders to Northern Ireland and then use Post Office Special Delivery which costs the same to all areas of the United Kingdom.

[Milamber]

BTW no animals were hurt in the making of this rant...the cat was out!

You flamed the cat???

Arthur

[adamsp123]

"Rip off Britain" is by no means confined to astronomy products, the same pricing differential seems to be common right across the board. But the thing that really p's me off is the many, many mail order / internet retailers who apply a massive shipping surcharge on orders to Northern Ireland and then use Post Office Special Delivery which costs the same to all areas of the United Kingdom.

Some do the same for "highland Scotland", these practices are outrageous.

[George]

Well if you want another example here goes:

Adobe Photoshop US $699 = £427

Adobe Photoshop UK £615 = $1004

That's a difference of £188, that's the downloadable version so no expensive shipping involved.

And they wonder why software is pirated

[adamsp123]

Well if you want another example here goes:

Adobe Photoshop US $699 = £427

Adobe Photoshop UK £615 = $1004

That's a difference of £188, that's the downloadable version so no expensive shipping involved.

And they wonder why software is pirated

OUTRAGEOUS for a download IMO

Try that free paintshop pro X (in another thread) I have been having a play and it seems pretty good.

[Euan]

I've shipped over quite a few items from the states over the past few years, when you find a good powerseller on Ebay you can really make some massive savings even with all the added tax

I've done it for a lot of electronic goods, although I don't think I would ever do it with any optical equipment just incase

I'm going to the US in the next year, so might by a PST but I wouldn't risk shipping it over, I just don't trust the process with anything fragile

[ron.s.g]

Its strange but some equipement cannot be sent from the states to us in uk as its prohibited from export but can be bought from over here.control of market prices the same as dvd etc.regards ron.s.g

[nitram100]

The new celestron CGEM mount is $1399.00 in the US but it's £1299 over here ? How the blumming hell does that work out? !

[arad85]

Perhaps a different slant... A few years ago, I was heavily into "high end" hi fi (an even MORE expensive hobby than astronomy - believe me!). The current prices for top end Naim equipment is (using £1=$1.62):

CD555 UK - £11,500, (=$18,630) US - $20,000

NAC552+PS UK - £15,100 (=$24,462) US - $27,100

NAP500 UK - £15,000 (=$24,300) US - $26,750.

UK prices inc VAT, US prices without sales tax - so the price you pay is even more in the states! Prices are about 10% HIGHER in the states than the UK. Feels good to have it the other way around for a change (and no, I don't own any of the above equipment )

[themos]

But if there's easy profit to be made, why aren't people bypassing these retailers and doing it for themselves?

[adamsp123]

I really don't think it is any fault of UK retailers, certainly in the majority of cases.

As Arad85 pointed out some goods are more expensive in the states, but I get a general feeling that manufactures of our hobby equipment use the same price in terms of the actual number whether it be in dollars, euros or pounds so we always lose out.

[Coco]

I work in imports and the reasons behind our price difference is this.based on £$1/1.5 and our warehouse compared to our Californian warehouse.

1 40' container from Taipei

To the USA = $500 (£333.00) + transport from the docks $280.00 (£186)

To the UK = £1000 ($1500.00 + transport from the docks (in my case £500 Felixstowe - Preston )

Buyers

UK = 61,000,000 citizens (smaller orders from the factory)

USA = 304,000,000 citizens (larger orders from the factory)

Warehousing Costs

UK = £6-8 per square foot

USA = $3-5 per square foot (£2 - 3)

Wages similar...

So in my case its easy to explain why..

Guy......

[John]

But if there's easy profit to be made, why aren't people bypassing these retailers and doing it for themselves?

One factor might be, as I understand it, brands like Celestron and Meade won't provide any warrenty on a product unless it's purchased from within it's intended market through an authorised retailer. Might not be an issue with something simple like an eyepiece but for a more complex bit of kit it's certainly a risk.

John

[MeerkatinBKK]

One factor might be, as I understand it, brands like Celestron and Meade won't provide any warrenty on a product unless it's purchased from within it's intended market through an authorised retailer. Might not be an issue with something simple like an eyepiece but for a more complex bit of kit it's certainly a risk.

John

Agreed, and that's the reason I went with Thailand's only authorised Celestron dealer for my 8SE - at the whopping price of 1,600 quid - about 60% more than the UK and over double the RRP in the US. Ironic considering I'm a lot closer to the factory where they're made than either the UK or US.

Even if I'd found a dealer offshore prepared to ship one here, I'd have warranty worries, shipping worries, and most of all customs worries (the customs agency here being notoriously as bent as a three-bob note and often 'hijacking' shipments for an arbitrary ransom). For smaller items I can buy in the UK for shipment to my folks there and get them to bring it out to me when they visit (Cheers FLO - another order coming your way next month!).

I'm ecstatic that my next major purchase, an EQ6, will "only" cost about 30% more than at home. Still, it could be worse; import duties on foreign cars here for example go up to about 350% of cost including freight...

The beer's cheap though

Nick

[adamsp123]

Thanks Coco for those very interesting figures.

Having owned a retail outlet you would not believe how much you have to pay for rent/rates, waste collection, bank charges are horrendous, phone leccy bills at business rates etc ect.