The Expense of Telescopes !

[adamsp123]

Having once owned a retail outlet I can assure everyone that by far the biggest adder to the UK v USA prices, apart from import duty, is the the cost the supplier sells into the UK small retail system versus the price they sell in the USA.

I believe that they do this because a) the USA is a far bigger market and they can get away with charging more in the UK.

So it leaves the UK small retail business in a bind because if they cut their margins too much they go out of business very quickly.

I used to inwardly laugh at some of the punters we had who would state "knowingly" that we made 100% profit on an item....I wish! after taxes, rates, rent, bills, bank charges etc and the true profit margin, it was an order of magnitude less.

[johninderby]

I've found on many items of astro gear it can be a false economy to save a bit by importing, as if there is a problem the good UK astro dealers (we all know who they are) that you bought it from will bend over backwards to sort it out for you. Yes I do import some things occasionally, mainly if it's not available in the UK for some reason, but most of the time I try to support UK dealers.

Don't support you local dealer and you may find that that bit of equipment or replacement part that you desperately needed the next day isn't available because the dealer has gone under.

Whats that old song lyric " You don't know what you've got till it's gone"

John

[Scottie]

What a proverbial can of worms...

Hey good people !

Did you ever think whether you were wise to start a thread?

Life is short and I can be too fixed in my ways sometimes.

I hope some people were as thrilled as me at seeing those to-die-for scopes over in the US.

Imagine grabbing a cheap return to California and getting that great SCT for a song, taking in some lovely dark skies in Indiana before packing the scope in loads of thick socks and a stout case and returning home. Not every grown up thinks about the implications.

Here is some of the feedback I had from managers of scope shops over there

From Obsession telescopes:

Obsession 20" f/5 Classic Dob with Galaxy primary and and Ion Depostition 96% enhanced coatings is $6995. Interferometry certification included.

Estimated shipping and crating to UK is $1100.

From scope city :

Dear Customer,

We get hundreds of orders from customers outside the US, and we can and do ship orders to your country.

Some things to note about international orders:

1. You will be responsible for all freight and duty charges, broker

fees, local taxes (such as VAT) to import the product(s). Please

note that telescopes are large and heavy and the freight charges

are often as expensive as the telescope itself. If ordering from

the US because prices here are low, please keep that in mind.

2. We only accept payment by credit card (Canada Only), wire

transfer, PayPal, or Google CheckOut. If you choose to pay by wire

transfer, there is a supplemental bank charge of $60. For wire

transfers, we will e-mail you the bank transfer details when the

order is ready for payment.

3. Most companies will only honor warranties on products purchased

and/or used within the national boundaries of the country of

intended distribution. That means that if there is a distributor

for the product you want within your country or area of the world,

the local warranty may be invalid if you purchase the product from

outside your country. Different companies have different policies

with regard to warranties, so don’t hesitate to ask. Note that

Celestron and Meade will not honor warranties for scopes purchased

in the US if they are used outside the US unless they are returned

to the dealer you bought from and that dealer acts as your agent,

so you will be responsible for freight both ways if any warranty

issues arise, even if you bought it while you were within the USA.

4. If you need a freight quote for the product, please give us 48

hours to obtain one. We have to obtain shipping weights and then

call shippers for quotes because we use a different shipping

service for international orders. *We need a complete address with

phone number and postal code to obtain a freight quote*.

5. No US dealer is authorized to ship some products outside the US

(examples: Skywatcher, Meade, SBIG, Coronado, Takahashi, Sirius).

We _can_ ship Parks, Vixen, TeleVue, Konus, and PlaneWave scopes

and Technical Innovations observatories. If there is a question,

let us know the product and we will answer right away.

6. Any/all documents accompanying the shipment, by US law, must

clearly state actual values. We cannot and will not understate the

value of the shipment.

7. We do not ship to hotels. We have found most packages get lost or

stolen that way.

8. The 14" HD OTA should be available by January. We will presume it

weighs the same as the regular 14" Fastar Tube when we calculate

shipping from your address that you provide. I would guess that,

insured, freight may be $1000 to $1400, but we will know more when

we calculate based on the address.

Thank you for understanding.

Donald E. Pensack

General Manager

Scope City, Inc.

The Obsession 20" Dob inc. other costs maybe around £5000

The 14" Celestron HD OTA inc. other costs ...............£4500

Life's an adventure eh ?

Gordon

[pvaz]

Well, food for thought

U.S.offer Celestron Edge HD 14" GOTO package $9,999 / £6,001 current exchange rate

U.K dealer offer exact same scope package for £12,999

Why double the price for the U.K market?

Celestron Telescope EdgeHD-SC 356/3910 CGE Pro 1400 GoTo

Same scope shipped from Germany without taxes. You save a bit over 1000£ after adding shipping costs. The shipping costs will be 345€ for items up to 70kg.

Or you can wait on the GBP to go up against the euro again and it will be much cheaper.

Note: I never ordered anything from that site.

Edit: I'd like to point out FLO haves better rates on Skywatcher equipment then any European site I have seen. And they do have a 10% discount on other brands plus what seams to be a 1st class after sales service.

[lx200gps]

Well Steve I honestly don’t think that it is reckless for any of us shoppers to avoid paying VAT and duty on the items we import. Perhaps you could explain that one. You’re not pulling my leg are you??

Did you ever pay someone in cash for some job about the house? What if I said you were being reckless unless you ensured that said person paid their income tax and NI contributions.

John, you are very lucky to have a “local dealer”. I live in London and last time I looked there wasn’t any local dealers. I’ve just remembered there is one but that was who I was referring to in an earlier contribution so we don’t do business.

[FLO]

lx200gps, you are clearly trolling. I am sure you already know the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion.

I think that is enough from me in this thread.

[Scottie]

Ok Chaps,

This was a thread to share enthusiasm about obtaining telescopes and equipment which may normally be out of reach financially to us through the UK dealerships.

Is Astronomy is an awe inspiring and profound science the development of which is based on observation and dedication yet affected by costly instrumentation ?

How many of us do wonders with the humble scopes we own no matter how small in aperture, whether that is setting the eyes of schoolmates aglow, or ones partner and children gasping in amazement. The personal joy creates in me at least a restlessness to see more, hence ones aspiration to extend the scope collection.

So like the distant objects we search for, the ideal scope for the next target lies a few paychecks away perhaps and not necessarily in this country. By way of an alternative this is one of the reasons I will assemble a big newtonian myself one day. It's a long road well travelled.

So power to all of us. Happy star hunting.

Gordon

[bluee]

Nice conversation from all of the guys.

Well for the better koozie interact with me..Really appreciate to you..

[ollypenrice]

Nice conversation from all of the guys.

Well for the better koozie interact with me..Really appreciate to you..

??? I speak three languages but this ain't one of 'em!!

Olly

[Psychobilly]

??? I speak three languages but this ain't one of 'em!!

Olly

Don't worry Olly , I don't think you will have to try and read anymore

Peter...

[tollytastic1]

I have found the price difference in the US to be lower on most things especially RC(radio control) equipment so I find it best not to look:(.

The only time I did Import from the US was a set of headlamps for my Jeep which I needed after moving to France. French price 990 Euro for two plasic lamps:mad: and 100 Euro in the US (astro gear doesn't seem so bad).

After postage and tax the price rose to approx 200 Euro - still not bad. The lamps arrived in no time at all fitted easily right to the point of fitting the bulbs where, surprise surprise the moulding was slightly different and so could not be used:mad:. Because of the huge price diffence I took a chance but I found it a real stress and won"t be repeating the experience in a hurry.

Paul