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Is it cheaper from the states
A couple of posts today have been asking prices for various bits of kit and software. The pound is very strong against the dollar just now, and like a lot of things, we in the uk seem to be ripped off compared with stateside prices, this american site lists prices off all the main stuff we use here,
http://www.signsupply.com/Index_Ordway.asp
Just wondered if things are really cheaper there and if so, all things considered is it worth importing from the states?
Peter -
8 Replies
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When you convert it to pounds and pence, it is cheaper on most items. I bet the courier charge is a little high though 😉
The ribbons are cheaper by far for the PC60, app tape is cheaper, but there is no comparison for 751 Oracal vinyl, they don’t seem to sell it at all 😕
Cheers, Dewi
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I was thinking the same thing but you pay import duty and VAT above purchase price. I may still do so after getting hammered £80 for two roll of vinyl from Ireland for shipping costs.
Goop.
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Interesting. Of course we get ripped off over here. But then maybe our wages are higher than theirs?
Having checked a couple of things on that site, it seems our prices are almost double the American prices.
Don’t know how confident I would be buying a bit of kit from 4000 miles away though. -
like has been said, by the time shipping etc comes into it your stuffed.
not to mention support! lets say machine breaks down… call out charge for tech is a flight 1st class on 747 :lol1: nah but you can imagine there being hassles ethere too…software, not sure prices on signlab today so dont quote me.. i know a while back when we bought ours they were £2000 each full package.
so drop a third off that and youve saved a fair bit. support would be over the phone anyway…as for buying in the states. we actualy paid deposit etc on a full neon plant from the states. im not expert on it but we spent allot of time with them on phone and reading up on it all.. going the route we took we were saving something like £15 thousand on our setup… now thats a good saving 😉
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It may be cheaper over here (America), but the beer is much nicer in the UK. 😀
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When buying small items from the US (nothing larger than say a software box) get the sender to put on the customs declaration, small green form on the packaging, that its a “gift” and you’ll not pay import or vat 😉
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Yes, things are much, much cheaper in the US but it is not necessarily all because the manufacturers or suppliers in the UK are ripping us off. A lot of the difference is because the costs and overheads of doing business in the UK are so much more expensive. We are also helped by the exchange rate although there is no telling how long this situation will last.
Example. Honda GoldWing GL1800ABS here is about £18,000 and in the US about $18,000, which is currently £10670. You don’t pay US sales tax on exports but you do pay $200 shipping plus 8% duty and 17% VAT to our Customs and Excise. That is a total price of £12441 for a saving of £5500.
Of course, if you are registered, and are careful how you explain it to the nice man from the VAT, you can claim that part back, so the actual cost comes down to £10667 on the road. I couldn’t resist that sort of saving so mine should be leaving Fort Lauderdale in the middle of next month.
Anybody fancy a VTX1800C for about £8500 because there should be a couple of those in the container along with my Wing, together with a few used bikes as well.
Happy Days. 😀
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I ordered 1 gallon of clear lacquer from USA last year as it was the cheapest option to “Frog juice”.
When it eventually arrived, the carrier had been told by our nice man at the customs to collect another £35 for import duty.
This turned out to be a waste of time.
Long John
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