talkmagic.co.uk

WHY are things soo much cheaper from the states?

From an American magic site, the following;
*Electric Touch Accessories
*Bruised
*Appearing 8 foot pole
*50 ways to rock a lighter
*page reveal-a-card
*small foam rock
*interlaced
*liquid metal

comes to $193.31 which is about £98 plus about $10-12 shipping

in the UK, this totals up to about... £151.46, PRESUMING shipping will be free, thats STILL a substantial difference... not slating British companies or anything, but to get stuff from the states on average, works out to be AT LEAST a 3rd cheaper... anyone care to shed any light on this?!?

It really depends where it's manufactured.

Dealers in the country have to import the effects, which will automatically bump-up their overheads.

Bear in mid - if you order this lot for a US dealer then - sure - you'll save some cash, but you may well get stung on import tax - which could be anything up to sixty quid

Import Duty of 3 to 7.5% and VAT of 17.5% will probably be added by the carrier, UPS, DHL, Post Office and they'll also add a fee for the admin costs. Not always but if the value is significant then it may very well happen.

robstanley1 wrote:It really depends where it's manufactured.

Dealers in the country have to import the effects, which will automatically bump-up their overheads.

Bear in mid - if you order this lot for a US dealer then - sure - you'll save some cash, but you may well get stung on import tax - which could be anything up to sixty quid

this will be my fourth transaction from this supplier, all around or above the £100 mark, i have yet to pay a single fee.... maybe im just lucky...

TheGurkha wrote:WHY are things soo much cheaper from the states?

It's called the exchange rate:

£1 = $2 (approximately).

Also, if you look at the differences between American and European manufacturing, there are quite a lot. European products tend to be hand crafted, or individually made. American products or more of a mass-produced sort of thing. It's a trend that goes all the way back to the first cars being sold. Ford made a ton of many because he made so many so quick and could sell them for less than pricey European cars.

TheGurkha,

Looks like you have been lucky, but its not guarenteed that the packages will always slip past the tax man.

You should really contact customs and excise and pay the tax you owe them, as a good citizen

you can contact them here

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/ac ... W012357708

Cardza wrote:

TheGurkha wrote:WHY are things soo much cheaper from the states?

It's called the exchange rate:

£1 = $2 (approximately).

Erm, no. If they were priced in Sterling using that exchange rate then the absolute cost would still be the same. It's not uncommon to see things priced close to £1=$1. Someone is making a stonking great margin because it's not all going on duty and transportation costs.

well, lets not split hairs eh charles...blimey...

yes, its nearly $2 for a quid at the mo...i order regularly from stevens magic emporium and occasionally from hank lee..never had to pay any import...

they get stamped as "educational" and i think there's some kinda rule which makes them exempt from paying import duty...BUT! im sure i'll be corrected on that soon enough if im technically wrong or used the incorrect vernacular

I've never been hit with import duty either as Abraxus says the box is usually labelled education or gift.

BTW: if the tax man is listening in all recieved imported good I do declare when recieved....honest!

Charles Calthrop wrote:

Cardza wrote:

TheGurkha wrote:WHY are things soo much cheaper from the states?

It's called the exchange rate:

£1 = $2 (approximately).

Erm, no. If they were priced in Sterling using that exchange rate then the absolute cost would still be the same.

But they're not.

Which means that the pricing doesn't have very much to do with the exchange rate.

Sorry if my reply was a bit short. I'm having a tough few days. I'm probably better of fnot posting until my outlooks improved a bit.

Charles Calthrop wrote:Which means that the pricing doesn't have very much to do with the exchange rate.

Sorry if my reply was a bit short. I'm having a tough few days. I'm probably better of fnot posting until my outlooks improved a bit.

No worries

What I meant was that the prices from American dealers stay fixed, but the exchange rate varies, which naturally affects how much a purchaser in the UK pays for an item from the States.

You're right, of course. I don't even know what I'm talking about.