A Nation of Shopkeepers?

[Nechtan]

Sorry to repeat an old theme, but having just dealt with West Marine for a couple of items, I'm astonished at how they wipe the floor with any European chandlers in terms of service and price. With delivery, the products cost me 100 quid, including delivery (within a week). Cheapest I could find online in Europe was £128, excluding delivery - and these things are made in Germany! Even with VAT added, it's a good deal (sometimes VAT is not collected, I must add). But the price is only a part of it. Their website, product range and service all beat our online chandlers hands-down - if only one of our chandlers could match West Marine on these, then I would pay a bit extra to support a 'local' business (I do appreciate economies of scale), but no-one comes close (I also use Gaelforce, Compass, marinestore, on-line-marine, mailspeed, and others). West Marine even seem to keep stock and show you this online - no doubt regarded as inefficent by 'our boys'. Why oh why are we so rubbish at this? All they have to do is copy West Marine's model business - Perhaps Napoleon was wrong, maybe we're not even a nation of shopkeepers?


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[byron]

<font color=blue>You don't say what the item{s} were. If they were the sort of thing available from Ye Caravan Shoppe then possibly you would have matched West Marine's price there. By posting this I am not detracting from West Marine's superb catalogue and excellent service.

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[bedouin]

There's a bit of luck in it. If they catch you they will charge you for Duty, VAT and a handling charge. That will take the cost well over the best price in the UK. It is also likely that you are profitting from a stronger pound now than when the WM prices were set - making things cheaper.

What products are you talking about?

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[Nechtan]

It was 2 Hella fans.

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[DavidBolger]

How do I contact these guys?

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[Nechtan]

www.westmarine.com
I would recommend their catalogue. Even if you never order from them, it lets you know what products are out there. There's more info in a West Marine catalogue than in many yachting books.

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[david_e]

Following your comments on here Byron, I ordered a batch of gear including lifejackets from allgadgets and found them very good. Having said that, they did forget to put two items in but they were sent next day no quibble.

For the price of two lifejackets retail I got; two lifejackets + harnesses and two rescue kites/infaltable splint, a foghorn with two cannister. two superduperdrying towels and funky Gul surfwatch. Downside is I now have to get another for other small person!

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[byron]

<font color=blue>I'm sure if you Email them they will let you have one cheap. They are a very easy firm to deal with and the owner is a Yottie too.

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[pvb]

Remember that...

You're right to say how good West Marine's service is. But remember that West Marine is a simply enormous business, with around 250 retail stores as well as the outstanding mail order business. It's their size which enables them to offer the range, service and support which we in the UK find so amazing.

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[charles_reed]

My impression is that the main thing about the UK lies in our attitude - we dislike serving people in case we are seen as being their inferior.

Spending time abroad it is something that strikes one time and time again. Coupled with that the UK leisure marine industry is fragmented and not very professional.

Certainly it's cheaper to buy boat things outside the UK, but I've found that importing from the States is generally as expensive as buying in the UK by the time you've added duty, VAT and carriage.
I did order from the States (not West Marine, they didn't have them) 3 big Harken carbo cheek blocks - the number of $ was slightly less than in £ here in the UK and nobody had stock anywhere in Europe.
Shopping around you can usually source marine gear cheaper somewhere else than in the UK.

I suppose it depends on whether you're cash- or time- rich - they tend to be mutually contradictory.

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[poggy]

Hi,

They will catch you if you don't pay VAT and order within the EU. The only way for them to ship VAT free is if they have your VAT number. We ship equipment within the EU and have to fill in special Customs and Excise forms detailing all our transactions with zero VAT in the EU and with the customers VAT numbers.

Anyway I think we should try and keep the business in the UK and support local business. Remember if you need after sales support you could be in for a lot of cost if you need to go back to the original supplier. Although if you buy in the EU a warranty applies in all of Europe this does not cover exchanges. If you buy something and it goes wrong in the first few days, then you would expect an exchange. If you bought outside the UK and then tried to use the local dealer they are not obliged to exchange it only repair it so you could be without your kit for a while.

Poggy

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[jimi]

Allgadgets

I too have found Allgadgets excellent, first class service and price .. but don't give him your home phone no. or there's a chance the wife'll find out you're spendind more money on the boat when your credit card details are'nt quite right .. as I know to my cost/forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[richardandtracy]

Britain, the land of the ripped off.

I agree. The lower 48 states of the US tend to be significantly cheaper in most things. I've had books shipped to the UK from California arrive before I'd expect UK companies to react at prices lower than the British Publisher's list price. Alaska, however, is on a par with the UK - except for fuel (but you can't post that).

The only stuff I've not been able to source cheaper in the US is computer bits and optical (not digital) camera gear.

How the US can get their productivity levels up high enough to have cheaper goods and higher salaries, I really don't know. Wish I did though, make a mint that way.

Regards

Richard


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[AJW]

Re: Allgadgets

Agree about Allgadgets. Different perspective - SWMBO is from Newfoundland, Eastern Canada home to a smallish community of yotties and few chandlerys. Ordered two sets of Nasa Clipper instruments through Allgadgets as they were much cheaper than sourcing either in Canada or US! Allgadgets arranged delivery to door in Newfoundland. V impressed!

In terms of sourcing bits of kit for UK - last year I was looking for a Chartplotter and found that US pricing (West Marine etc) once converted to UK was not that significantly cheaper - even if HM Customs dont catch up with you. Mind you I suspect this is all to do with global mfrs such as Garmin, Lowrance etc fixing prices on a global level. IIRC some electronic products in the West Marine catalogue have a rider that they cannot be supplied outside continental US. Soultion is to order via a mate in US!

AJ

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[Guest]

Re: Britain, the land of the ripped off.

Yes, agreed, many things here in the US are cheaper. Alot of social problems exist here which I think Britian, Canada, Australia and other European countries take better care of. If you don't have full-time employment, medical costs are out of reach of millions. Being self employed it is approx $400 a month to cover myself, wife and son and its still a co-payment seeing a doctor or if hospitization happens. There's thousands of homeless that aren't getting adequate or any mental or social services and millions of jobs are minimum wage, esp in areas that the sun always shines. Unfortunately, most high paying jobs require beyond high school as in a four year college degree and from what I've been reading lately, by the time my 13 year old will be fulltime job seeking, a masters will also be expected to get the upper edge. Regards, Fitzy

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[Tantalus]

Re: Allgadgets

Soultion is to order via a mate in US!

Speaking of which...while I'm still here...only too happy to oblige. Just PM me. Though you'd laugh if you ever saw the tiny post office here in the little town I live in. I'm sure the postmistress already thinks I'm somewhat of a shady character. God knows what she'd think with parcells coming and going.

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