Rip off UK (Ltd)

[Stingo]

Re: Other Possibilities

They got back to me and their prices are exactly the same as the best price I've found in the UK. I asked them why there wasn't a difference because of VAT and the bloke I spoke to thinks that it is because they don't get as big a discount from Icom as UK based dealers. Mmm makes me wonder!!! Perhaps Jersey has been influenced by the Rip-off Britain attitude.

 

[Boatman]

Re: Other Possibilities

Try buying it in UK and exporting it to somewhere you can pick it up outside EU (ie non Vatable) Jersey ????????

 

[BarryD]

Why Rip-Off Britian?

Why is it "rip-off Britian?" - surely it is charging what the market will bear. Any 1st year economic student can understand that.

There has been a couple of threads on this subject - cost of moorings, cost of petrol, cost of diesel (as if getting it tax free is not enough) and now cost of electronics.

If you don't want to pay the price - then you are free not too buy the goods or the service. Vote with your keel / feet / purse / wallet. Boating is pleasure - you don't need any of this stuff, if you're doing it commercially then pass the charge on to your customer.

The cry that it is driving the customer away is rubbish, it's driving away those who don't want to pay the price. If enough leave then then the price either goes down or the service is withdrawn as uneconomic to operate.

Prehaps you are right and it is a £250 charge for a little 'E' - but reading the thread it becomes clear that there is more. Sure you could get some dealer or mate to blow the chip (void the warrenty) and set it to UK software revision. But then don't sit out in the channel with wet ankles wondering why it doesn't work.

Barry D.

 

[Stingo]

Re: Why Rip-Off Britian?

You make the observation that there are so many threads about this and that being expensive and if you recall the petrol boycotts earlier this year, you might remember that the price of petrol actually dropped a penny or two. The point I am trying to make is that if someone stands up and makes themselves heard, there is often a positive result for the rest of the crew. - including yourself!

Perhaps there just might be some company director from a marina, petroleum, electronics etc company reading these threads and they might notice that the likes of myself are looking for alternative sources of supply and thus their company is not getting the sale. Ya never know...

Further to that, there have been a few user's that have emailed me privately and given me some VERY helpful pointers in sourcing what I want (in the UK) at much better prices than I could have sourced it for. Now any 1st year marketing student knows that a caption must grab the attention of the user. It seems that I would have passed 1st year if I'd studied marketing.

 

[robp]

Re: Why Rip-Off Britian?

Barry, you may be right about "adapting" product for use in our market but I don't think so about market prices. How come the OFT caused government to "outlaw" distributors/manufacturers, from issuing any public price guide for 8 categories of brown and white goods? How come there has been an ongoing investigation into the auto industry price issue? There is a desire for the product but the UK definitely became the high profit market of Europe and beyond.

 

[Stingo]

Re: Why Rip-Off Britian?

And why can I buy a UK distilled scotch in South Africa for less than half the price it retails for in the UK even though it's been shipped halfway across the planet and is being sold in a market less than a quarter the size of the UK's market?

 

[charles_reed]

Well said Barry

We are, after all, free agents.

However I would say that of the whole of Europe the UK seems to be the most expensive - I can live on my boat in France for about 65% of what it costs in the UK (and their rate of VAT is 3.1% higher than the UK so it should be more expensive) and for about 50% in Portugal and 55% in Spain.

"Which" did a "grocery Basket" about 3 years ago, the UK was the most expensive with the Netherlands and Belguim tieing for the chaepest position.

Interestingly you find an enormous number of French, working in London and commuting from Paris and/or N France using the Eurostar.
And there's a wonderful example - buy your Eurostar ticket in France and it's 20% cheaper than the UK - and, if you're a senior citizen you can get a Carte Senior which entitles you to 50% fares on a rail system which is far faster, cheaper, cleaner and ample than the UK. The same UK Senior Railcard gets you 33.3% off your fares.

I spent four days in the intensive care unit of a Spanish hospital this summer (nothing serious only a general septicaemia) and in all except one facet it was superior to any NHS hospital. (the one facet was the food).

So, all-in-all I agree with the observation that it's "Rip-off Britain".

The question is WHY?

Is it because we are at the end of a boom economic cycle whereas the rest of the EC is just pulling out of recession?
Is it because governments of all hues have been increasing (frequently surreptiously) their tax-take?
Is it because of the inertia of the UK consumer?

Anyone like to comment.

Oh, by the way - when I bought my Icom 710 in 1999, the best overall cost I got was from MES in Bristol - comparing like with like they were cheaper than the US, the Netherlands or any other part of Europe.

 

[peterg]

Alcohol...

that won't be the distillers etc. ripping us off, that'll be the bloody government who insist upon putting massive amounts of Duty onto that which gives us so much pleasure (and alcohol as well heh heh)!

 

[trev]

Re: Other Possibilities

Why not register your boat in Panama, Liberia, or some other flag of convenience (necessity) state ? Then you can do what you like. Shipowners have been doing it for years !!

Trev

 

[Stingo]

Re: Other Possibilities

I am open to corretion on this one, but I think there's a limit as to how long a boat can remain in UK waters before it must be registered in the UK (6 months) and there's also a connection to the owners place of residence. So forming a Panama based company and selling my boat to the company and maintaining the company etc etc will probably cost more than the savings of buying kit outside of the UK (Europe).

Now I know I am heading for the big deep pond soon, but my boat has been in UK waters for many years so once again the score is beaurocratics 1, me 0

 

[robp]

Re: Well said Barry

Charles, I read somewhere, not so long ago, that direct and indirect taxes take a mean average of around 83% of our income in the UK. I'd be interested to know what the equivalent figure is in say France.

Regarding the other reasons that we are simply charged more. I'm convinced that it's been a culture that has evolved since we joined Europe and our food and essentials prices started to rise. Then in the seventies we had that massive inflation rate and we got used to prices escalating. We just started to be the market in which manufacturers could take bigger profits.

When you look around and see a particular product at a consistent price everywhere, it means: either the retailers' margin is low already, or there is pressure on them to fix their prices.

All these things having been said, we need to bear in mind that the retailers do need a reasonable margin. Everyone uses them to touch and feel products and maybe after sales service. Problem is that they don't always get it.

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Well said Barry

Why do UK retailers need a bigger margin than those in France, Netherlands, Belgium etc? For everthing we buy! I was buying beef in Holland cheaper than I could in the UK, during the BSE crisis! Something is very wrong with the UK, thats why I live in Portugal! Please lets not have anymore of this its down right depressing!

 

[Stingo]

Re: Well said Barry

Or let us all stand together and do our best to source our toys and single malt from anywhere but this mud island and perhaps then the price setters may lower their ambitions.

 

[jfkal]

Simple resolution. Kick the UK out of the WTO.

 

[mdrifter]

I know this is a bit late but NO DUTY is payable on importing a marine transceiver from USA. VAT is.