They've done it again - it's more costly in the UK

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NPMR

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They\'ve done it again - it\'s more costly in the UK

I've been trying to source a Lopolight but am resisting the very high price.

Typically UK price for the one I want is 240 - 280 GBP.
US price $330 which equals about 175GBP
Europe (Germany) it's about the same as the UK

Why do they keep doing this? The standard of living in the US is much higher, so why?
 
Re: They\'ve done it again - it\'s more costly in the UK

ooh, I'd say at a guess it is that generally, we have higher labour, building and infratructure costs, not to mention that the UK and Europe work on higher margins than the US and that the US has a domestic market 6-7 times that of the UK sso economies of scale help as well.

Other than the above no reason at all really...

Why don't you just buy it from the states?
 
Re: They\'ve done it again - it\'s more costly in the UK

"The standard of living in the US is much higher"

Not sure about this. Things seem cheaper at the moment due to a strong exchange rate, but if that falls to $1.5/£ as it was a few years ago then the light becomes £220 - which is very simalar to the UK.

As for higher standard of living - in terms of what? They have cheaper land prices (due to how big the place is!) and fuel prices (due to the amount of tax the UK Gov put on it), but their actual living standards are very simalar to western europe.

In terms of the price - it largely depends which state you are in. Some have very low sales taxes (5%) others are higher (9%). Remember in the UK we pay 17.5% - so if you factor out the unusual exchange rate and take ex tax prices they are probably quite simalar. For the extra tax remember we are privaleged with the NHS (another can of worms altogether, but free which is a million miles ahead of the US system)

I looked at getting all sorts of things from the US for our boat, but postage and potential UK VAT makes them more expensive in the end. For example a Kyocera solar panel was around £100 cheaper over there, but postage would be $265! Interestingly Navionics charts are strange. In the UK they are all around £160. In the US they are around $300 (so very simalar), except for charts of the US itself which are only $200 - yet it is just different data on the same card - bizarre! I went over looking to buy 4 charts and ended up just buying the Caribbean ones, as the rest were the same price back in the UK.

Crazy old world ain't it!! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Jonny
 
Re: They\'ve done it again - it\'s more costly in the UK

[ QUOTE ]
Interestingly Navionics charts are strange. In the UK they are all around £160. In the US they are around $300 (so very simalar), except for charts of the US itself which are only $200 - yet it is just different data on the same card - bizarre! I went over looking to buy 4 charts and ended up just buying the Caribbean ones, as the rest were the same price back in the UK.

Crazy old world ain't it!! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Jonny

[/ QUOTE ]

Simple answer. Chart data in the UK is crown copyright and the UKHO charge for it big time. Doesnt matter where you buy the charts of the UK, the data still is crown copyright and stioll has to be bought.

In the US they take the civilised view that the chart data belongs to the govt and the govt belongs to the people (other way round here) so chart data is free. Which is why you can download US charts foc.

Land maps are much cheaper in the UK because satellite mapping is freely available so the UK govt doesnt have a monopoly
 
Re: They\'ve done it again - it\'s more costly in the UK

[ QUOTE ]
Not sure about this. Things seem cheaper at the moment due to a strong exchange rate, but if that falls to $1.5/£ as it was a few years ago then the light becomes £220 - which is very simalar to the UK.

[/ QUOTE ]which only works if the software doesn't come from the US.... if it does then all it means is that soemone somwehere is making a massively increased margin against the exchange rate..... and in reality they shoudl have reduced the prices as the exchange rate moved....
 
Re: They\'ve done it again - it\'s more costly in the UK

[ QUOTE ]

Typically UK price for the one I want is 240 - 280 GBP.


[/ QUOTE ]

You've been looking in the wrong places.
Bought a combined bow (red/green, boat >12m) from Seamark-Nunn last week for £180.
 
Re: They\'ve done it again - it\'s more costly in the UK

[ QUOTE ]
Simple answer. Chart data in the UK is crown copyright and the UKHO charge for it big time. Doesnt matter where you buy the charts of the UK, the data still is crown copyright and stioll has to be bought.

In the US they take the civilised view that the chart data belongs to the govt and the govt belongs to the people (other way round here) so chart data is free. Which is why you can download US charts foc.

Land maps are much cheaper in the UK because satellite mapping is freely available so the UK govt doesnt have a monopoly


[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, however the whole world charts are generally around £300 all over the world. However, the US charts are £200 in the US, but no where else. They are the same physical charts sold everywhere. Why can't we therefore pay US prices for US charts when bought in the UK? There's no economies of scale etc as its the same software, already written and put on identical chips, yet in the US they can do it £100 cheaper than anywhere else, but only for the chips with their own charts on?!

Just a thought!

Jonny
 
Re: They\'ve done it again - it\'s more costly in the UK

[ QUOTE ]
Quote:
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Not sure about this. Things seem cheaper at the moment due to a strong exchange rate, but if that falls to $1.5/£ as it was a few years ago then the light becomes £220 - which is very simalar to the UK.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

which only works if the software doesn't come from the US.... if it does then all it means is that soemone somwehere is making a massively increased margin against the exchange rate..... and in reality they should have reduced the prices as the exchange rate moved....

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry - crossed purposes here - I was referring to the Lopolights not software. If Lopolights are £230ish here, then the US price is reflective of the same price assuming they were priced 2 years ago when the ER was $1.50/£. Just because the ER has moved, why should the US market pay more? Its not their fault the £ is strong - sure it looks like its cheaper to us, but not to the US people who are still paid the same and therefore want to pay the same in their currency. Now - profit wise - it depends where the lights are made and what currency the parts are purchased in as to whether more or less profit is made by Lopo - but for the consumers in each country the ER movements don't make any difference to the price they pay locally. Of course we can get a 'bargain' by taking advantage of overseas prices when the exchange rate moves - and this is why people make millions on the forex markets. But its not 'Rip Off Britiain' causing the difference in this instance.

Jonny
 
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