EU PRICE/BRITISH PRICE

[J66Bass]

Hello Fellow basschat menber, should Bass chat highly recommended fellow  EU seller to Britain buyer a price accordingly to VAT Pay duties, the market is clearly dead is you like to buy a bass from the EU , I contacted recently a seller from Spain and indicated the problem. He didn’t care , the trouble is his bass is already well over price compared to a same Uk sale and the top we have to pay VAT , same as Eu custom buyer from us , I give you a example Uk market average price from let say a SB1000 aria from 900 /1100 pounds , in Europe I bought recently a Tatty Sb 900 for 600 euro , I saw one here from Spain for extra extra  MONEY IN pounds  NO VAT INCL I…went to eBay it turn up it’s actually cheaper with vat to buy one from JAPAN  , it DOES NOT MAKE SENSE ??? What are you thoughts, Thanks JM

Edited February 17, 2022 by J66Bass

[Doctor J]

You're right. That does not make a lick of sense.

Edited February 17, 2022 by Doctor J

[Woodinblack]

Are you complaining that a bass from the EU was too expensive?

 

[jimmyb625]

3 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Are you complaining that a bass from the EU was too expensive?

 

I think it's the opposite way around?

[Woodinblack]

8 minutes ago, jimmyb625 said:

I think it's the opposite way around?

 

Complaining that a bass from the EU was too cheap?

[Bolo]

Needs about 3,50

[yorks5stringer]

Well he got it right when he said Basschat menber....

[Steve Browning]

I am assuming you're in the UK, from what you say. When you are buying you need to take account of;

 

EU sellers and non-EU sellers are the same. For any price advertised, you need to add the cost of transporting, and import Duty (I think we reckon on 3%), and other costs and then 20% VAT on top of all that., That's how you would compare a non-UK price to a UK one.

 

UK prices will be cheaper, if you can source what you want in the UK.

[J66Bass]

I agree And yes sorry I’m in uk , French but living in uk for 34 years, the example I’m saying was from Spain in British pounds, what I’m trying to explain is a greater majority of buyer in this group are in uk , so when ever  EU Seller selling to Uk market or the other way round should reflect the price that vat is charged, in custom and shipping ,I recently bought a bass in eu I ask to be post to my parents in France and paid fair price, for it …

[J66Bass]

49 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Complaining that a bass from the EU was too cheap?

No far too expensive 

[J66Bass]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

Are you complaining that a bass from the EU was too expensive?

 

Yes 

[J66Bass]

2 hours ago, Doctor J said:

You're right. That does not make a lick of sense.

Sorry my English skills writing are not 100 percent 

[Woodinblack]

6 minutes ago, J66Bass said:

I agree And yes sorry I’m in uk , French but living in uk for 34 years, the example I’m saying was from Spain in British pounds, what I’m trying to explain is a greater majority of buyer in this group are in uk , so when ever  EU Seller selling to Uk market or the other way round should reflect the price that vat is charged, in custom and shipping ,I recently bought a bass in eu I ask to be post to my parents in France and paid fair price, for it …

 

Not really because the person selling it in spain (for instance) is not responsible for the costs of VAT and import duty of every non EU country in the world, which are all different. Unfortunately now we have removed ourself from the customs union that includes us, so our choices are reduced (in many things). THey just have to list where they are (the EU) and how much they are selling it for. It is the responsibilty for someone outside the EU to work out what their local customs and VAT charges are, because they are not fees they are getting.

 

And if you find something from somewhere else is too expensive, the best option is to not get it. Sadly (or maybe luckily) there were a few basses I have seen that I would have bought a few years ago before we left but now with charges they are too much.

 

 

[J66Bass]

8 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Not really because the person selling it in spain (for instance) is not responsible for the costs of VAT and import duty of every non EU country in the world, which are all different. Unfortunately now we have removed ourself from the customs union that includes us, so our choices are reduced (in many things). THey just have to list where they are (the EU) and how much they are selling it for. It is the responsibilty for someone outside the EU to work out what their local customs and VAT charges are, because they are not fees they are getting.

 

And if you find something from somewhere else is too expensive, the best option is to not get it. Sadly (or maybe luckily) there were a few basses I have seen that I would have bought a few years ago before we left but now with charges they are too much.

 

 

you’re right, I and probably la majority of Uk residents and British in Britain will have to shop in UK Only , very sad for everyone ,thanks for your feedback 

Edited February 17, 2022 by J66Bass

[Nicko]

11 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Not really because the person selling it in spain (for instance) is not responsible for the costs of VAT and import duty of every non EU country in the world, which are all different. Unfortunately now we have removed ourself from the customs union that includes us, so our choices are reduced (in many things). THey just have to list where they are (the EU) and how much they are selling it for. It is the responsibilty for someone outside the EU to work out what their local customs and VAT charges are, because they are not fees they are getting.

 

And if you find something from somewhere else is too expensive, the best option is to not get it. Sadly (or maybe luckily) there were a few basses I have seen that I would have bought a few years ago before we left but now with charges they are too much.

 

 

This is true, and has always been true for anything bought outside the EU.  I'd love to buy all my gear direct from the US where prices are cheap but have always had to pay import duty and shipping.  It's never made a lot of sense to me that the RRP of products in some countries of the EU is cheaper than it is in the UK (AFAIK we are still charging the same duty we were when we were in it).  The big problem IMO is that VAT should not be applicable on 2nd hand gear (whether imported or not) on a private sale.

[BigRedX]

Putting aside our withdrawal from the EU, the problem is that the UK is not physically connected to the rest of mainland Europe and therefore the transportation and distribution costs will always be higher.

[Woodinblack]

4 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Putting aside our withdrawal from the EU, the problem is that the UK is not physically connected to the rest of mainland Europe and therefore the transportation and distribution costs will always be higher.

 

That was never really that much of an issue - I did several pre-brexit trades and the shipping wasn't really a problem.

[BlueMoon]

25 minutes ago, Nicko said:

The big problem IMO is that VAT should not be applicable on 2nd hand gear (whether imported or not) on a private sale.

This is the killer punch..............both ways (EU/UK). Virtually killed the secondhand market unless something is extremely rare/desirable or the buyer factors in (and accepts) the extra 25% or so on the local asking price. 

 

I still look though🙃

[Machines]

Whenever there's a pricing debate - this is what applies:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_and_demand

 

 

[Steve Browning]

4 hours ago, Nicko said:

This is true, and has always been true for anything bought outside the EU.  I'd love to buy all my gear direct from the US where prices are cheap but have always had to pay import duty and shipping.  It's never made a lot of sense to me that the RRP of products in some countries of the EU is cheaper than it is in the UK (AFAIK we are still charging the same duty we were when we were in it).  The big problem IMO is that VAT should not be applicable on 2nd hand gear (whether imported or not) on a private sale.

The problem with that is that a business is immediately at a disadvantage. 

 

You need to be aware of the tax definition of what is business and what isn't.

[Downunderwonder]

4 hours ago, Steve Browning said:

The problem with that is that a business is immediately at a disadvantage. 

I dunno about that. If a business deals in used goods they can get a VAT credit on stuff that is exported.

[Steve Browning]

4 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

I dunno about that. If a business deals in used goods they can get a VAT credit on stuff that is exported.

Not sure what you mean there. Exported goods are zero rated, whether by a business or private individual. It is the recipient who foots the import costs. Of course incoterm DDP will affect that but that's getting a bit technical. 

[Downunderwonder]

13 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

incoterm DDP

??? Exported goods are zero rated for sales tax in the country of export. Hence the credit for sale tax embodied.

[Steve Browning]

What sales tax? There can't be a credit for zero. Shops and ordinary folk are on a level playing field. Do you mean credit for taxes on other costs (overheads etc)?

 

If you don't understand incoterms then you may be better off discussing something in which you have some expertise. DDP means Delivered Duty Paid and means the exporter covers all the costs from door to door.

[Bassfinger]

I buy from Thomann all the time (I'm probably single handedly responsible for their various stock shortages!). Im pretty sure theyre still in the EU and have haven't declared their premises UDI, and they still often undercut sellers in the next town.

 

That being the case I think your grievance is as much with the seller than any general situation regarding being in the EU or otherwise. The likes of Thomann show what can be done. Whether its an enormous administrative ball ache for them is a discussion for another thread, but they demonstrate that there is nothing inherently wrong with the prices they can supply to external EU customers.

 

Private sellers are a different kettle of aquatic life entirely, and wherever they are on the globe can often have ridicuous ideas about the worth of their wares. Again, that's down to sellers being greedy/chumps/taking valuation advice from Dave down the pub and little to do with their chosen country of residence.

 

If you found it cheaper in Japan and can get it delivered, then why the moan in the first place?  Just buy it and enjoy it. Life is too short to spend it whittling about inconsequential rubbish.

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Bassfinger
Found it cheaper in Zimbabwe