EU vs UK prices Axminster vs Dieter Schmid

[beech1948]

I was looking this morning at prices for a new Veritas No4 smoother.

Axminster : £282.50

Schmid : £210.70 (A2 blade)

Both include VAT and both include P&P. Obviously there will be a charge for conversion of GBP to Euro.

So why are Dieter Schmid £71.80 LESS than Axminster.

WHAT !!??

Order placed with Dieter Schmid via English speaking customer service...seems excellent

Al

 

[carlb40]

No idea on the pricing. Pity he doesn't stock Lie Nielsen

 

[Mike.S]

Schmid's competitive pricing, particularly on Veritas goods, has been noted before:

dieter-schmid-at-fine-tools-t63109.html?hilit=%20schmid

 

[beech1948]

The thing I'm now questioning is the perceived value from Axminster.

Schmid is cheaper almost all through the products they sell vs Axi.

Does this mean that Axi are deliberately increasing the prices of stuff over and above a reasonable return. Certainly £282 is an huge price particularly compared to the US/Canadian prices.

I've long felt that UK prices are artificially high.

Al

 

[Mike.S]

I've long felt that UK prices are artificially high.

Al

I agree.

'Resale Price Maintenance' is meant to be illegal but there's evidence of it e.g.

- Compare the prices of Fuji spray equipment at the two UK agents (Axminster and Rutlands) - note the similarity.

- Festool prices until recently. As discussed here

- A friend manages a white and brown goods appliance shop. He tells me that they have to display the 'agreed' price, otherwise the manufacturer will cease to supply them. However, any customer who asks will get the 'discounted' price that they're happy to sell at.

The OFT need to sharpen their act up.

 

[snikolaev28]

My reply will be about UK (not Axminster) and Dieter prices.
I'm living outside EU - in Ukraine. So my country is not EU member. When I buy tools from Dieter Schmid I know that I pay money without VAT because I order delivery to Ukraine. So the total amount is 19% less.

When I ask about possibility of delivery from UK to Ukraine, some sellers deduct VAT some not deduct.

So comic situation - our President and EU high officials conduct meeting about step by step approaching Ukraine to EU, and some UK sellers count that Ukraine is an EU-member and doesn't want deduct a VAT for me ;-)
Or absence of logic?

 

[Mike.S]

snikolaev

I sympathise but suspect the problem is one of ignorance by the UK supplier about exporting (outside the EU) without charging VAT, though the rules are clearly laid out by HMRC (the UK's tax authority).

Just out of curiosity, have you noticed any price differences (ignoring tax) between the UK and Ukraine e.g. does a specific tool made by Bosch, Makita or whoever cost more or less?

 

[iNewbie]

So why are Dieter Schmid £71.80 LESS than Axminster.

Does Schmid order direct from Veritas - while Axi come via a distributor, Brimarc.

 

[Mattty]

So why are Dieter Schmid £71.80 LESS than Axminster.

Does Schmid order direct from Veritas - while Axi come via a distributor, Brimarc.

I wonder who owns Brimarc...

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Elliotts tool warehouse was much cheaper than Axi (or anyone else for that matter) when I bought a Veritas medium shoulder plane - and it arrived despatched direct from Brimarc - who's trading address is the same as Axminster. Go figure.

 

[beech1948]

So why are Dieter Schmid £71.80 LESS than Axminster.

Does Schmid order direct from Veritas - while Axi come via a distributor, Brimarc.

Axminster own Brimarc and are thus the sole UK distributor for Veritas and LN and all of their combined product list.

I don't know if Axminster have any wider distributorship eg Into EU.

Al

 

[iNewbie]

Oh yeah I know Axi/Bri are one. My point was Schmid wouldn't be taking a distributors cut.

 

[beech1948]

Or perhaps Schmid are the German Distributors

Al

 

[iNewbie]

Doesn't say that on the Veritas site - but lists Brimarc as the UK dealer network.

Veritas

 

[James C]

So do classichandtools and Peter Sefton get their Veritas line distributed by Brimac/Axi?

If so how does Peter Sefton offer the Low Angle Jack plane for 30 quid cheaper than Axi the company that are the distributor?

 

[beech1948]

iNewbie,

Axi/brimarc are the same company. They may have kept the signing of contracts separate simply because at the time of signing they were two separate companies. They are now one company. Instead of looking at Veritas web site try looking at Companies House web site which has more respectable info.

James C

I would think that ALL Veritas product goes through/comes from Axi/Brimarc.

Try asking Classic Hand Tools and Peter Sefton

Al

 

[iNewbie]

So do classichandtools and Peter Sefton get their Veritas line distributed by Brimac/Axi?

If so how does Peter Sefton offer the Low Angle Jack plane for 30 quid cheaper than Axi the company that are the distributor?

Maybe they offer a discount where as Axi, keep the price where they want it?

 

[iNewbie]

iNewbie,

Axi/brimarc are the same company. They may have kept the signing of contracts separate simply because at the time of signing they were two separate companies. They are now one company. Instead of looking at Veritas web site try looking at Companies House web site which has more respectable info.

James C

I would think that ALL Veritas product goes through/comes from Axi/Brimarc.

Try asking Classic Hand Tools and Peter Sefton

Al

I don't need to look at Company House. I already know they are one and the same - I don't like their pricing either.

My link suggested ALL Veritas come through Brimarc - them being the UK distributor!

 

[snikolaev28]

To Mike.S and others - the prices in Ukraine are higher than prices in EU, UK, US. Especially for power tools.
For example, trimming router Makita RT0700C withe the same bases man can buy in UK for 105 pounds (near 1270 Hrivnia - Ukrainian currency), but in Ukraine in the Internet shops you can see the same router with price 2570 hrivnia that's equal 212 pounds.

 

[rincerofwinds]

If Brimac are the distributor, then it is probably in their terms and conditions with Veritas that they cannot unfairly distinguish between retail sellers - so Axminster (even though its owned by the same people) and Peter Sefton have to be sold to at the same price. Peter Sefton, just accepts a lower % profit.

You also have to say if Axminster sold everything cheaper than any other retailers, no other dealers would bother buying from Brimac as they couldn't then compete and then the overall market would shrink