Why is festool so much more expensive here ?

[KingAether]

Anyone have any knowledge on why we pay so much more than the US ? My best guess would be "America bigger, profit higher" but im curious.
Looking around it seems like we tend to pay about £150 more on any given item over here! which seems a little crazy.

Specifically ive been looking at sanders and noticed the ets125 is $250 in the US or £350/$435 over here and the ETS 150/5 eq+ is $430 US or £510~($630) here, both options ending up around £160/$200 more for us.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I paid £17.50 for an ointment that was made in Thailand (I couldn't get it on prescription). It had a price on the box in Thai Baht ............... which worked out at £1.80. It's Britain, it's known worldwide as a place to rip people off.

 

[Spectric]

Not just Festool but probably almost everything. Yes we are a smaller market but we also seem to have a reputation for being easily ripped off. Camera gear is much cheaper in the US, kitchen pots & pans are also cheaper and lets not overlook wood yet here in the UK we are only a stones throw from Germany yet it seems the price drops as it travels further away from us. What about the other direction, Woodpeckers 1281 square in the states is $122.99 (£99) and in the UK we can have it for £137.95 which is an extra £37 but who is getting this extra cost, import duty is a part but anyone else.

 

[Sideways]

When I was travelling a lot several years ago, I found the UK was a cheaper than most countries for a lot of stuff. Times change but there isn't one simplistic answer.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I saw a Marples chisel priced 25 years ago at £17.50 at our local builder's merchants (I remember because someone got hauled over the coals for booking two out at work). I found one in a very expensive suburban hardware shop in NZ for £12.50. They also had Estwings that we were paying £30 - £35 for for £12. I brought back DeWalt 18v stuff that even after paying GST there and duty and VAT when I came through customs weren't much more that half what it was here. Undoubtedly different now, NZ is expensive for many things.

 

[pgrbff]

So if UK is such a rip off why am I still ordering Festool from the UK. Significantly more expensive here in Italy as are most other brands.

 

[TRITON]

I know of a few who have went cycle touring in Europe. Bike packed to the gunwales and when they returned they had a different bike under all the kit

I sometimes think it would be cheaper to go on holiday somewhere, buy what you want, then bring it back. As long as you sneak it in theres nothing extra to pay, but even then some stuff is so much cheaper abroad that even paying tax it still is going to work out far cheaper than buying new in the UK.

All this wealth though is on paper. The average Brit is not wealthy as you would think for such a wealthy country*

*Yes...Tories in power, the most corrupted political party outside of Africa.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

For goods manufactured in the US being sold in the UK:

• VAT is at 20% vs sales tax in the US typically 4-7% depending on state
• import duties which depend on item - around 2% on a few I looked up
• shipping costs
• admin, documentation and processing

Taken together I can see that prices may be 20-30% higher than the US. Some of the rest may be due to higher volumes for the US domestic market making spares availability and service support more efficient - or a bit of exploitation!!

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Anyone have any knowledge on why we pay so much more than the US ? My best guess would be "America bigger, profit higher" but im curious.
Looking around it seems like we tend to pay about £150 more on any given item over here! which seems a little crazy.

Specifically ive been looking at sanders and noticed the ets125 is $250 in the US or £350/$435 over here and the ETS 150/5 eq+ is $430 US or £510~($630) here, both options ending up around £160/$200 more for us.

Be thankful that you don’t buy in Japan where £150 extra would be welcome. There the prices are double!

 

[clogs]

when I came back from living in California DeWalt was the big thing.......
I'd compared prices and was horrified.......
went to a tool show here in the UK and took some US magazines with adverts and costing.......
asked why the price difference .....
The D/W tool rep said it's just what we can get away with.......rip off britain...

remember B/Decker would design and produce a model run lets say 100,000 unit......
in the states that would eqate to a million.....

Ps... Millwauke is roughly 2-3 times the cost here compared to the UK.......even Bosch and D/W are almost as bad.........
thats why Parkside do so well, run it into the ground and either exchange it or just buy another one.......
even so called pro's use their stuff......

I've aways said we need free trade between the UK and the US>>>>but it wont happen whilst that spineless UK hating freak is in the White House
and trump wasn't much better either......

 

[Val]

So if UK is such a rip off why am I still ordering Festool from the UK. Significantly more expensive here in Italy as are most other brands.

With the only difference that, when I’m in Italy, if I want to buy in any other EU country I can do it without hindrance… a couple of years ago I remember there were some good deals in Czech Republic for Festool.

 

[pgrbff]

With the only difference that, when I’m in Italy, if I want to buy in any other EU country I can do it without hindrance… a couple of years ago I remember there were some good deals in Czech Republic for Festool.

If I'm not visiting the UK, Festool comes from Germany, and I think once from an East European country. When I showed an Italian Festool dealer what I'd paid in the UK for an 18V Festool drill he was so angry he immediately called his rep to ask why. The rep said it was against the law to sell in Italy for less than cost, which has to be rubbish.

 

[Daniel2]

If I'm not visiting the UK, Festool comes from Germany, and I think once from an East European country. When I showed an Italian Festool dealer what I'd paid in the UK for an 18V Festool drill he was so angry he immediately called his rep to ask why. The rep said it was against the law to sell in Italy for less than cost, which has to be rubbish.

That is indeed the legislation here in France.

 

[pgrbff]

But every supermarket in Italy has "sottocosto" or below-cost deals, every day of the year. Something doesn't add up. If Festool do a deal with a UK distributor to offer good discounts why doesn't that happen in Italy? Festool Italy would not be selling at less than cost.

 

[Noel]

With the only difference that, when I’m in Italy, if I want to buy in any other EU country I can do it without hindrance… a couple of years ago I remember there were some good deals in Czech Republic for Festool.

Going by your location you can still buy without hindrance.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Any manufacturer will try to maximise its margins. Prices are set based on what people will pay. If people don’t pay what is asked the price will come down. If they sell more than expected the next model will be more expensive in that country.
Should be the same for some of the trades on here too. If you have a full order book you should seriously consider upping you price.

 

[Val]

Going by your location you can still buy without hindrance.

Sometimes that is true, other times (because of ignorance or laziness on the vendor’s side) we are just “dumped” together with GB and they refuse to ship, especially true for big items requiring pallet delivery

 

[pgrbff]

Sometimes that is true, other times (because of ignorance or laziness on the vendor’s side) we are just “dumped” together with GB and they refuse to ship, especially true for big items requiring pallet delivery

Why is Belfast considered EU? I don't have TV so I haven't really followed Brexit that much. I used to live near Drogheda and would to pop to Newry to post stuff as it was much more economical than using anPost.

Edit. Sorry missed the "when I'm in Italy bit"
Edit, edit. But Italy wouldn't be grouped with GB, so got it wrong again.

 

[artie]

Why is Belfast considered EU?

Yes and no.

We are as usual in a somewhat unique situation which some people can't be bothered to figure out,
To our and their loss.

 

[Val]

Why is Belfast considered EU? I don't have TV so I haven't really followed Brexit that much. I used to live near Drogheda and would to pop to Newry to post stuff as it was much more economical than using anPost.

Edit. Sorry missed the "when I'm in Italy bit"
Edit, edit. But Italy wouldn't be grouped with GB, so got it wrong again.

NI is not in the EU, as we’re not part of the political infrastructure and in fact we have lost our MEPs.
However, we are part of the single market and the customs union through a bilateral agreement (the NI Protocol), which means we can trade (more or less) freely with the EU. Many countries are part of either commercial community of the EU even though they are not part of the political one: Turkey, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, etc.

However, NI is the only country (bar microstates) that is part of both SM and CU without being part of the EU.
This special arrangement is due to the peculiar geographical and historical situation we have here in NI, a rapid googling will give you all the context you need.

We’re also in a favourable position since we can trade (more or less) freely with GB, so if only we had a functioning local government, there would be much to be gained from such a privileged arrangement.

Alas, politics in NI are sectarian and quite convoluted, so the unionist DUP has collapsed the shared parliament in Stormont and at the moment we are not able to get all the benefits that come from our position.
Such form of self-harm can be understood if put in the greater UK-wide context of enactment of detrimental policies for unsubstantiated political ideologies, with roots going deep and wide in the past decades.