UK prices- can anyone explain why?

[rf065]

Does anyone import from abroad on this site, or know why prices can vary by so much, country to country? Are we generally just ripped of in the UK or are there any genuine reasons why we pay so much?

A couple of examples,

Meguiars Smooth Surface Clay Kit in Halfords is £24.99, yet I have just bought the exact same product in Walmart US for only $15.87, which is roughly less than £10.00!

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_253057_langId_-1_categoryId_165527

Mobil 1 from Halfords, was £47.99 for 4 litres, currently on sale at £38.39.
Yet Walmart US sells 4.73 litres (5 US Quarts) for $22, which is roughly £14 for a slightly bigger container than we buy.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_253057_langId_-1_categoryId_165527

How difficult is it to set up a business importing items like this or does UK taxes & import duty eat up any profit?

Russ

 

[television]

That is all a shock Russ,,the difference is too big

 

[rf065]

That is all a shock Russ,,the difference is too big

That is just a sample, I could have spent all day in Walmart noting prices consistantly less than half of what we pay in the UK.

Even Costco selling Mobil 1 (4 litres) at £23 in the UK starts to look expensive against £14 for 4.73 litres in Walmart.

Costco in the US were selling Mobil 1 in boxes of 6 X 1 US quart containers for $33, that works out at roughly 5.6 litres for £21, much cheaper than Costco UK.

Even allowing for Costco & Walmart to buy in bulk, there must be other reasons that they can sell everything so much cheaper than the UK.

Russ

 

[turbopete]

there is. and surprise surprise, in some form or other its TAX!!!!!!!!

 

[rf065]

there is. and surprise surprise, in some form or other its TAX!!!!!!!!

Meguiars Smooth Surface Clay Kit in Halfords is £24.99, Walmart £10?

Tax cannot possibly account for a difference as big as that.

Russ

 

[ricky s]

TAX is right!, and it will only get worst for the motorist in the next generation, to finance this corrupt goverments incompetence in the past 5 years, and as usual the motorist will not benifit from said taxes, it will be feathered away on some other jolly come lately, ugh!. Think I,d better not rant on anymore, this could be an episode! sorry for the outburst

 

[turbopete]

glad you had a little rant ricky. saved me going off on one! when i do i go on for ages and ages and.....................................................................................................

 

[rf065]

TAX is right!, and it will only get worst for the motorist in the next generation, to finance this corrupt goverments incompetence in the past 5 years

You must still be young! Only 5 years of incompetence?

Russ

 

[davidsl500]

Import duty from the usa is only around 4-5% on car parts. The vehicle manufacturers used to refer to the UK as "Treasure Island" - you can see why. Most manufacturers have a pricing policy for each country that they trade in - its basically what they can get away with ! Remember the court cases over Tesco's "grey importing" Levis into the UK rather than using the official channels?

 

[Myros]

you'll also find

the retailers highly guilty of over-milking the cow. If we pay it, they'll take it. That's the "market" philosophy.
Tricky to call them cartels, but when there isn't any significant difference in prices, and they are all much higher than they need to be, despite them being cheaper in other countries, not just the USA, then price-fixing springs to mind.

 

[rf065]

I think the two posts above are an accurate reflection on UK prices being over the top. Historically we are seen as mugs, and that must be true because we pay what they ask, usually without question.

Taking Mobil 1 as an example, the US car market has not adopted 15,000 to 20,000 mile service intervals, cars are still taken for oil changes at 6,000 miles or less between services. No one in the US would pay £30 or £40 for 4 litres of oil which will be changed again in a short time, so Mobil 1 is sold for £14 to £20 for 4 litres as that is all the market will stand.

If it can be sold at those prices in the US & they still make a profit, it can be done here also, taxes should only account for a few pounds extra here & there.

Russ

 

[kth286]

Everyone must know that the standard of living in the States is better than in the UK.

For the same incomes you would be living like a king in the states.

You only have to see the prices of those houses on the TV programmes to see how much house you can get for £250,000 in the states.

Every 'states' person seems to have multiple cars, excluding the cars of kids just 16 years old.

So, the big question is - WHY ?????????????

WHY do WE not want a better standard of living - what is it that puts us down ???

Is it because we are too reserved for our own good - which I believe is something to do with it.

WHY is it we are prepared to take it lying down ?????????????????

 

[mercmadjim]

Everyone must know that the standard of living in the States is better than in the UK.

For the same incomes you would be living like a king in the states.

You only have to see the prices of those houses on the TV programmes to see how much house you can get for £250,000 in the states.

Every 'states' person seems to have multiple cars, excluding the cars of kids just 16 years old.

So, the big question is - WHY ?????????????

WHY do WE not want a better standard of living - what is it that puts us down ???

Is it because we are too reserved for our own good - which I believe is something to do with it.

WHY is it we are prepared to take it lying down ?????????????????

Why?? the answer is so easy, we are (as a nation) lazy, we accept bad things, it makes us happy, oh the good old days, world war 2, the blitz, ricketts, rationing, remember the good old 50's, 60's, 70's ,80's etc it's always been crup if you were poor, I remember the 70's the best, power strikes, and 3 day weeks.

So now when the goverment say they are going to make us pay a grand a year in road tax, and 2 quid a ltr in petrol, we will moan like hell, but won't do nothing about it.

As a consequence, we put up with high prices and the smoking ban, and let the fat cats laugh at us, I see the French are still smoking in restuarants.

VIVA LA FRANCE!!

 

[television]

As on the news today,, MP's only have to attend once and they are on full pay of £60k like the one in Luton who has been sick for four months on full pay,,, s

 

[*Thumper]

We are still amongst the highest paid workers in the world ............ the Americans, are'nt ......... so duty, tax, overhead, wages, stocking policy, rent .......and the list goes on .... all are top dollar in the uk, so our retails follow suit !

 

[rf065]

We are still amongst the highest paid workers in the world ............ the Americans, are'nt ......... so duty, tax, overhead, wages, stocking policy, rent .......and the list goes on .... all are top dollar in the uk, so our retails follow suit !

Even if the Americans were paid more than us, they would still not pay the prices we are asked to. As a nation we are very weak & pay more than we should without argument, hence the name, "treasure island".

Russ

 

[mercmadjim]

Even if the Americans were paid more than us, they would still not pay the prices we are asked to. As a nation we are very weak & pay more than we should without argument, hence the name, "treasure island".

Russ

We are weak, only in the sense that we let every bl**dy immigrant in and give them a house and benefits.

The do gooders took over this country with their comfy shoes, green idea's and multi cultural Britain!!! Ha!

Try and get into the states with a beard, or a west country accent!!

The French goverment banned burkahs, we would enforce everybody to wear one, well we do not want to up upset the minority!!

And after we give the immigrant a house and benefits,we then give them a British passport, then they usually get caught by the Americans in some terrorist fight and say we "British".

The Americans must think we are the idiots.

 

[Rory]

I find US prices a bit wierd.

New cars are generally quite a lot cheaper (and better spec'd, with bigger engines) than in the UL, yet get to 3yrs old and the prices are about the same. Even quite old cars still seem to have significant value in the US, whereas (ignoring scrappage) cars here become pretty worthless once they're about 8 yrs old.

Eating out is generally very good value in the US, yet Mrs R tell me that food in the supermarkets is broadly the same as here. Indeed Asda Walmart did a comparison and found the UK cheaper.

Doesn't make a huge difference, but don't forget that sales tax (typically 7%) is never included in US prices.

 

[Dosco]

The Americans must think we are the idiots.

and they do! as do the Aussies, French, Germans, in fact almost every stable country in the world see us as an easy option for almost any body who wishes to 'grace' our shores - legally or otherwise

 

[Dosco]

Product costs

Don't forget the US market is enormous therefore price points will be much lower due to the (potential) high volumes of unit sales.

...on the other hand does anyone have any idea of the cost landed value of say a man's jacket that you might wish to purchase from say 'NEXT' go on have a guess....