David Jenkins
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 posted on 28/8/12 at 03:50 PM |
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Yet another US - UK price rip-off!
I need a few Dzus fasteners (EHF5-50, if you're *really* interested, plus the springs they connect to). I've been looking at all the
usual suspects, and generally the EHF5 bit (with the screw) is coming out at around £4 once you add VAT, then P&P on top.
Out of curiosity, I went and looked at a few US sites - on a major supplier (i.e. no attempt at a discount) they are $1.95 each. That's £1.23p
- even after adding a few local taxes, that adds up to a major rip-off. It's a bit of stamped metal, a fancy screw and a small spring.
I'm not happy... so I'm off to have a sulk...
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richardh
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| posted on 28/8/12 at 04:24 PM |
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rip off britain, that's us
Time for a change!
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ruskino80
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| posted on 28/8/12 at 05:26 PM |
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just in the middle of sorting a replacement windscreen for my dads c6 corvette £1600 here in the uk and around only 450 DOLLARS in the states.
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austin man
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| posted on 28/8/12 at 06:36 PM |
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the US dont have to pay out for those who refuse to work or Dont want to work. If more people where made to earn we the taxpayer would reap the
benefits. Got to agree though such a disparity is shocking look at the fuel prices too
Life is like a bowl of fruit, funny how all the weird looking ones are left alone
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scootz
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| posted on 28/8/12 at 06:49 PM |
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... or anyone who has the bare-faced cheek to fall sick!
It's Evolution Baby!
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Confused but excited.
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| posted on 28/8/12 at 07:30 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by ruskino80
just in the middle of sorting a replacement windscreen for my dads c6 corvette £1600 here in the uk and around only 450 DOLLARS in the states.
So why not start importing them? Fund your future projects.
+1 Scootz.
Tell them about the bent treacle edges!
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spiderman
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| posted on 28/8/12 at 07:31 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
I need a few Dzus fasteners (EHF5-50, if you're *really* interested, plus the springs they connect to). I've been looking at all the
usual suspects, and generally the EHF5 bit (with the screw) is coming out at around £4 once you add VAT, then P&P on top.
Out of curiosity, I went and looked at a few US sites - on a major supplier (i.e. no attempt at a discount) they are $1.95 each. That's £1.23p
- even after adding a few local taxes, that adds up to a major rip-off. It's a bit of stamped metal, a fancy screw and a small spring.
I'm not happy... so I'm off to have a sulk...
Why not just order them from the States then? After you have paid postage you will still be quids in, or if you only want one or two, order a batch of
100 split the difference in price between the US/Uk and sell them on ebay. You will get yours free and make some profit, without ripping people off.
Spider
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 28/8/12 at 08:52 PM |
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Stop ruining my whinge by making sensible remarks! 
I'm feeling a bit happier now - it looks like I only need 2 instead of 4 as first thought.
What's interesting about those fasteners is the fact that they're all about the same price in the UK, whether they're from a major
supplier like Demon Tweaks or from ebay. I'm wondering whether it's the importer who's being cheeky, together with a
'recommended retail price' that all the suppliers have latched onto. The items were all sorts of prices in the US, which suggests open
competition.
This was the last straw in an annoying couple of days... I've been trying to weld a couple of replacement tubes into my chassis so I can get it
back on its wheels before I go on holiday - not too difficult, just awkward preparation and odd angles - but I've been encountering problems
over and over. Not helped by me not having done any serious welding since making the chassis 10 years ago!
1. Practised a bit on some spare tube, got some respectable beads, so started to weld the first tube. Couldn't lay a decent weld, with the arc
shifting around and lots of spluttering. Stopped welding and tried to find out why it was going wrong. Next morning found that I have an 0.8mm tip
and 0.6mm wire... D'oh!
2. Put the correct sized tip in and went to start welding again - and found that my cheap-and-nasty gas regulator's leaking gas where it
shouldn't, so I've had to order a (better) replacement from ebay. That arrives tomorrow.
3. I don't think I've got a lot of gas left anyway, but can't check until the new regulator arrives. 
4. Spent some time today trying to get everything ready for welding the second tube. Drilled out some rivets with my air-powered drill (the only one
that I could get in the space available), which was fine until my curly flexible air hose split.
5. Fixed the hose, finished the prep work, and decided that enough was enough. So I went inside and thought I'd order the Dzus fasteners I
needed - which is when this thread got started!
Ah well - I'm off on holiday next week... 
[Edited on 28/8/12 by David Jenkins]
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blakep82
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| posted on 28/8/12 at 09:10 PM |
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i suspect americans get paid less than we do for similar jobs?
a quick googling suggests a starting wage for supermarket workers in ameirca being about $7.90, which is about £4.99, which is well below our minimum
wage, so yes stuff is cheaper in america, but they get paid less to match.
________________________
IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083
don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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RK
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| posted on 28/8/12 at 09:59 PM |
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Economics of scale: you have less than 70 million people living in Great Britain, the Excited States have 300 million or so. Bigger market= lower
prices. We have to contend with this all the time, living right next door to them.
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splitrivet
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| posted on 28/8/12 at 11:13 PM |
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The big downside is you have to live in a country full off Americans, I'd rather pay £10 a Dzus fastener than that.
Cheers,
Bob
I used to be a Werewolf but I'm alright nowwoooooooooooooo
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bj928
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| posted on 28/8/12 at 11:39 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
i suspect americans get paid less than we do for similar jobs?
a quick googling suggests a starting wage for supermarket workers in ameirca being about $7.90, which is about £4.99, which is well below our minimum
wage, so yes stuff is cheaper in america, but they get paid less to match.
u'll find in most jobs an american earns way more than a prson in the uk, i'm truck driving in america at the moment, and i can earn in 8
months what i would earn in 12 months in the uk, and i'm at the very bottom of the food chain in terms of what other truck drivers over here
earn, yes a lot of the un skilled jobs pay crap, but when u can still buy a nice house for £30k over here, all ur wages arn't going on rent or
mortgage anyway, people in general have a lot more money to spent, fuel is only about 55p ltr as well,
if anyone wants parts from america, if they find them and can't get them shipped, pm me and i'll get it sorted, some america companys
won't entertain british credit/debit cards or ship out of america, if u want big stuff shipped i know people, if its small i know people coming
and going all year that can put stuff in cases, either way, america is the place to buy stuff, my tilton pedle box was 300 quid cheaper than buying
from demon tweeks
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RK
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| posted on 29/8/12 at 01:08 AM |
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Not for most 7 parts though. I think it's very kind of you to offer this to people.
And don't get sick without private health care there, or you won't be sick long... I can tell you that if you fall off the wagon down
there, it isn't pleasant. The good news is that you will have lots of friendly people to talk to on the way down.
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steve m
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| posted on 29/8/12 at 07:42 AM |
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David J
Have you looked at the american ebay? as i would imagine you could buy 10 for what it would cost here for two including postage
then sell off the ones on ebay, you do not need, then yours are free ?
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chillis
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| posted on 29/8/12 at 09:23 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by RK
Economics of scale: you have less than 70 million people living in Great Britain, the Excited States have 300 million or so. Bigger market= lower
prices. We have to contend with this all the time, living right next door to them.
If so then how come things used to be cheap from the states?
Surely its because we have de-valued our currency, sorry 'quantatively eased' our currency against other world currencies like the Dollar
so the pound is worth a lot less. Supposed to make buying from abroard unattractive and favour buying from the home market, thus stimulating economic
growth, well thats how it used to work but since we don't manufacture in the UK anymore theres nothing on the home produced market to
buy
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