US price v Uk price

I see this: Nikon today updated its 18-55mm 'kit' lens to include Vibration
Reduction (VR). around US $199 (£179.99 / ?270.00) on
http://www.dpreview.com/

And yet when I got to a currency converter site I see this: 199.00 USD =
96.2931 GBP

Does anyone know why the the price should be so much higher in the UK.

/\BratMan/\ wrote:
I see this: Nikon today updated its 18-55mm 'kit' lens to include Vibration
Reduction (VR). around US $199 (£179.99 / ?270.00) on
http://www.dpreview.com/

And yet when I got to a currency converter site I see this: 199.00 USD =
96.2931 GBP

Does anyone know why the the price should be so much higher in the UK.

Companies set their prices based on what the market will bear. Just
because the dollar is so weak doesn't mean that U.S. consumers will pay
the same as British consumers. Our salaries haven't kept up with the
falling dollar.

As a side note, the spousal unit recently returned from a Mediterranean
cruise withe her sister, where the ships staff were complaining about
having their pay based in U.S. dollars, since it meant that their pay
had been steadily falling in terms of their home country's currency.

In the 1980's all U.S. residents ended up paying for the Reagan-era
banking de-regulation that resulted in the S&L crisis, now we're paying
again for the Bush-era lack of regulation of the mortgage industry.
Attempted band-aids, such as the lowering of short-term interest rates,
make the problem worse by weakening the dollar even more.

"Marty Fremen" wrote in message
...
"/\\BratMan/\\" wrote:

I see this: Nikon today updated its 18-55mm 'kit' lens to include
Vibration Reduction (VR). around US $199 (£179.99 / ?270.00) on
http://www.dpreview.com/

And yet when I got to a currency converter site I see this: 199.00 USD
= 96.2931 GBP

Does anyone know why the the price should be so much higher in the UK.


It's because Britain is essentially a theme park for foreign tourists,
and residents get charged the same theme park prices as the visitors.
It's not just cameras that are more expensive, almost everything is.

One solution is to buy grey imports from Hong Kong via dodgy ebay
dealers or cut-price online shops, and hope you won't need to claim on
the warranty.

Why not buy from the USA?

Lew wrote:
"Marty Fremen" wrote in message
...
"/\\BratMan/\\" wrote:

I see this: Nikon today updated its 18-55mm 'kit' lens to include
Vibration Reduction (VR). around US $199 (£179.99 / ?270.00) on
http://www.dpreview.com/

And yet when I got to a currency converter site I see this: 199.00
USD = 96.2931 GBP

Does anyone know why the the price should be so much higher in the
UK.


It's because Britain is essentially a theme park for foreign
tourists, and residents get charged the same theme park prices as
the visitors. It's not just cameras that are more expensive, almost
everything is.

One solution is to buy grey imports from Hong Kong via dodgy ebay
dealers or cut-price online shops, and hope you won't need to claim
on the warranty.

Why not buy from the USA?

.....and pay high shipping charges, insurance, Customs Duty, VAT and
forwarding agent's release fees? Boy, you sure have a lot to learn!

DP

Dennis Pogson wrote:
Lew wrote:
[]
Why not buy from the USA?

....and pay high shipping charges, insurance, Customs Duty, VAT and
forwarding agent's release fees? Boy, you sure have a lot to learn!

DP

Of course, if you, or a friend, colleague or neighbour is going there
anyway.....

Cheers,
David

On Nov 21, 1:12 am, "Lew" wrote:
"Marty Fremen" wrote in message

...



"/\\BratMan/\\" wrote:

I see this: Nikon today updated its 18-55mm 'kit' lens to include
Vibration Reduction (VR). around US $199 (£179.99 / ?270.00) on
http://www.dpreview.com/

And yet when I got to a currency converter site I see this: 199.00 USD
= 96.2931 GBP

Does anyone know why the the price should be so much higher in the UK.

It's because Britain is essentially a theme park for foreign tourists,
and residents get charged the same theme park prices as the visitors.
It's not just cameras that are more expensive, almost everything is.

One solution is to buy grey imports from Hong Kong via dodgy ebay
dealers or cut-price online shops, and hope you won't need to claim on
the warranty.

Why not buy from the USA?

The warranty does not transfer. At least with Canon in Canada if I
buy gear in the US the warranty is valid in Canada as well (but it is
not valid outside North America). With Nikon if I buy equipment in
the US, the warranty is NOT valid in Canada, let alone the rest of the
world.

"Lew" wrote in message
...

"Marty Fremen" wrote in message
...
"/\\BratMan/\\" wrote:

I see this: Nikon today updated its 18-55mm 'kit' lens to include
Vibration Reduction (VR). around US $199 (£179.99 / ?270.00) on
http://www.dpreview.com/

And yet when I got to a currency converter site I see this: 199.00 USD
= 96.2931 GBP

Does anyone know why the the price should be so much higher in the UK.


It's because Britain is essentially a theme park for foreign tourists,
and residents get charged the same theme park prices as the visitors.
It's not just cameras that are more expensive, almost everything is.

One solution is to buy grey imports from Hong Kong via dodgy ebay
dealers or cut-price online shops, and hope you won't need to claim on
the warranty.

Why not buy from the USA?

Duty at 6.75% + VAT at 17.5% + post and packing say £25 + handling charge
by PO or couriers and you would need to claim back local sales tax. and the
exchange rate on your credit card will not be that good. I have just done
the sums for a Zeiss lens costing £549 at Warehouse Express compared tp
$700 at B&H in New York. Ends up hardly worth the trouble and possible
problems with claiming on warrenty.
Its just rip off UK again.

/\BratMan/\ wrote:
I see this: Nikon today updated its 18-55mm 'kit' lens to include Vibration
Reduction (VR). around US $199 (£179.99 / ?270.00) on
http://www.dpreview.com/

And yet when I got to a currency converter site I see this: 199.00 USD =
96.2931 GBP

Does anyone know why the the price should be so much higher in the UK.



Tax?

Remember that in the USA most mail-order sales are tax-free.
(You'd be stupid to buy from a mail-order dealer in your own state,
if you could avoid it.)

Doug McDonald

On Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:53:28 GMT, "notbresson"
wrote:


"Lew" wrote in message
...

"Marty Fremen" wrote in message
...
"/\\BratMan/\\" wrote:

I see this: Nikon today updated its 18-55mm 'kit' lens to include
Vibration Reduction (VR). around US $199 (£179.99 / ?270.00) on
http://www.dpreview.com/

And yet when I got to a currency converter site I see this: 199.00 USD
= 96.2931 GBP

Does anyone know why the the price should be so much higher in the UK.


It's because Britain is essentially a theme park for foreign tourists,
and residents get charged the same theme park prices as the visitors.
It's not just cameras that are more expensive, almost everything is.

One solution is to buy grey imports from Hong Kong via dodgy ebay
dealers or cut-price online shops, and hope you won't need to claim on
the warranty.

Why not buy from the USA?

Duty at 6.75% + VAT at 17.5% + post and packing say £25 + handling charge
by PO or couriers and you would need to claim back local sales tax. and the
exchange rate on your credit card will not be that good. I have just done
the sums for a Zeiss lens costing £549 at Warehouse Express compared tp
$700 at B&H in New York. Ends up hardly worth the trouble and possible
problems with claiming on warrenty.
Its just rip off UK again.


Let me think ... when was the last time that any company from the UK ever
produced anything that the rest of the world wanted ... hmmmm.....darned if I
can think of anything at the moment. Well, there was the Beatles, but even they
wanted the hell out of there. Okay, they gave a good push to the English
language, but now the rest of the world is having to deal with and attempt to
correct all of the problems with it. Maybe this is why they think colonization
is such a wonderful thing, nobody wants them anywhere so they just move in
uninvited and call it something good for everyone. There's three whole
continents now full of people, who are the ancestors of everyone that wanted
nothing better than to get the hell away from the UK and all it stands for. Oh
wait. Don't they make some beers that some people like? Well, at least that's
something.

Other than that, nope, can't think of a thing that ever came out of the UK that
everyone wanted to buy. Did any of them ever invent anything? How about if you
start to produce something from your own companies then charge a mint for them.
Then you can get even.

Be a good chap. Now get busy! Tally-ho and all that rot, eh what? And I bet that
all you UK blokes sit there all smug thinking the rest of the world adores your
pompous asses. Think again.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program about photography and digital
cameras....

Doug McDonald wrote:

Remember that in the USA most mail-order sales are tax-free.
(You'd be stupid to buy from a mail-order dealer in your own state,
if you could avoid it.)

Doug McDonald

No, they're not tax-free, the retailer just doesn't collect the tax for
other states unless they have a physical presence. You still have to pay
the tax, but you're required to send it in yourself, usually when you
file your state income tax (if any).