You americans are soooo lucky

[mojtahedi]

it sucks so much how basses are so expencive in the u.k.

i wish i lived in the usa.

a bass which would cost you $500 in american costs roughly £380 in the UK thats like $760.


MAYYYYNNNNNNN

 

[chroma601]

Just let that dollar fall a little more...

 

[joelb79]

How much are the import taxes?

 

[Parabolic Box]

The UK, AFAIK, is heavily taxed on everything. You're practically taxed on being alive.

 

[Rattman]

it sucks so much how basses are so expencive in the u.k.

i wish i lived in the usa.

a bass which would cost you $500 in american costs roughly £380 in the UK thats like $760.

How about coming to NYC or L.A. for a holiday.. buy what you like and take it back as 'checked baggage'? If you do the right way it will appear as if you'd always owned it. Just an idea..

 

[mccartjm]

what are the economic reasons that cause basses to cost so much in the UK? Forgive my ignorance...im just curious and unfamiliar with things in the UK. Is it mostly just import taxes?

 

[BlackLake]

Oh ya?

Get this...I was checking prices at Stew Mac, the price was $45.98, then I switched it to CAD and it was $45.53.

It's a big thing for us Canucks, It's been forever since we could say this.

 

[double-muff]

it sucks so much how basses are so expencive in the u.k.

i wish i lived in the usa.

a bass which would cost you $500 in american costs roughly £380 in the UK thats like $760.


MAYYYYNNNNNNN

you think thats bad? over here a $300 ATK300 costs upwards to $1200


still bought it

and a $299 Epi Thunderbird costs $1000 over here.

 

[bluevoodoo]

How about coming to NYC or L.A. for a holiday.. buy what you like and take it back as 'checked baggage'? If you do the right way it will appear as if you'd always owned it. Just an idea..

You might want to check with customs before doing this. Traveling with an instrument is not always easy. Especially over seas

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

i wish i lived in the usa.

You'd change your tune pretty quickly if you did move from the UK to the US. I did, and I have.

 

[thehangingmist]

it sucks so much how basses are so expencive in the u.k.

i wish i lived in the usa.

a bass which would cost you $500 in american costs roughly £380 in the UK thats like $760.


MAYYYYNNNNNNN

thats not as bad! up here in INDIA damn it....... forget about debating the insane pricing you dont really get a lot of bass gear around

 

[Greyvagabond]

Ha! I knew our rampant government debt would combine with rampant UK socialism to give us an advantage in bass guitar purchasing power!...wooo...our economy is settling into years and years of stagflation...

 

[lefty007]

How about coming to NYC or L.A. for a holiday.. buy what you like and take it back as 'checked baggage'? If you do the right way it will appear as if you'd always owned it. Just an idea..

+1.

I have a friend mine that just flew from London to NYC to buy a notebook and brind it back with him. He tells me that even counting the plane ticket, he's saving a lot of money rather than buying locally.

 

[JonathanD]

i wish i lived in the usa.

 

[DrGroovenstein]

what are the economic reasons that cause basses to cost so much in the UK? Forgive my ignorance...im just curious and unfamiliar with things in the UK. Is it mostly just import taxes?

It is called VAT.

 

[MAGUS®]

How much are the import taxes?

Just apart from the extra shipping costs alone, 3.5% import duty on the goods, ( approx ) and theres 17.5% UK VAT . Our postal system also charge a handling fee

A $500 bass there can end up as £500 here ( say $1000 give or take )


Bear in my mind that the Govt. here, it doesnt matter which party, are all about taxing the life out of the citizens. Thats their job.

Our fuel is now at £1.11 ( more in some areas ) per LITRE. Yes per litre. In old money, thats like £4.50 a gallon. Nearly $9


Getting the picture yet ?

Oxygen will be next


EDIT: I should say that the 17.5% VAT ( value added tax ) is on the shipping and price of the bass combined. OUR Govt. say the value of a bass is not what it cost in the shop. Its what it costs in the shop PLUS the shipping cost. Hows about that for a rip off ??

 

[Jazz Ad]

VAT is not a valid reason. Local taxes exist in USA too, they just don't show in the display price.
At us$ 1.5 = 1 €, I feel much luckier living in Europe and buying from US shops, thank you.

 

[chroma601]

thats not as bad! up here in INDIA damn it....... forget about debating the insane pricing you dont really get a lot of bass gear around

But it's easy to get tabla-ture!

/ducking

 

[mccartjm]

what is VAT?

 

[Parabolic Box]

That's what happens when you British decide not to start a revolution.

VAT is not a valid reason. Local taxes exist in USA too, they just don't show in the display price.
At us$ 1.5 = 1 €, I feel much luckier living in Europe and buying from US shops, thank you.

Nowhere near the ridiculousness of 17.5%. It's MAYBE 5-8%. Even here in Canadian Taxland, it's only 11%.