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You americans are soooo lucky

#81
mojtahedi said:
are healthcare is **** even though its free, it was on the news, some old man was halfblind but the goverment sed they wud only help pay if he went completly blind
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To our American viewers - us Brits are happiest when we've got something to complain about. :) And I rather think someone has been reading the Daily Fail too much (The Daily Mail - a British tabloid rag that is always complaining about "Broken Britain", complete with requisite exaggerations of dubious truthfulness - think Fox News in newspaper form).

Britain is a wonderful place. The US is a great place. But they're great for different reasons, to the point where it's like comparing apples to oranges.
 
#82
Are you saying that european brands like Vigier, warwick, Italia etc etc etc are more expensive there then they are here> I dont think so, theres tons of very nice european brands hardly known of in america thatv are every bit as good as any american or american brand import. For far less then they would be in this country. Imo too many get caught up in the foolish to me thinking that only american brands are good enough. When theres lots of european brands that easilly equal or better those.
 
#84
Here in Norway the VAT is 25%. Also there is a 10% customs fee. And the shipping cost is for some reason added to the price of the item PRIOR to calculating the VAT.
Basically, a bass to 1000$ will cost about 2000$ here, even if I ordered it from ebay.
My fender jaguar is almost considered boutique, two years ago I checked the price at my local guitar store; 2000$ XD
I know that Norwegians average income is higher than most other countries, meaning that we have more money to spend, and therefore things cost more. But still, 35% is too much.
 
#85
MAGUS®;5436503 said:
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 ? :D

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 ??
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Join NAFTA. :p
 
#86
iamlowsound said:
I hate it when American's complain about gas prices. Out of all the industrialized countries in the world, you have the lowest gas prices. I pay about $4.50 a gallon US for gas here in Canada. That is half of what someone in the UK pays and in other parts of Europe is can close in on $13-15 US a Gallon. You have gas prices easy.

lowsound
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You fail to take into account that the average US citizen has to use their personal vehicle far more than the average Canadian, or Britain, or any other citizen of a socialist country. But hey, tell you what, I'll trade you our gas prices and transportation programs for your gas prices and transportation programs for a few months. Then we can trade back and you can tell us how awesome our gas prices are.
Not trying to knock either economic system, they both have just as many ups as they do downs...But your comparison of our gas prices to yours is pretty horrid.
 
#87
VincentGrim said:
You fail to take into account that the average US citizen has to use their personal vehicle far more than the average Canadian, or Britain, or any other citizen of a socialist country. But hey, tell you what, I'll trade you our gas prices and transportation programs for your gas prices and transportation programs for a few months. Then we can trade back and you can tell us how awesome our gas prices are.
Not trying to knock either economic system, they both have just as many ups as they do downs...But your comparison of our gas prices to yours is pretty horrid.
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Yes, petrol prices in the UK are steep. But, despite public transport being more widespread than the US, it doesn't go everywhere. Outside the cities, people still have to drive a lot. They just drive smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles than people in the US. Let's face it, even in the US, hardly anyone *needs* to drive a Suburban every day. So, I think, in real terms, people don't actually spend much more in the UK on driving.

Think about it - the average American car (mid-size, 6-cylinder, maybe a Camry or equivalent) gets approx. 20mpg combined. The average (smaller) European car gets 35-40mpg (more if it's a diesel - in some cases up to 60mpg). Petrol is currently about £4.50 a gallon in the UK (at today's exchange rate, approx. $6.80). Around here in NJ, gas is about $2.60 a gallon, so the UK is roughly 2 1/2 times the price, but the cars get around double the gas mileage, so the difference doesn't end up actually being that great in terms of cost per mile driven.

Secondly, a word on your semantics. You obviously have absolutely no concept of what socialism actually is. Ask someone from a real socialist country, say the former East Germany or Soviet Union, what a socialist county is like - what they would tell you will bear absolutely no resemblance to Canada, Britain or any of the rest of Europe. In fact, the UK and Canada occupy the centre-right of the political spectrum. Remember, by definition, no country with a stock exchange can be socialist.
 
#90
VincentGrim said:
You fail to take into account that the average US citizen has to use their personal vehicle far more than the average Canadian, or Britain, or any other citizen of a socialist country. But hey, tell you what, I'll trade you our gas prices and transportation programs for your gas prices and transportation programs for a few months. Then we can trade back and you can tell us how awesome our gas prices are.
Not trying to knock either economic system, they both have just as many ups as they do downs...But your comparison of our gas prices to yours is pretty horrid.
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Err.. You may not have heard of us.. but.. Australia??

Our distances are rediulious most of the time (unless you live in about 1 of 3 places with reasonable public transport), and id expect our petrol prices are higher by a good deal too, although we work in litres and I don't know how to convert it.

To be honest it all balances out in the long run. I pay a good 3 times as much for a bass, but then again as far as I know I earn a good deal more than the average 18 year old student over in the states, not to mention rent/food/taxes/ect


Just looked it up, the average American drives somewhere between 32 and 40 miles a day. I live in the suburbs and I drive about 100km a day to and from university, 50 something each way, although I know plenty of people who do more.
 
#91
Evil Undead said:
Sorry to drag up a long dead thread, but I have a question regarding this...

Do all items that are shipped into a country get picked up by customs and get the import taxes added on, or is it just luck of the draw?
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Yes. The simple way to get completely round it with certain items (I have never tried it with a bass) is to have the value marked as £50 or so. You wont have to pay then, but if it gets lost you dont get the insurance, seems like a gamble worth taking to me, as I have never had anything go missing, but its bound to happen sooner or later.
 
#92
Meatrus said:
Yes. The simple way to get completely round it with certain items (I have never tried it with a bass) is to have the value marked as £50 or so. You wont have to pay then, but if it gets lost you dont get the insurance, seems like a gamble worth taking to me, as I have never had anything go missing, but its bound to happen sooner or later.
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Which is tax evasion - punishable by a prison sentence :p

I know what you mean, it's ok if they don't open it to check what's inside, but if they catch you out it's a nightmare I imagine.

Also, to have an $1100 bass shipped without insurance is something I can't risk... I'm a poor person lol!
 
#93
Simo98 said:
Err.. You may not have heard of us.. but.. Australia??

Our distances are rediulious most of the time (unless you live in about 1 of 3 places with reasonable public transport), and id expect our petrol prices are higher by a good deal too, although we work in litres and I don't know how to convert it.

To be honest it all balances out in the long run. I pay a good 3 times as much for a bass, but then again as far as I know I earn a good deal more than the average 18 year old student over in the states, not to mention rent/food/taxes/ect


Just looked it up, the average American drives somewhere between 32 and 40 miles a day. I live in the suburbs and I drive about 100km a day to and from university, 50 something each way, although I know plenty of people who do more.
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Petrol in Australia is more expensive than the US, but significantly cheaper than the UK (just over $1 AUD a litre right now, right? It's about £1.15 a litre in the UK at the moment, so that's less than half the price). I think they've got the car culture just about right over there - lots of small everyday European and Japanese runabouts, but plenty of barnstorming V8 muscle too. :D
 
#95
Americans are SOO goddanm JAMMY with the amount of gear they can get its just crazy!

I dunno it could just be me - but I'm assuming from what I've read from people on here, over there you can walk into a little "mom and pop" place and have at least 8-10 DECENT BRAND NAME basses in the building...over here, the little "mom and pop" place will have maybe 3-4 if that? And they'll all be "Westfield" or "Rockwood"...SERIOUSLY, you're lucky to even find a Squier Affinity in some of them!!!

So when some people go on about Warwick, Ritter, G&L, US Fenders, Musicman...over here its Rockwood, Squier, Westfield, Fender MIM, and you only get Musicman and Fender MIA in the larger shops typically and not half as often...

Also the prices -

Over here - G&L legacy "Tribute" - £500
Over there - G&L legacy "Tribute" - £350
Over here - Fender american standard Jazz - £900
Over there - Fender american standard Jazz DELUXE - £780

Current exchange rate - $100 = £65.30!!
 
#98
On the other hand, take European-manufactured gear:

Warwick bolt-on Thumb Bass, 4-string from thomann.de = £1484 ($2271)

Same bass from guitarcenter.com in the US = $2499.

I guess it makes sense that American equipment would cost more than European equipment in Europe, and the same the other way around. But right now, everyone seems to want Fenders.
 
#100
^^^^

No joke. I had a friend of mine in Ireland who had a Warwick Streamer Stage I 6 string bass that was absolutely gorgeous. Beautifully figured top and it played perfectly, and I'm not even into 6 strings. But he loved my Fender Jazz V Plus (that I paid $200 for at a pawn shop). I went back a couple of years later and he had traded it for some kind of Fender Jazz. I was crushed because he told me if he'd have thought I'd be interested in that Warwick, he would have traded for that Fender of mine. :crying: The Fender he got is nice, but in no way comparable to the craftsmanship of the Warwick. He just likes the Fender sound, which is okay for him. What is not okay is that I almost had a 6 string Warwick for $200. That is troubling beyond words. I need a support group.
 

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