sucks being in the EU

Immortal · Post by **Immortal** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 6:37 pm

Just thought id have a general moan about the sorry state of the PC industry and more specifically the retail PC industry in europe....
Our collegues over the pond have it all good... cheap hardware and rebates galore to go with them.... whereas here in the EU or UK specifically in my case we have to work with a thing called VAT which means i have to add %17.5 to everything i buy cause Mr Blair would like some of that too.

Why cant we have prices to match the US... i mean with the strength of the pound now.... i have a right mind to go to the US go crazy on some hardware and come back...

just my £0.02

Topher · Post by **Topher** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 9:15 pm

Is that the case for all online purchases too?

If so, maybe you need to get yourself a very good friend in the US who could make the purchase on your behalf then ship the hardware to you. You could reimburse them via paypal or something. Or would that transfer of funds also be subject to VAT?

Then again, the cost of shipping from the US to the UK may negate any savings you might gain.

Immortal · Post by **Immortal** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 5:19 am

ive already done that... the only way i could afford my rig was to get it shipped from US by my cousin(except case, PSU and monitor).

Problem is, you have to set the package as a gift and put the total value of it under $40 or else il be charged VAT!

Bio-Hazard · Post by **Bio-Hazard** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 8:18 am

Or go out and make friends with someone in the US military..............

They don't pay this high taxes (they don't pay any over there for stuff coming from the US) and the shipping rates are only to Nwe York (that's where the addy APO NY comes from), the military takes care of the shipping from there on out.

Immortal · Post by **Immortal** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 9:09 am

yeah... cause a guy with a dark complexion waltzing into a US military base is not seen as suspicuous nowadays.... ;)

Zelig · Post by **Zelig** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 4:46 pm

Meh, living where I do in Canada, I pay 15% sales tax on hardware I order, I don't usually complain though.

Immortal · Post by **Immortal** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 4:55 pm

fair enough but itl still be cheaper than here i bet... and you could prob (if ur close enough) hop across the border buy and bring back!

Black Mesa Scientist · Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:34 am

17,5? That's nuffin! We pay 19% over our purchase here in holland!

notamoron · Post by **notamoron** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:51 am

I see your paltry VAT, and up the ante:
25% VAT in Norway!

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 7:47 am

OH yeah? Oh yeah? When I order off newegg.com, I pay 0% sales tax! Oh, wait....hehe...

And to think that I complained last year when we bought some light fixtures from a store where the sales tax was 9%! I can't imagine paying over 10% sales tax on anything, much less 25%!!! However, do you all have income taxes? On average, Americans pay about 40% of their yearly salary to the government in some way, shape or form (income tax, property tax, sales tax). Is that the case in other countries, too?

Topher · Post by **Topher** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 9:30 am

I didn't realize there were so many International regulars around here.

Sovereign · Post by **Sovereign** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:17 am

This post is what I'm going to point to when someone here in the USA bitches about sales taxes....or shipping!

Immortal · Post by **Immortal** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:21 am

i have heard that norway charge outrageous taxes... apparentley Beer is highly taxed, so much so that beer prices are apparentley the highest anywhere in the world in norway....

Yes we pay income tax... tell me where they dont and il move there!

In the UK its categorized based on your income per year see here for more details...

Zelig · Post by **Zelig** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:23 am

Amy wrote:And to think that I complained last year when we bought some light fixtures from a store where the sales tax was 9%! I can't imagine paying over 10% sales tax on anything, much less 25%!!! However, do you all have income taxes? On average, Americans pay about 40% of their yearly salary to the government in some way, shape or form (income tax, property tax, sales tax). Is that the case in other countries, too?

The States generally have lower taxes than most other developed countries.

Some links, if you're interested... one, two and three.

Post by **DMB2000uk** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:40 pm

Ive got a plan!

Does one of our LR buddies in America want to help us out over here in the UK/EU?

This isnt a tax scam (honest!):
1. We send you "a gift" of money.
2. You buy american price computer components* .
3. You ship some computer components** over to the UK as "a gift" back!

Everyone wins, what do you say?

Dan

*Magically equal to the amount of the gift! (Well plus some handling bonus)
**Which may or may not have been bought with aformentioned gift monies

Sovereign · Post by **Sovereign** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 9:37 pm

infinitevalence · Post by **infinitevalence** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 12:49 am

I have done this before for friends, every thing from CN to UK, got a friend in the UK 4 Optrons

Immortal · Post by **Immortal** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 1:10 am

its been done... it is the way we can afford to get the latest hardware at half decent prices!

kenc51 · Post by **kenc51** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 8:09 am

Amy wrote:OH yeah? Oh yeah? When I order off newegg.com, I pay 0% sales tax! Oh, wait....hehe...

And to think that I complained last year when we bought some light fixtures from a store where the sales tax was 9%! I can't imagine paying over 10% sales tax on anything, much less 25%!!! However, do you all have income taxes? On average, Americans pay about 40% of their yearly salary to the government in some way, shape or form (income tax, property tax, sales tax). Is that the case in other countries, too?

In Ireland you can earn upto ~28K a year and pay 21% tax, if you earn over 28K the tax rate goes upto 40%
We get a "tax free allowance" which is a certain amount of money which is not taxed......this allowance depends on things like if your married and have kids etc. --> a single guy basically gets no benefits but a familty does....
We then pay 21% VAT on everything we buy and 12% VAT paid on services like gas bills etc.

come-on lottery....

Post by **DMB2000uk** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 11:22 am

I was hoping for some volunteers guys!

Do the team a favour!

Dan