Doug Turnbull wrote:
>
> Many EU hams look at prices in QST and CQ and just dream. It seems that
> one can
> purchase Japanese made radios in the States for the same price in dollars
> as
> one pays in Euros or Sterling.
>
It's really a dream. There are so many hidden costs that much of the saving
gets eaten up by the time the product gets here. I just did a quick example
of a Yaesu VX-8R, listed by Universal Radio at $379. Add on say $50 for
international shipping. That comes to GBP 268 (£1 = $1.60) You'll be charged
17.5% VAT on arrival here plus a GBP 13 tax collection fee bringing the
total to GBP 328. Nevada Radio is selling the EU version (VX-8E) for GBP
338. So ten quid gets you the EU version plus a locally supported warranty.
> I believe that being able to purchase the kit K3 directly is a great plus
> to
> Elecrafter sales in the EU. True one is a bit exposed as to service but
> if
> one has built the kit then individual boards can be returned for service.
> The K3 is small and not that heavy to ship back if needs be for that
> matter.
>
I wonder if those who have actually had to ship a K3 back to the US from
Europe would agree? I know for a fact that whenever I write on my website or
blog about something I bought in the US I get emails from hams asking where
in the UK they can order. Many in our hobby are a pretty conservative bunch
and will not buy from outside the UK. I think Elecraft could actually be
losing sales by not selling through local dealers, not least because there
are some people with money burning a hole in their pocket who go to Martin
Lynch or W&S on a Saturday morning looking for a new toy to take home and
play with, and if there isn't a K3 there to try out they'll buy something
else instead.
However I suspect if Elecraft did sell through UK dealers the extra cost to
us would be a lot more than in my Yaesu example because there is no dealer
mark-up in the price we pay from Elecraft, whereas the Japanese
manufacturers have local offices and dealers taking their cut on both sides
of the Atlantic. So carry on selling direct, please. :)
-----
Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392 K3 #222.
* G4ILO's Shack - http://www.g4ilo.com
* KComm - http://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html
* KTune - http://www.g4ilo.com/ktune.html
--
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