vivi wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:32 pm
Senfkarte wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:28 pm
vivi wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:24 pm
Why don't EU shops use MAP?
I think (but don't know for sure) it has something to do with import tax. They (customs) calculate the tax based on the MSRP, if I'm correct. That makes the knives expensive to get.
what happens if you order one from a US retailer? Do they charge you the same amount of import tax or would you make out cheaper after shipping costs?
I can't say for sure. The only knives I ordered from a US retailer, have been shop exclusives.
But let's say I want to buy a SpydieChef from DLT Traiding.
That's 269.15$ plus shipping. I wan't able to find a good source for shipping costs to Germany, so I assume 30$ for shipping (yes, you pay taxes on the shipping cost, too).
So we are at ~300$. The German online calculator provided by customs calculates, that I would have to pay 89.33€ (92,99$) just in tax.
So that already would be 377.63€. But that's not all.
The shipping service wants money, too. Since they paid the tax for you and have done all the paperwork. How much they want depends on the shipping service which will deliver your package. DHL usually just want 6€, independent of how much money the tax have been. FedEx once made me pay 94.79€ for a package with items in it, that had a combined value of 301.60$, so they are in the same region, too...although back then, 300$ was way less in €, so they are or have been more expensive.
A very quick search for the SpydieChef in EU stores gave me prices from 267€ (but only available in a month or so, so that price could change)(at knivesandtools.de) over 290€ (at com2you-biwak.de) and 322.45€ (at Lamnia [on the official dealer list]) to 385€ (at Böker [on the official dealer list]).
It is cheaper to buy the SpydieChef in an EU store. Maybe there are cheaper US dealers, that I could have found for the SpydieChef and maybe the SpydieChef was not the best example and there are other cases. But I just choose one random model and my mouse pointer stopped by the SpydieChef.