Eastman / Aero price gouging on overseas sales

[John Lever]

I think some of these quoted shipping prices are rather low. I can't see how it's possible to send any thing to the US weighing 3 1/2kg [7 lbs]with insurance and tracking to the USA for £40. It's more like £90 to £100. Sure companies get discounts, but the numbers being posted are probably quite small as most sales are going to far east where economic growth is higher.

Last jacket from Aero this spring to CA was I believe was 30£ and the VAT was a line item on the invoice. 0£.
The price I paid was the price listed on the site. So, I'd only assume a UK buyer would have paid more for the VAT.

That's my point, I think the shipping is just a nominal sum. The real prices are much higher, ridiculously so. I just posted a sheepskin to Germany. Priority cost me over £60.
Could the VAT issue and shipping all just be lumped together ?
A contact in the US recently quoted shipping of a RMNZ B-3, here is his message -
I squashed the jacket into as small of a box as I could and it weighed 8 lbs. FedEx charges by weight and the size of the box so the fast shipping came to $203 US (about 130 GBP at today's rate). The next cheapest shipping takes a couple of days longer and is $194 US (approx. 123 GBP). Any slower shipping option is not trackable.
I know companies get discounts, but I think the buyer is getting a deal on shipping.

Past costs of postage to the US have been around £100 and that was 12 months ago.

 

[m444uk]

I think some of these quoted shipping prices are rather low. I can't see how it's possible to send any thing to the US weighing 3 1/2kg [7 lbs]with insurance and tracking to the USA for £40. It's more like £90 to £100. Sure companies get discounts, but the numbers being posted are probably quite small as most sales are going to far east where economic growth is higher.

Last jacket from Aero this spring to CA was I believe was 30£ and the VAT was a line item on the invoice. 0£.
The price I paid was the price listed on the site. So, I'd only assume a UK buyer would have paid more for the VAT.

That's my point, I think the shipping is just a nominal sum. The real prices are much higher, ridiculously so. I just posted a sheepskin to Germany. Priority cost me over £60.
Could the VAT issue and shipping all just be lumped together ?
A contact in the US recently quoted shipping of a RMNZ B-3, here is his message -
I squashed the jacket into as small of a box as I could and it weighed 8 lbs. FedEx charges by weight and the size of the box so the fast shipping came to $203 US (about 130 GBP at today's rate). The next cheapest shipping takes a couple of days longer and is $194 US (approx. 123 GBP). Any slower shipping option is not trackable.
I know companies get discounts, but I think the buyer is getting a deal on shipping.

Past costs of postage to the US have been around £100 and that was 12 months ago.

I think I paid £34 for a Luftwaffe jacket to the US 3 months ago using a broker.

Make sure you enter valid postcodes for an accurate quote.

Select Interparcel standard and UPS is the courier.

www.interparcel.com

 

[SuinBruin]

I think some of these quoted shipping prices are rather low. I can't see how it's possible to send any thing to the US weighing 3 1/2kg [7 lbs]with insurance and tracking to the USA for £40. It's more like £90 to £100. Sure companies get discounts, but the numbers being posted are probably quite small as most sales are going to far east where economic growth is higher.

Last jacket from Aero this spring to CA was I believe was 30£ and the VAT was a line item on the invoice. 0£.
The price I paid was the price listed on the site. So, I'd only assume a UK buyer would have paid more for the VAT.

That's my point, I think the shipping is just a nominal sum. The real prices are much higher, ridiculously so. I just posted a sheepskin to Germany. Priority cost me over £60.
Could the VAT issue and shipping all just be lumped together ?
A contact in the US recently quoted shipping of a RMNZ B-3, here is his message -
I squashed the jacket into as small of a box as I could and it weighed 8 lbs. FedEx charges by weight and the size of the box so the fast shipping came to $203 US (about 130 GBP at today's rate). The next cheapest shipping takes a couple of days longer and is $194 US (approx. 123 GBP). Any slower shipping option is not trackable.
I know companies get discounts, but I think the buyer is getting a deal on shipping.

Past costs of postage to the US have been around £100 and that was 12 months ago.

Then why didn't Gary offer this explanation when asked about ELC's overseas pricing?

I think you would be surprised at the discounts private shippers offers to businesses. They are not close to retail shipping costs.

 

[Anonymous]

Some friend of mine from UK uses a great service that enables him to find very cheap rates.
I 'll ask him and will let you know.

 

[ButteMT61]

It could cost Aero to ship 50£ and they are charging me more for the jacket to hide a VAT (hidden) added. However, since the price of the jacket on Aero's site was posted as X£, I assume they'd have to add a VAT to UK buyers because that's posted and an understood addition. My invoice showed 0£, and either this is all funny business, or my dealings were straight up.
The only way I see Aero doing something funny there is to then not charge a UK buyer the VAT, which I assumed they would have to?

 

[SuinBruin]

It could cost Aero to ship 50£ and they are charging me more for the jacket to hide a VAT (hidden) added. However, since the price of the jacket on Aero's site was posted as X£, I assume they'd have to add a VAT to UK buyers because that's posted and an understood addition. My invoice showed 0£, and either this is all funny business, or my dealings were straight up.
The only way I see Aero doing something funny there is to then not charge a UK buyer the VAT, which I assumed they would have to?

Your invoice shows 0£ VAT because Aero isn't paying any VAT on the sale. If you had bought in the UK it would show a VAT value. The final price would be the same, because Aero is keeping the 20% VAT that would be payable on your sale if it were in the UK as its bonus profit. Jeff confirmed with Aero that their listed prices are VAT inclusive.

 

[ButteMT61]

Well, then I revert to my new plan. Used and US companies.

 

[John Lever]

How much did the LW jacket weigh 1 1/2 kg ?
Here's a cost from Parcelforce for a 31/2 kg jacket value £750-


Service Delivery Compensation Tracking Price

globalexpress Guaranteed 1 day Up to £800 Tracked £98.05

globalpriority From 3 days Up to £800 Tracked £97.30

 

[John Lever]

OK here's the Interparcel qoute for 3kg with NO COMPENSATION-


Fedex Priority £75.50
Interparcel Express £78.60
TNT Express £154.10

 

[ButteMT61]

FWIW, mine have all been UPS.
And no doubt, Aero / ELC get a discount.

All this though is the result of one of two things:
1) Being lazy or, "efficient" by consolidating costs into a simple (hidden) model. Giving us no clue as to real shipping and item costs.
2) trafficking goods with a VAT to foreigners who should not pay it.

Either way. I don't like it.

 

[John Lever]

Just curious, have you ever done business with Eastman ?

 

[ButteMT61]

Just curious, have you ever dome business with Eastman ?

Nope. Nothing in the lineup that floats my jacket boat. But I included Aero in my replies. Not that it matters. Anyone that is a potential customer in the US has a right to have an opinion on it.

 

[John Lever]

What about using HPA ?

 

[m444uk]

OK here's the Interparcel qoute for 3kg with NO COMPENSATION-


Fedex Priority £75.50
Interparcel Express £78.60
TNT Express £154.10

Priority ? Next day to NY !

Scrowl down to standard services. Make sure you enter the parcel dimensions in cm as dimensional wt. is used.

Additional compensation was 1.5% per £100 when I used it.

Parcelforce quotes are also shown on the site presumably with trade discount.

 

[ButteMT61]

What about using HPA ?

Are their prices lower? I admit to not checking them because I haven't had the urge to buy ELC. I liked on jacket I saw - a .50 cal A-2 or the likes. The B-3 pics I've seen make me think the skins are like cardboard, but I have not seen one in person. I've heard raves and rants on them.

 

[Falcon_52]

Sorry to be a Johnny-come-lately to the party. I looked at my Eastman receipt/invoice from 2010: it does not have VAT itemized. It simple has a total, which is the cost of the jacket (529.99) plus shipping (35.00). Wow, what ever happened to those prices?

As a side note, I chose to buy direct from Eastman rather from HPA because on this jacket (Roughwear redskin B-3) the price direct from Eastman was/is slightly cheaper than buying from HPA even with the transaction fees from dollars to pounds, the overseas shipping, and the import duty charged. I never understood why this is the case but there it is.

Noel

 

[ButteMT61]

The solution is obviously to fly to the country you want to buy your jacket from, exempt the VAT on the way out, and get a great vacation :lol:
And a great jacket. And a few pints of great beer. Damn, where's my KLM card...

 

[SuinBruin]

Just as an FYI, I started a thread on the FL on this issue.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthre ... seas-sales

 

[Rutger]

Werber A2 at ELC : 650 GBP, 30 GBP for shipping iirc.
Werber A2 with agent in Holland 5 miles down the road :lol: : 570 GBP, pick-up cost 2 liters petrol.

I should be able to get an invoice that includes separate VAT.

Shipping up to 5 kg world wide, Track & Trace, signed for, insured up to 391 GBP (derived from 500 Euro): 28 GBP.

US customer price 605 GBP boxed & shipped, which equals $952 (not including paypal exchange rate and cost), and will include a bill with itemized VAT.
HPA will charge $1110, including shipping.

Anyone wanna give it a try :lol:

 

[ButteMT61]

The diff covers a good chunk of my airfare. Better deal...