Why Is / Are Musical Equipment / Instruments So Expensive In Ireland?

WetDaddy

Maybe this should go in the Resources Sticky, but I just thought I'd mention that I made 2 online purchases from companies outside Ireland recently and saved a stupid amount of money...

After searching around for a particular Sony stereo Mic (ECM-MS907, I think...), the best price I could find was €120. Nearly all places were charging this. After a quick look online at US sites, I eventually found (and bought!) it for €82 -INCLUDING- delivery. It's due to arrive in 10 days.

Secondly, I bought a Yamaha CLP-170 digital piano from a shop in Manchester. I can't remember the exact price (around €2,100), but it was OVER €1,000 CHEAPER to buy it in Manchester AND have it delivered.

Even better was that the store that I made the purchase from gave me a free Yamaha bench. A pretty damn good quality one, too.

So, what's the reasoning behind the expense here in Ireland? I know the US dollar is quite weak compared to the Euro at the moment (so now's a good time to make transatlantic purchases), but even the likes of Thomann.de are cheaper than going into a store in Dublin and carrying the item home.

And the price difference for musical equipment goes for online Irish stores too, so it's nothing to do with paying employees, premises upkeep, or any of that.

I know this is a rant, but if I, as a consumer, can get stuff cheaper abroad, surely the retailers can get it even cheaper than that...

Opinions? Thoughts? Shut me up?


-S

Zoton

I found that too. i looked into getting a marshall amp sent over from england. Even paying £70 stg (€105) for delivery on top of the price, it would have still worked out over €120 cheaper. Tis crazy i tells thee.

Doctor J

Everything here seems to be overpriced, everybody's ripping everybody off, it's not just instruments.

I bought an Ibanez 6 string bass from the US for a grand total of €1048 including shipping. The cheapest quote I got for the 5 string version over here was €1900, I was scared to ask how much the 6 would be.

There is no real competition over here and we've a government who are happy to let the people get rode up the ass over everything, you'll find that out when you go to buy a house in this country.

Use your vote wisely.

Sauron

I too am pissed off about this. I have a friend who saved up €1000 and went to canada a while ago and was able to buy a whole set of Zildjian cymbals....about 5 or 6...and we're talking metal sizes...22" ride, 15" Hihats, 18" crash.....etc.....he was able to buy in canada what would have been worth €1500 here , possibly more........
another person I know went to America and was able to buy a pearl Masters snare for €200 when it would have cost €400 over here.....he was also able to buy a top quality snare stand for half the price it is over here....only problem with this was getting the stuff through customs...but they managed.
It annoys the hell out of me....Ive gotta do it sometime..:dunno:

ferdi

Originally posted by Doctor J
Everything here seems to be overpriced, everybody's ripping everybody off, it's not just instruments.

Use your vote wisely.

agreed

Quatre Mains

Originally posted by Doctor J
Everything here seems to be overpriced, everybody's ripping everybody off, it's not just instruments.
There is no real competition over here and we've a government who are happy to let the people get rode up the ass over everything, you'll find that out when you go to buy a house in this country.

- well said. The central problem is massive taxation in this country on just about everything, coupled with the insatiable greed of our Celtic Pig economy.

Originally posted by Doctor J
Use your vote wisely.

- also true. A lot of people are apathetic, saying one party is the same as the other, but the truth is if you relect a govt., whoever it is in power, you're sending a message that you are happy to let them carry on as before. And look where that got us this time.

Right, losing the head here. I'm off to polish my sniper rifle

Myksyk

Wanted to buy an AER compact 60 acoustic guitar amp. Retails here at €999. Looked around on the internet and got it for €759 at www.soundslive.co.uk

Had to get someone in England to order it for me as they didn't take cards from outside UK. But definitely worth any extra little hassles.

robbie1876

Here's part of the problem. I have a keyboard (won't say what it is) direct from the distributor that had the agency in Ireland. I have a trade account, so I got it at trade price, a full 33% below retail. It cost me €2150 inc VAT from the distributor. Music Store Koeln have it for sale for €2100 including delivery to my door, again including VAT.

The keyboard in question was manufactured in Japan. It came into Europe via the European distributor who put their mark up on it. Then it was sold to the UK distributor who also marked it up. Then to the Irish distributor who put their mark up on too. So in the end the trade price here was more expensive than Music Store's retail, probably because Music Store are buying either direct from the European manufacturer or possibly direct from Japan.

My 2c.

jimmyj123456

Hey Doctor J I was wondering if you could tell me a good site to buy my bass on. I'm looking at a four string SUB x02 (€999 in musicmaker). Right now the cheapest is music123 at about €670 including delivery.
The thing is I'm scared about the V.A.T and customs it might be charged. When you ordered your 6 string were you charged VAT?
Anyway my friend was charged about 10% VAT on some drum cymbals he ordered. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how they calculated it.
Please someone reply to this 'cause I want to order soon and dont know what to do....

Doctor J

Tax is inevitable. There's a 6% import duty and then 21%VAT.

Buying new Music 123 are probably the cheapest but you should read this before you place your order.

Have a look at www.thomann.de and http://www.musicstorekoeln.de/englisch/index.htm - see if you can find it cheaper there. You won't be charged duty and VAT on purchases from within the EU.


Edit - - - > and check out here to see if there are any 2nd hand Ernie Ball's which take your fancy

Eoin Madsen

As far as I'm aware import duty on musical instruments is 4%...? But I'm not sure. Customs duty applies for all items over the value of 22 euro coming from outside the EU. It also applies for gifts over the value of 45 euro. There aren't really any loop holes. If a large package is unmarked it will probably be inspected and it will be a long time before you ever see it. Most companies will insist on declaring the contents on the packages they send anyway.

In all imports - whether from the EU or the US - you pay VAT at the Irish rate rather than the rate in the country of origin. Thomann.de compute the 21% Irish VAT into the rate for you (that's what the Irish flag selection at the intro page is for) - so what you see is what you get. Some places will only display VAT at the rate of their own country, so you need to recalculate. The problem with US sites is that they are not required by US law to include the sales tax in the price given. So you're usually looking at the price before VAT.

Coming from outside the EU they generally charge customs and VAT on delivery. Sometimes you get a notice in advance and you have to contact them to confirm that you'll pay. I think it depends on the delivery service.

WetDaddy

That's strange, my purchase from the US must have been overlooked in that case.

All I paid was (according to the site) the price of the item and the price of the delivery. I paid no US sales tax because I was outside the US.

The item got delivered to my door, and all I got charged on my credit card was the price the website stated...

Do things frequently "get through" customs like this? Or am I just lucky?


-S

P.S. You must respect me, for now I am a "crazy poster" with 2 stars! When do I get my key to the lunchroom and my own parking space?

Doctor J

Well done Deathfunk. A balloon with '100 posts' is being couriered to your house as we speak

Some deliveries get overlooked. However, I wouldn't be drawing the fed's attention to that particular fact, for it is a crime not to declare this, if you are not snared when it is being delivered.

Sleep with one eye open, friend, you're gonna get a visit from The Man.

WetDaddy

Hmmmm... But if I sleep with one eye open, he'll DEFINITELY know it's me...

Thanks for the advice anyway, Doctor J. I'll keep it in mind in future.

But for now, I must take my bouquet of 100 balloons to a crowded public space, and then give them to someone else, so that the feds lose track of me...

<vanishes in a plume of white smoke>

NiallMH

I think its just down to the size of the music companies..
These big companies abroad probably dominate most internet shopping(Music anyway)
Sayin that they can afford to 1.Buy and Store in massive bulk . . or 2.Even make there own brand for pennies..

Rigsby

This thread is five years old. Nothing much has changed since then though. :rolleyes: