Online shopping and shopping in the US- cheaper or a con?

Tha Gopher

What is your opinion?

Personally cant understand how the likes of eBay keep going, most gear I look to buy on it is either

a- More expensive than the shops

b- The same price

or

c- Cheaper, but by so little that walking the whole way to your local postal depot to pick up the goods is a waste of time

I was reminded of the above by this thread

http://pie.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055314670

dudara wrote: »

Adidas runners for $45, puma runners for $30, , .............All of New York is a shopping haven right now for us Irish. Enjoy.

In fairness prices in NY that are within 10 euro of Irish prices is nothing amazing.


Im of the opinion people who buy online or buy in the US and think they are making a massive saving even with the flight cost are off the head. ffs Ireland is a place where you soimply need to shop around. I know of one store selling current Arsenal, Celtic, Chelsea and a few national team jerseys for around the 15 euro mark. Never seen that low online.

Mossy Monk

I buy Bluray movies from the states and make a huge saving. I also buy games PS3 from Canada and make a massive saving.

Buying from across the Atlantic can save you money.

dade

clothes are a hell of a lot cheaper in teh US.

levi 501s $30 a pair in an outlet store - what are they her €60 or so/
DKNY jeand $40-50 in macy NYC well over €100 here.

Mach 3 blades, don't know how much they are here for 8 coz i stocked up on my last two trips state side, have about 12 blades left and plan on stocking up again next month. Gillette shaving gel teh same. avg price here €3-5 in teh US about $3

3 pairs of Rebock trainers last yeat in FL fo €90

SheroN

Some stuff can be cheaper. Electronic gadgets etc.

Sports clothing is fine. But I think a lot of the clothes look terrible, ill fitting and bright garish colours.

padi89

I buy online all the time, the postie and courier drivers know me well .I simply cannot afford the prices in Irish shops, i'd love to support local but id need to win the lotto.
Most of what i buy is from the UK, now and again Hong Kong or the US.

Tha Gopher

padi89 wrote: »

I buy online all the time, the postie and courier drivers know me well .I simply cannot afford the prices in Irish shops, i'd love to support local but id need to win the lotto.
Most of what i buy is from the UK, now and again Hong Kong or the US.

Maybe in the first shop you look in! Shop around and real shops are cheaper I find. ffs where online can you get brand new international or EPL jerseys for 15 euro? Only savings I ever got was on the type of stuff Foot Locker sell here, wouldnt touch their shops as online is usually 20 euro plus saving.

As for DVDs etc it is often cheaper to buy a DVD than rent one these days. Prices of everything seem to have gone down since word of the economy declining started spreading.

Kavinsky

Maybe for clothes, but theres huge savings on other items. I buy electronics and games online. Check the price of dvd boxsets on play.com versus HMV/Virgin/etc. An example is last week I ordered a usb ipod cable from hong kong (€2 including delivery, yes 2 euro), O2 store wanted about €30 for the same item. I buy some bathroom furniture on ebay also that is about 1/4 the price of debenhams, arnotts, etc.

KerranJast

Tha Gopher wrote: »

I know of one store selling current Arsenal, Celtic, Chelsea and a few national team jerseys for around the 15 euro mark. Never seen that low online.

They must be (a) selling last years stock or (b) making a loss because there's no way they could sell brand new legit jerseys for that price. The wholesale price from the clubs/producers is around £30 sterling at least.

padi89

Tha Gopher wrote: »

Maybe in the first shop you look in! Shop around and real shops are cheaper I find.

Nooooo, its the same with all shops even the specials are ****e prices.

Speakers > Both highstreet, UK were €350 euro cheaper and shipped for €40
Camera > Irish High St V Ebay €250 cheaper inc Duty & Tax
Earphones > Online UK v Irish High St €50 difference delivered.

I wouldn't buy clothes online ever as you need to try them on first in my opinion...well maybe jocks n socks are grand.

Ruu_Old

I buy the majority of stuff online (mostly eBay) DVDs, phones. I can't remember the last time I bought a DVD in a shop. Only thing you have to worry about when living in Ireland is buying from outside the EU and the risk of customs and even with that you are probably still getting it cheaper. Prices in Irish shops are a laugh.

Dman001

Ebay is much cheaper for electronics and it's great when you are looking for hard to find items. When you go onto DealExtreme, you can see how much cheaper they are compared to Irish shops. The price difference is amazing.

constitutionus

i buy all my comics and trades on the net and its saved me 50% plus so i dont know where your shopping.

christ the stuff im getting is coming from the UK and even with the exchange rate im saving a fortune.

the only problem i have with the states is postage is a fecking joke. literally 50quid to post something worth 3.99 dollars in some places. answer is to just keep looking around.

and i work in foreign exchange and ive never flogged so much dollars in my life than i have this year so SOMEONES heading over to the states to do the shopping

shenanigans1982

I was there at Christmas last year and saved about 100 euro on an i-pod touch, also a lot of clothes brands that I would buy (quicksilver, DC, Hurley, Vans) tend to be a lot cheaper. On average a quicksilver t-shirt over here will set you back about 30-35 euro, in New York it was 15 and that wasn't in the outlet shop. Same goes for shoes DC runners tend to be 90- 120 euro I managed to get 2 pairs for 90 dollars. Needless to say I have not bought clothes over here for the past few years. If you go with a few people at Christmas you will probably save the price of your trip but the experience is worth more.

shenanigans1982

constitutionus wrote: »

i buy all my comics and trades on the net and its saved me 50% plus so i dont know where your shopping.

Is it possible to get monthlies shipped?....At the risk of sounding old the prices these days are f*cking ridiculous. I remember when an issue cost 1.75

Demeyes

If you buy music equipment from the states you'll save a load. Prices in shops here can be very expensive and buying from the states will get you cheaper than the uk and europe. Shipping and customs can bring the price up a bit but you'll still save

LeoGilly

I'm just back from New York and the prices of designer clothes over there is ridiculously cheap!!

Even electrical items are much cheaper. Got my brother a new 80gb iPod for €159.

Wertz

Cheaper by a mile for just about everything and anything I've bought online in the last 5+ years; electronics, clothes, media, other random stuff, either through ebay or with actual online shops...the only con is in the Irish marketplace....shop around? You're having a laugh...I'll shop around online and save both the petrol and the price difference instead thanks...
I wouldn't be one for the NYC christmas shopping thing, but I have seen or heard about the savings people make and/or their drastically reduced holiday fare.
OP gave eBay as an example and IMO it's a bad one...on many occasions I've seen stuff go on ebay for more than the bricks'n'mortar store rate...lots of people bidding on the site haven't a clue how to use it and get sucked in to the heat of the auction and bid beyond the value...

Bottom line; for a lot of stuff I'd buy or have bought, I normally cannot find the item on sale here easily and certainly not at prices I'm willing to pay...even at their full retail price, internet stores beat Irish high st prices, hands down...that's before you take any VAT/tax differences into it, or before any offers or sales are taken into account. The only bugbear as mentioned is excessive delivery charges; some UK and many US stores chage hideous shipping fees (many of them offering free shipping to domestic customers), but shopping around will usually find you a compnay willing to do business and ship at a reasonable rate.
To be brutally honest, with the exception of food and some clothes, I don't buy anything in Irish shops any more, certainly not electronics anyhow...

keane2097

I buy clothes off ebay - occasionally you get stung with stuff being fake and whatnot but the choice available and the savings you make more than make up for the occasional bad buy imo.

constitutionus

shenanigans1982 wrote: »

Is it possible to get monthlies shipped?....At the risk of sounding old the prices these days are f*cking ridiculous. I remember when an issue cost 1.75

you think your old? i remember when you could get any marvel comic for $1 in the alchemists heads on dames streeet which meant it cost me 90p in old punt !

i agree about the cost. thats why ive been buying trades off play.com for the last few years. its half the price. ive been collecting new avengers that way since it was relaunched way back when.

i dont know what the story is on monthlies but i reckon you should be able to. i'm an old school transformers fan and ive been buying the monthly/ spotlight books of that from a site i was recomended (ONLY does TF / IDW books unfortunetly, sorry!) for the last 4 months or so.

usually i buy em in pairs which including post costs me circa 8.48 euro. not bad when you consider factoring in bus fare into town it'd cost me 15 euro plus. so if you can get it for those books im sure someones able to do so for others. in fact i seem to remember a thread in the comics section by the guy that used to run the 3rd place which has a recomendation of a bloke who does just that. root around in that forum to see.

back on OP i shouldve mentioned that my mother went to the states last year and despite saying she wouldnt buy anything she came back with cases of stuff cause it was so cheap. she got loads of pairs of rebok shoes for my neices as they were doing buy one get one pair free deals. ditto for levi jeans which were going for 16 euro a pair (which are going for over 90 euro here! )

also i got a 2gb memory card for my phone with an SD adapter for 33 quid about two years ago online which saved me the guts of 100 euro as thats what vodafone and the like were flogging em for. IF you could find one that big. theres definetly better choice online.:)

The guy

Tha Gopher wrote: »

What is your opinion?

Personally cant understand how the likes of eBay keep going, most gear I look to buy on it is either

a- More expensive than the shops

b- The same price

or

c- Cheaper, but by so little that walking the whole way to your local postal depot to pick up the goods is a waste of time

I was reminded of the above by this thread

http://pie.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055314670




In fairness prices in NY that are within 10 euro of Irish prices is nothing amazing.


Im of the opinion people who buy online or buy in the US and think they are making a massive saving even with the flight cost are off the head. ffs Ireland is a place where you soimply need to shop around. I know of one store selling current Arsenal, Celtic, Chelsea and a few national team jerseys for around the 15 euro mark. Never seen that low online.

The cost of a plane to New York though is something that has to be taken into consideration.

Computer equipment is much cheaper online and so are PS3 games including shipping.

Mossy Monk

Kavinsky wrote: »

Check the price of dvd boxsets on play.com versus HMV/Virgin/etc.

Play.com will rip you off. I avoid them.

Overheal

From what I understand Irish customs is getting livid about people going over to New York etc. on shopping weekends, as its an export of revenue. According to a discussion I was having in the Laptops forum about this they've started spot checking people on their way back trying to catch them out with new merchandise so they can tax you on it.

sock puppet

Overheal wrote: »

From what I understand Irish customs is getting livid about people going over to New York etc. on shopping weekends, as its an export of revenue. According to a discussion I was having in the Laptops forum about this they've started spot checking people on their way back trying to catch them out with new merchandise so they can tax you on it.

Really? Around christmas i saw an interview with a customs officer where he said that their main priority was catching drug smugglers and that they couldn't realistically catch many people coming back from shopping trips. Is it only the odd person getting caught or a large amount?

rubadub

Tha Gopher wrote: »

Personally cant understand how the likes of eBay keep going, most gear I look to buy on it is either

a- More expensive than the shops

b- The same price

or

c- Cheaper, but by so little that walking the whole way to your local postal depot to pick up the goods is a waste of time

The vast majority of people do not know how to use ebay correctly, searching, putting up auctions or bidding. Name 2 or 3 common items you want and post the best price you can find on ebay including delivery costs to Ireland and I can probably do better- find it and post the link.

I get all my stuff delivered to work, so no walking to postal depots.

Tha Gopher wrote: »

Maybe in the first shop you look in! Shop around and real shops are cheaper I find.

How long would you spend walking around town looking for bargains? probably longer than it takes to walk to the postal depot. How much is your time worth to you? I rarely end up paying more than I would in shops here, but sometimes I would for convenience. You are mentioning flight costs, but how much does it cost people to drive to the shops, parking fees, fuel etc. And TIME, you could be working overtime rather than sitting in traffic to save a possible few euro.

Tha Gopher wrote: »

ffs where online can you get brand new international or EPL jerseys for 15 euro?

I think there are a few online shops that also sell fakes. Where is this shop you mention, something must be wrong, either fakes or seconds. If it is too cheap to be true there is usually a very good reason- it is not true...

heyjude

You can only save money physically shopping in the US through tax evasion/smuggling and most of the so called savings from trips to NY aren't actually savings at all. How much would you need to spend to save money if your airfares and accomodation top €1,000 for a 2-3 day trip, assuming that you declare all purchases over your €175 duty free allowance and pay whatever duty and VAT is due on them ? I suspect the answer is thousands and if you spend that much you risk having excess luggage charges on the flight home.

The only reason such trips are so popular is that people ignore the cost of getting to NY in calculating their savings and they also count on not having to pay VAT and duty on whatever they bring back.

Prices in the shops here would be much cheaper too, if you could avoid paying the VAT. Customs hardly stop anyone at the airport, so I'm always amazed that they somehow manage to catch any drug smugglers.

Its a pretty fair bet that maybe half or more, of the Irish travellers returning from the US have exceeded the €175 duty free allowance, and coming up to Christmas with the huge numbers going stateside on shopping trips, very few would be returning with so little, yet virtually nobody is stopped as they go through the "Nothing to Declare" channel. The newspapers reported at the end of last year that the average Irish shopper visiting one of the major malls near NY was spending over $2,000 each. Maybe with government revenues being squeezed so badly at present, the customs might be a bit tougher this year.

As said by another poster, where Ebay is concerned the biggest obstacle to saving money is the cost of postage, with many sellers purposely setting the item price low and then charging a heavy charge for postage(eg. $10 postage on a keyring from the US). As regards having to go to your local postal depot to collect the goods, this only applies if there's nobody at home when the postman calls.

Jigsaw

**** it i don't care. if you don't like it sort your life out you ****.

AlmightyCushion

Jigsaw wrote: »

**** it i don't care. if you don't like it sort your life out you ****.

Watch it.

MagicMarker

The more you spend the more you save...

I bought a macbook here in Canada a few weeks back and saved almost 300 euro on the Irish price.

I can't comment on the regular price of dvd's etc here because i get them via other 'means'... But the HMV near me do have sales where by a dvd would be about $6, which is just over 4 euro. Not many irish shops go that low.

Black Swan

A student I know buys leather jackets from US department stores when on sale, or from discount outlets, then sells them on eBay for a profit.

Claire121

The stuff in the US is half the price of stuff over here. The prices in Ireland are an absolute joke, which is why people go to the effort of flying all over the place to pick up cheaper goods. Even in 'expensive' stores like Bloomingdales, the clothes are often less in dollars there than in euro here at Brown Thomas. Go to the shopping outlets and you can save loads. Now obviously going over to New York especially to shop means the cost of the flight probably cancels out the savings, but if you're going anyway, it's a great opportunity to buy stuff.

Re customs - how do they know where and when you bought the stuff? I lived in New York last year and bought clothes over there (suits, blouses etc) to wear to work while I was there, surely I should be entitled to bring them home? And how do they know if it's something you just bought or something you've had for a while and brought on holidays with you to wear? What if it was a Christmas present from a relative in the US? Sorry if it sounds stupid but I've never really thought about it.

SheroN

Claire121 wrote: »

The stuff in the US is half the price of stuff over here. The prices in Ireland are an absolute joke, which is why people go to the effort of flying all over the place to pick up cheaper goods. Even in 'expensive' stores like Bloomingdales, the clothes are often less in dollars there than in euro here at Brown Thomas. Go to the shopping outlets and you can save loads. Now obviously going over to New York especially to shop means the cost of the flight probably cancels out the savings, but if you're going anyway, it's a great opportunity to buy stuff.

Re customs - how do they know where and when you bought the stuff? I lived in New York last year and bought clothes over there (suits, blouses etc) to wear to work while I was there, surely I should be entitled to bring them home? And how do they know if it's something you just bought or something you've had for a while and brought on holidays with you to wear? What if it was a Christmas present from a relative in the US? Sorry if it sounds stupid but I've never really thought about it.

Technically you're supposed to be able to prove when/where you bought it. I don't think they have a problem with people buying the odd shirt. It's more the guy who was stopped before last christmas with 40 I phones in his suit case.

Claire121

How could you possibly prove it though? Nobody has receipts from a year ago, or from something that was a present. Obviously if you have a large number of something (I phones, leather jackets etc) it raises suspicion but the majority of Christmas shoppers would just have stuff for their own use.

Disco Stu

Mossy Monk wrote: »

Play.com will rip you off. I avoid them.

I've bought over a hundred DVD's, games and CD's from Play.com over the last 7 years and never had a problem with them, way cheaper than the shops here, better choice and normally delivered in a couple of days. If you have to go back to them for a return they are pretty easy to deal with too..!

RonMexico

Use ebay and Amazon all the time and save a ****load. Delivered to my door, have never had to collect them from anywhere. Haven't bought a cd/dvd or book in an Irish store in about 2 years. The price here is a joke. Also brought back a new Gibson Les Paul Special from the U.S. - cost $600 in a sale and saw it here for 2 grand. Strolled through customs no bother although the fact that I decided to help a nun with her luggage might have saved me from those clowns, I had Jesus on my side and he loves a bargain so he does.

Tha Gopher

Tha Gopher wrote: »

I know of one store selling current Arsenal, Celtic, Chelsea and a few national team jerseys for around the 15 euro mark. Never seen that low online.

Where is that please? I wouldn't mind a new jersey or 2.

RonMexico wrote: »

I had Jesus on my side and he loves a bargain so he does.

Absolute gold.

constitutionus

Disco Stu wrote: »

I've bought over a hundred DVD's, games and CD's from Play.com over the last 7 years and never had a problem with them, way cheaper than the shops here, better choice and normally delivered in a couple of days. If you have to go back to them for a return they are pretty easy to deal with too..!

me too. they save me an absolute fortune on books DVDs and PS2 games. the only real problem i have is it usually takes over a week or two to get them. but hey at that price i'll wait.

fitz0

Claire121 wrote: »

How could you possibly prove it though? Nobody has receipts from a year ago, or from something that was a present. Obviously if you have a large number of something (I phones, leather jackets etc) it raises suspicion but the majority of Christmas shoppers would just have stuff for their own use.

Well as long as its for personal use a warning is ok. But if its iPhones with intent to supply you're in a spot of trouble. :rolleyes:

As for online shopping, I buy a lot of stuff online. Things like memory cards are ridiculously expensive here, Ive found an irish site that sells them at a knockdown price as opposed to a bricks and mortar establishment. Some things are just not available here or are, again, overpriced - a manga is 10.50 here, whereas its about half that elsewhere. play-asia sells games far cheaper even factoring in delivery. Its a disgrace.

But I do buy books here, even if they are dearer just to support some bookshops that I like. I dont buy clothes on the interweb because I have to try something on before I buy it.

Mossy Monk

Disco Stu wrote: »

I've bought over a hundred DVD's, games and CD's from Play.com over the last 7 years and never had a problem with them, way cheaper than the shops here, better choice and normally delivered in a couple of days. If you have to go back to them for a return they are pretty easy to deal with too..!

It doesn't bother you that you are being charged more than customers in the UK?

Claire121

Well as long as its for personal use a warning is ok. But if its iPhones with intent to supply you're in a spot of trouble.

What's with all the talk of smuggling and tax evasion then? Going to New York and taking advantage of cheaper prices to buy some Abercrombie or a designer bag is hardly tax evasion or smuggling. I'm aware of the rules on alcohol, cigarettes etc, but never considered it anything but my own business what clothes or make-up I purchased while I was over there, once it wasn't 50 of the same item or knock off designer goods from Canal Street.

Disco Stu

Mossy Monk wrote: »

It doesn't bother you that you are being charged more than customers in the UK?

Not really... still a huge amount cheaper than buying here...

Although the business is based in Jersey, it's essentially a UK retailer and so the cost to the customers in it's main market will always be a bit less. It has to factor in higher delivery costs to everywhere else so they make that back with their exchange rate...

fitz0

Claire121 wrote: »

What's with all the talk of smuggling and tax evasion then? Going to New York and taking advantage of cheaper prices to buy some Abercrombie or a designer bag is hardly tax evasion or smuggling. I'm aware of the rules on alcohol, cigarettes etc, but never considered it anything but my own business what clothes or make-up I purchased while I was over there, once it wasn't 50 of the same item or knock off designer goods from Canal Street.

All this tax and whatnot doesnt hold with me at all. Ill evade it if I can, the way I see it if they manage to get it from me they deserve it.

dade

Claire121 wrote: »

Re customs - how do they know where and when you bought the stuff? I lived in New York last year and bought clothes over there (suits, blouses etc) to wear to work while I was there, surely I should be entitled to bring them home? And how do they know if it's something you just bought or something you've had for a while and brought on holidays with you to wear? What if it was a Christmas present from a relative in the US? Sorry if it sounds stupid but I've never really thought about it.

loose the tags, bags and receipts on clothes, fold them bad to crease them, basically make it ook like you took them with you. scuff shoes a little might draw attention away from them being new, dirty soles means they isn't new . also having 50 pairs of jeans in multiple sizes in your suit case is a dead give away so if you're buying just keep the sizes consistent, of course if its for yourself you've no trouble there.

on the electrical goods, with a camera take some pictures then it's used and you brought it with you. get an envelope stick the user manual in it and post it to yourself including proof of purchase so you can register the warranty and stuff. MP3 players may be more difficult coz you may not be able to upload music to them.

to be honest i think if a customs guy stops you and you're not pulling the piss he'll probably let you off or just make you pay the tax. I think they're looking for people that travel over with empty cases come back with cases full of cloths of various sizes for resale over here without paying the taxes

Claire121 wrote: »

What's with all the talk of smuggling and tax evasion then?

there is a limit to the value of personal items you can purchase abroad and bring into the country. if you bring it in you are suppose to pay import duty on it. I think someone said the threshold is €175 per person anything above is taxable.

coillcam

I personally love it. I got a new spanking pair of Puma King SL's a few years ago for €60 inc postage in a colour not available in Ireland and they cost €150 here.

Lately I helped my Dad ship over a vintage motorbike from the states and a bucket load of parts for it, eventually reaching about €7k/€8k in costs soon. But upon completing it, the value will be approx €16k+. Only one of it's kind in Ireland at the moment.

So I have great confidence in online shopping from the states.

Ruu_Old

Disco Stu wrote: »

I've bought over a hundred DVD's, games and CD's from Play.com over the last 7 years and never had a problem with them, way cheaper than the shops here, better choice and normally delivered in a couple of days. If you have to go back to them for a return they are pretty easy to deal with too..!

Just that they have used the sterling->euro exchange rate to make up for the free shipping that they offer for years. They only recently made a small change to it. Still good value most of the time though I agree.

Fighting Irish

Really depends on what you buy the runners i last bought would be about €130 over here and i got them for $70 shipped

Tha Gopher wrote: »

What is your opinion?

Personally cant understand how the likes of eBay keep going, most gear I look to buy on it is either

a- More expensive than the shops

b- The same price

or

c- Cheaper, but by so little that walking the whole way to your local postal depot to pick up the goods is a waste of time

I was reminded of the above by this thread

http://pie.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055314670




In fairness prices in NY that are within 10 euro of Irish prices is nothing amazing.


Im of the opinion people who buy online or buy in the US and think they are making a massive saving even with the flight cost are off the head. ffs Ireland is a place where you soimply need to shop around. I know of one store selling current Arsenal, Celtic, Chelsea and a few national team jerseys for around the 15 euro mark. Never seen that low online.

Phlann

Electronics can be anywhere from €25-€100 cheaper from American stores.

Just pray you don't get hit by customs duty. Happened to me before and I got so angry I just refused to pay it, so your man walked off. Then I cooled off a little on my way back into my apartment and had to run after him and tell him, rather sheepishly, that I'd pay after all.

heyjude

Jigsaw wrote: »

**** it i don't care. if you don't like it sort your life out you ****.

Sounds like I touched a nerve there. Hopefully some appropriate karma might sort you out. :rolleyes:

Claire121

loose the tags, bags and receipts on clothes, fold them bad to crease them, basically make it ook like you took them with you. scuff shoes a little might draw attention away from them being new, dirty soles means they isn't new . also having 50 pairs of jeans in multiple sizes in your suit case is a dead give away so if you're buying just keep the sizes consistent, of course if its for yourself you've no trouble there.

Yeah always take the tags off for that reason. I don't see how else they could accuse you of smuggling - I often take new shoes on holidays and don't end up wearing them - it's none of their business! I'd say the reason they don't stop people is that it's so difficult to prove anything. Obviously those who buy in bulk to sell on are doing something dodgy but I don't think those going over to buy themselves a few things are committing a crime. 175 euro is ridiculously low. I spent more than that when I was there, and I wasn't going over on a shopping trip, just getting work clothes and shoes for my job over there. It's bad enough living in rip off Ireland, without not being able to pick up a few clothes while on holidays without worrying about customs charges. Grr!

rubadub

Phlann wrote: »

Just pray you don't get hit by customs duty. Happened to me before and I got so angry I just refused to pay it, so your man walked off. Then I cooled off a little on my way back into my apartment and had to run after him and tell him, rather sheepishly, that I'd pay after all.

Same happened to me buying a TV in tescos, fecking bitch told me I would have to pay the VAT and Duty on it, went off fuming... The cheeky bastards had already hidden these costs into the price displayed to! nerve of them!

It certainly is a form of smuggling, people do not like to be branded as such, "everybody does it" so it is fine. It is like drinkers getting all upset at being branded drug users, and smokers being called drug addicts. Loads of people have dodgy cable boxes but would not brand themselves thieves.

I see it similar to people avoiding VAT by saying something is for their business, you are taking away from money that should be going into the economy. If everybody pulls scams like this then they just up tax overall to get back the shortfall.

I still do it myself though, and have no problem admitting I am a drug abusing, smuggling, thieving degenerate.