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England or Finland? - Which would help Ireland the most?

  • 03-11-2010 1:10pm
    #1
    Brite_Cloud
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 47 ✭


    I am an Irishman, living in Ireland.

    I want to buy an electrical product (doesn't have to be electrical, just using that as an example).
    This particular product is currently only manufactured in China and is only available to purchase from two online retailers; one is based in England, the other in Finland (member of the Eurozone).


    Q. Which of those two online retailers should I choose in order to help the Irish economy most?



    Edit: added info for clarification . . .

    Finland's currency is the Euro (Eurozone member), therefore you can replace 'Finland' with any other country (except for Ireland) that uses the Euro.

    The same goes for England, which uses the Pound Sterling as currency. You can replace it with any other country which does not use the Euro.

    Let's also assume that the price is exactly the same from both retailers even after adding in shipping costs etc.

    So, in short, the only difference between the two is that one has the Euro as their domestic currency and the other does not.


    Sorry for any confusion.


Comments

  • #2
    noodler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,727 ✭✭✭✭noodler


    Brite_Cloud wrote: »
    I am an Irishman, living in Ireland.

    I want to buy an electrical product (doesn't have to be electrical, just using that as an example).
    This particular product is currently only manufactured in China and is only available to purchase from two online retailers; one is based in England, the other in Finland (member of the Eurozone).


    Q. Which of those two online retailers should I choose in order to help the Irish economy most?


    .

    You are in the wrong forum but I'll make two suggestions before a mod locks the thread:

    1) Does either of them pay Irish VAT? I doubt it (Amazon do for example)
    Maybe you should buy from an Irish retailer (even online) if price allows.

    2) We do far, far more business with the UK so in that sense it is a non-brainer but that is just me saying that technically growth in the UK economy benefits us more than growth in the Finnish one.

    Edit: disregard my suggestion on buying elsewhere - I didn't read your post properly.


  • #3
    Hasschu
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 411 ✭✭Hasschu


    The lowest price should be the main determining factor. Minor ones would be shipping time and have you factored in currency conversion cost. The same applies to domestic vs. foreign goods. Patriotism is the last refuge of the morally bankrupt. If you can earn 6% more abroad do not hesitate, go now. John Kenneth Galbraith did some work on what value the average worker places on patriotism and it could be as low as 3% but certainly 6% will dislodge a lot of people. Altruism is all very well in its place which is confined to family.


  • #4
    andrew
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,372 Mod ✭✭✭✭andrew


    The lowest price one, since it gives you the most money left over to spend on Irish made goods :D


  • #5
    Brite_Cloud
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 47 ✭Brite_Cloud


    Thanks all for your replies.

    Seems to be some confusion here - my fault.

    Have added some extra info to my opening post (see above).

    If you notice another loophole, please ignore it ;)


  • #6
    noodler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,727 ✭✭✭✭noodler


    Wait, is this an exam question?


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  • #7
    Brite_Cloud
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 47 ✭Brite_Cloud


    noodler wrote: »
    Wait, is this an exam question?
    No, it is not.

    Are there exams in November?


  • #8
    noodler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,727 ✭✭✭✭noodler


    Brite_Cloud wrote: »
    No, it is not.

    Are there exams in November?

    Of course.

    Colleges can have mid-terms whenever, they can also assign questions as homework.

    It was a strange question is all.


  • #9
    irish_goat
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 5,840 Mod ✭✭✭✭irish_goat


    The English retailer(and his/her employees) are more likely to holiday in Ireland than the Finnish. Plus some of the tax you pay to the English will transfer to Northern Ireland and trickle into the Republic in that way.


  • #10
    Brite_Cloud
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 47 ✭Brite_Cloud


    irish_goat wrote: »
    The English retailer(and his/her employees) are more likely to holiday in Ireland than the Finnish. Plus some of the tax you pay to the English will transfer to Northern Ireland and trickle into the Republic in that way.
    Good point.


    Anyway, I've been doing some research and according to Wikipedia, England is part of something called the 'European Union Value Added Tax Area' - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_Value_Added_Tax_Area

    So my opening question now seems even more stupid. :(

    Oh well, you live and learn . . . thanks to everyone anyway.


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