Tool prices?!

quattroboy

For anyone that is gone into an automotive parts supplier recently you’ve probably seen "Toptul" socket sets, spanners etc for sale.
I bought a few individually and I have to say the quality is very good.
But the prices are pretty steep in fairness, and if you start to do a search and do a comparison with the prices in mainland Europe the difference is incredible:eek:!
Unfortunately a lot of companies have decided they don’t want to deal with Ireland post Brexit, in fact I suspect many of them think that all of Ireland is part of the UK!:rolleyes:
Has anyone found a company that’s prepared to ship them here at the proper prices?

As an example here is an Irish price for a set:

Ireland: €142.00
https://toolfix.ie/product/toptul-gcad2403-1-2dr-socket-set-24pc-metric-metal-case/

Estonia: €63.00!!!
https://intercars24.ee/tooted/A9EA35-toptul-1-2-tools-set-gcad2403

We are clearly being ripped off by the Irish importer!
ROI=Return On Investment or Rip Off Ireland?

The first set look way too cheap to me tbh, it's a decent quality 1/2 inch socket set, 63 euro seems a joke price.

The only thing I can think of and I have seen it with other tools, they are importing it into Europe from China without paying any VAT or import duties and the Irish website is an official distributor paying full whack on both.

Some countries in mainland Europe seem to be a free for all when importing stuff from China without paying duties.

Toptul are a Chinese well Taiwanese brand.

The set you have listed is set GCAD2403

Google this product number , the set is more expensive in Poland and England than both the links you have put above. Something is fishy about that site me thinks

wonski

Intercars is a well established business in Europe. Providing this is their website there is nothing dodgy about it BTW.

wonski

wonski wrote: »

Intercars is a well established business in Europe. Providing this is their website there is nothing dodgy about it BTW.

Maybe not but I have never seen a price descrepancy that high ever on anything comparing something from 4 different countries.

They are selling it cheaper to the public than the other 3 places I sourced prices from are probably buying it from the distributor. They are more than 50% cheaper than 3 other sources from 3 different countries who are all priced similar, that can't be right.

Maybe they are selling it at the correct price and the other 3 sources are trying to overcharge.
I wouldn't rate toptul that highly tbh, I have some bits and pieces from them so maybe that is it

wonski

Tool fix has 2 variants of that product, one is 70 Euro another 140 Euro.

I think that's where the difference comes from.

Also prices in Ireland will always be higher anyway (market size, location).

wonski

wonski wrote: »

Tool fix has 2 variants of that product, one is 70 Euro another 140 Euro.

I think that's where the difference comes from.

Also prices in Ireland will always be higher anyway (market size, location).

I thought that aswell but the first poster has listed the 1/2 inch and that's the price his website gave. I also have a feeling his website is mixing it up with the 1/4 drive version

magicbastarder

wonski wrote: »

Tool fix has 2 variants of that product, one is 70 Euro another 140 Euro.

I think that's where the difference comes from.

the 3/8" set is the cheaper option, the 1/2" set more expensive - but it's the 1/2" set listed on the intercars site. so the higher price is the correct one for comparison.
that said, it could also be a mistake on the intercars site, that they accidentally listed the 1/2" set with the 3/8" price.

quattroboy

Here are a few more examples (and yes I have been looking across Europe for a while comparing like for like on prices)

TOPTUL GCAD3402 1/4″ & 1/2″ Drive 34 Piece Socket Set

Germany €53.00
https://www.motointegrator.de/artikel/884075-steckschluesselsatz-toptul-14-12-34-stueck

UK £182.00 (I’m thinking the UK and Irish importer is the same based on the same high pricing?)
https://www.vantagetools.co.uk/product/tt-gcad3402/

Another example:

TOPTUL GCAD2802 1/4" + 1/2"- 5mm-27mm - 27 pcs

Germany €46.00 (Ex Vat)
https://www.scooter-center.com/en/ratchet-set-toptul-1/4-1/2-5mm-27mm-27-pcs-gcad2802?number=GCAD2802

UK £117.00
https://www.vantagetools.co.uk/product/tt-gcad2802/

The prices I’m finding in mainland Europe are typically ½ the prices quoted in Ireland…
I could go on but we are definitely being shafted here….

BlakeS94

quattroboy wrote: »

Here are a few more examples (and yes I have been looking across Europe for a while comparing like for like on prices)

TOPTUL GCAD3402 1/4″ & 1/2″ Drive 34 Piece Socket Set

Germany €53.00
https://www.motointegrator.de/artikel/884075-steckschluesselsatz-toptul-14-12-34-stueck

UK £182.00 (I’m thinking the UK and Irish importer is the same based on the same high pricing?)
https://www.vantagetools.co.uk/product/tt-gcad3402/

Another example:

TOPTUL GCAD2802 1/4" + 1/2"- 5mm-27mm - 27 pcs

Germany €46.00 (Ex Vat)
https://www.scooter-center.com/en/ratchet-set-toptul-1/4-1/2-5mm-27mm-27-pcs-gcad2802?number=GCAD2802

UK £117.00
https://www.vantagetools.co.uk/product/tt-gcad2802/

The prices I’m finding in mainland Europe are typically ½ the prices quoted in Ireland…
I could go on but we are definitely being shafted here….

Its the same with car parts. I recently discovered a site in the Netherlands that sells the same parts as Irish and UK but for around half the price

jimgoose

I bought a Bahco (now Snap-On Europe) BHS240 1/2'' set a good few years back for 60 Euro, that would have been £200 worth at the time. A quick root around shows pricing for the same slightly updated set - now seems to be called just S240 - ranging from 63 to 198 Euro in Ireland. Go figure.

timple23

Dewalt bare unit drill in Ireland, €120.
Same drill incl shipping to Ireland from UK, €71, (pre-brexit)

I really want to investigate this further but I'm worried I'll buy more tools I'll rarely need.