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Post by holmz on Jul 27, 2015 15:46:32 GMT -5
In the good book, there was the creation of earth followed by worlds second oldest profession.
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Mark
Junior Member
Posts: 72
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Post by Mark on Oct 6, 2015 16:23:52 GMT -5
Hi, when buying for the UK, apart from delivery, is there any Duty/VAT charges?
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jimh
Junior Member
Posts: 76
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Post by jimh on Oct 6, 2015 16:25:20 GMT -5
The German dealers cannot sell the 120v tools in order to keep them in their own markets (and not reach over to the UK or US).
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Post by Red on Oct 6, 2015 19:43:21 GMT -5
I am giving Tobias a try. Waiting for him to get back me on the bag and rail set. I'd order a DD40 but I don't know if they offer the 120volt version. It will be interesting to read what the man in Germany has to say about selling you a 120VAC Mafell power tool, but that would put pressure on the sole US supplier, so I have my doubts...If you want to discuss using the imported 240V/50Hz versions in the US, on the other hand, PM me and I'll help you in any way I can. We use the Mafell "imports" regularly and I have nothing but good things to report about the experience. Good luck to you,Red UPDATE: My apologies, I thought I was at the end of the thread...until I saw the date (May 7th). It seems that my thoughts about buying 120VAC tools from Germany were accurate, however...
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Post by checkmax on Oct 6, 2015 22:59:40 GMT -5
I can tell you Mafell has taken notice that their sole US supplier has not passed on euro f/x savings.
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Post by Red on Oct 6, 2015 23:14:00 GMT -5
I can tell you Mafell has taken notice that their sole US supplier has not passed on euro f/x savings. If you don't mind, would you please tell me what "f/x" means?
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Post by holmz on Oct 7, 2015 3:34:52 GMT -5
Foreign exchange or exchange rate?
One can buy a transformer pretty quickly with the savings.
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Post by toomanytoys on Oct 7, 2015 12:18:00 GMT -5
I can tell you Mafell has taken notice that their sole US supplier has not passed on euro f/x savings. I started thinking about that months ago, actually when this thread started. Considering during my interest in Mafell tools the pricing had gone up twice at Timberwolf (not that I have a problem when wholesale or exchange costs go up), my annoyance that prices showed no direction of going down with the strong change in exchange rates got me to buy product directly from Europe. I just don't see Timberwolf having that great of an inventory to hold pricing and if Mafell is at all interested in expanding their USA market share and has no influence in USA with their sole importer then some allowance for their other worldly retailers range should be considered. When people are motivated and able to improve their purchase price despite long distance retail shipping and possible tariff charges, along with elimination of the manufacturers product warranty the system is in trouble.
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Post by checkmax on Oct 8, 2015 0:28:49 GMT -5
I can tell you Mafell has taken notice that their sole US supplier has not passed on euro f/x savings. If you don't mind, would you please tell me what "f/x" means?f/x or fx or forex or foreign exchange. Refers to currency exchange rates, in this case the eur/usd
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Post by Red on Oct 8, 2015 3:34:46 GMT -5
I can tell you Mafell has taken notice that their sole US supplier has not passed on euro f/x savings. I started thinking about that months ago, actually when this thread started. Considering during my interest in Mafell tools the pricing had gone up twice at Timberwolf (not that I have a problem when wholesale or exchange costs go up), my annoyance that prices showed no direction of going down with the strong change in exchange rates got me to buy product directly from Europe. I just don't see Timberwolf having that great of an inventory to hold pricing and if Mafell is at all interested in expanding their USA market share and has no influence in USA with their sole importer then some allowance for their other worldly retailers range should be considered. When people are motivated and able to improve their purchase price despite long distance retail shipping and possible tariff charges, along with elimination of the manufacturers product warranty the system is in trouble. I have very strong feelings about this, so I'll try my best to temper my thoughts...Jack has described the situation very clearly. If I recall anything from the economics courses I took in school, it was that free enterprise cannot function when the source of supply is controlled by one entity alone. I believe that when one is faced with a monopoly, one should always search for an alternative.
As a traditional joint cutter, I heard about Mafell's large timber framing tools for many years...and, despite the temptation, there was always one thing that killed any real interest: the mind-numbing prices being quoted by the US supplier. In short, if it weren't for the German suppliers -- aka, the alternative -- I know we wouldn't own a single Mafell power tool. Those classes I mentioned also taught that competition has a way of eliminating gouging. In the end...I can only hope that the system [eventually] flushes itself clean.
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Post by toomanytoys on Oct 8, 2015 12:23:48 GMT -5
When I wrote what I did I cut short the posting as I didn't want to pile on too much. I don't like getting into someone else's business. I grew up in my family's retail business and the sole proprietor now, my wife owns her own business and I spent 30 years in a corporate structure. I respect business and its costs. I'll condense what I deleted. Uncle Ben (SpiderMan 2002): With great power, comes great responsibility. Attachments:
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Post by Red on Oct 8, 2015 18:15:43 GMT -5
Once again, you've illustrated the point very well, Jack. This is a Mafell User's Forum, so, speaking as a Mafell user who lives and works in the US, I think it's more than relevant to post about what Mafell buyers in the US are faced with -- especially when one considers the title of this thread.
Thanks for the chart -- it does an excellent job of clarifying why working folks go through the trouble of importing German power tools, which, in my experience, function better than the US versions.
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Post by toomanytoys on Oct 8, 2015 21:11:55 GMT -5
It wouldn't be the first forum I've had to come back to under a different name ......
There may be contracts or other considerations we are not privy to. I can respect that. I went off once I read Checkmax's comment as this has been a situation where I used out of the box solutions to satisfy my desires.
When I looked at that graph my reaction was what a lost opportunity. My corporate life was with a worldwide company that moved factories as necessary to compete in the marketplace, to deal with manufacturing costs and rate exchange. On a more local basis both my wife and family have used opportunities where we could acquire product at a lower cost and we passed that savings to our customers, because to keep a long term relationship the customer needs to know your there for them in good times. And when costs went up, the customer needs to know its with regret the change is being made. I feel TW did that by announcing there were pricing increases coming up. But ......
That graph illustrates the lost opportunity to extend the customer base, a situation that is easily explained to past customers why they paid a higher price and why they have in front of them an opportunity they did not have before, to acquire products they felt out of reach. And that potential customers who were previously excluded also now have an opportunity. It most likely will be a short term of 6 to 18 months, but still an opportunity. And from my perspective a free marketing opportunity to expand product sales without the costs of an ad program or large investment to acquire lower wholesale costs through a bulk purchase.
Yeah, I've used the term opportunity a lot. They don't come often for many businesses. But as Uncle Ben eluded to, when you're the sole supplier comes great responsibility on how you use opportunities. Again, maybe there are details we are not privy too.
This is just a small forum and look at the range across this world it touches. We are no longer a community who only thinks in terms of our neighborhood shops and opportunities. We are no longer people who buy a shop vac because it's in the local hardware store. We can be in our home, our vehicle, at a job site, or as I was today in the middle of a farm field researching what I needed from a source 1,000s of miles away. Life ....... and conducting business ....... has changed. We are customers of the world.
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Post by Red on Oct 8, 2015 22:46:04 GMT -5
Interesting conversation, but I'm not sure where returning to the forum incognito, by employing a different alias, comes into this...You obviously see things on a global scale, where I see the sole US supplier as having a responsibility to serve the US market. When I see your chart, I see a healthier dollar in the EU, which fosters the free enterprise I mentioned in an earlier post. A stronger dollar combined with willing overseas vendors gives the working person in the US the badly-needed relief that a truly free market offers them...and this, effectively, puts pressure on any unscrupulous business entities who would take advantage of those in their "territory." Put simply, that's how a free market flushes itself out and, hopefully, restores balance.
Would I prefer to invest my hard-earned by patronizing US suppliers? You bet I would, but that doesn't mean that I'm wiling to throw a sizable chunk of my working capital away on what is, according to my sources in the EU, "inflated pricing." What should a sole-supplier do once it discovers that its market has found an alternative? The pricing should be adjusted in such a way as to bring their market back home -- it's really that simple. Unfortunately, your words about price increases -- reluctant or not so reluctant -- don't seem to indicate such an adjustment, which is, obviously, unfortunate (especially for those of us who live within driving distance). In the end, my business will always search for alternatives to inflated pricing: we have to.
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Post by toomanytoys on Oct 9, 2015 8:54:21 GMT -5
A tongue in cheek inference that I've been known to make blunt comments that may offend.
I too try to purchase as close to home as possible and of course convenience, a long term relationship, and support carries a value to be considered in the purchase price.
I think I've said all I need or care to about this subject.
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