Why are electronics more expensive in europe?

[Canoas]

Why? It makes no sense to me. Everything is more expensive by like 20%, be it phones, consoles, laptops and even computer parts. Just pick any item and compare it in amazon.com with amazon.co.uk and you'll see.

 

Is there an actual reason for this or did everyone just agree to screw europeans? Every time I have to buy something expensive like a new laptop it just makes me want to get someone from the US to buy it for me and ship it over here.

 

[technovore]

I think it's because they ship everyhting from America, it's even worse in Australia and other countries.

[helping]

VAT and higher tax rates? In addition a lot of US states don't pay taxes for online purchases

Also, America is buddy-buddy with China so shipping is usually very cheap. Fuel and transport is cheaper here so subsidized shipping (at a business non-consumer level) costs in the form of 'free' shipping is not passed on as much to the consumer.

[MJSBLUES]

Pretty much everything is cheaper in the US. I think a lot of it has to do with most electronics are to shipped to the UK

And amazon includes the price on .co.uk with VAT whearas I don't think they include taxes that you get in US (I may be wrong about this though) and I think VAT is more than taxes in America on items.

[Canoas]

Also, America is buddy-buddy with China so shipping is usually very cheap.

 

Usually when I buy things from China I don't pay for shipment either, and even when I do it's pretty much nothing.

[Stickeric]

Because when someone outside europe wants to sell something they have to pay europe or what ever. Otherwise europe stores have no chance to compete to the small prices. (something like that I believe)

[Cacao]

I think it's because they ship everyhting from America

Hahaha, what?

 

America get's their electronics from Asia, just like every other country. The difference is taxes...

[wtfxmitchell]

because we have higher taxes because of stupid greece...

[MrSuperb]

Why? It makes no sense to me. Everything is more expensive by like 20%, be it phones, consoles, laptops and even computer parts. Just pick any item and compare it in amazon.com with amazon.co.uk and you'll see.

 

 

European prices usually include taxes (VAT, etc.) already, in the US they don't.

[danieldsklein]

Cacao is right, Europe don`t import from the US, as everyone they import from China (and Hong kong and ...) shipping is more expensive, but still very cheap, but the import fee and local taxes are way higher, on the brighter side you could live in Brazil where everything is worse, more expensive and I have to see things like this http://www.polygon.com/2013/10/17/4848222/ps4-price-brazil (Spoiler, around 2k dollars) (y)

[MrSuperb]

because we have higher taxes because of stupid greece...

 

I don't think that any european country increased their VAT as result of what happend / is happening in greece ...

[Canoas]

Wait, you guys don't pay taxes on online purchases? We pay about 20%... I'm definitely going to buy my laptop in the US and somehow ship it over here. If I get an i5 instead of i7 I'll be saving about 460€..

 

And we've always had VAT in europe, it's a bit higher now though but not by much.

[Cacao]

Wait, you guys don't pay taxes on online purchases? We pay about 20%... I'm definitely going to buy my laptop in the US and somehow ship it over here. If I get an i5 instead of i7 I'll be saving about 460€..

 

And we've always had VAT in europe, it's a bit higher now though but not by much.

I use myus.com to order stuff from america, if it's small and expensive stuff it's usually worth the shipping price.

[s3ns3]

Wait, you guys don't pay taxes on online purchases? We pay about 20%... I'm definitely going to buy my laptop in the US and somehow ship it over here. If I get an i5 instead of i7 I'll be saving about 460€..

 

And we've always had VAT in europe, it's a bit higher now though but not by much.

if you somehow ship it in eu,you will pay like 60-100 euro more

[Guest Gazzer96]

It is because governments of European countries and the UK are greedy assholes. I know as I live in the UK.

 

It may also do with shipping.

[Canoas]

I use myus.com to order stuff from america, if it's small and expensive stuff it's usually worth the shipping price.

How much do you pay for that? Is it by price or by weight?

[Cacao]

How much do you pay for that? Is it by price or by weight?

I really can't say, we usually send things in bulk. Also I think it varies from country to country. I'm sure you can find all the info you need on their website.

 

Here are the memberships:

 

http://www.myus.com/en/compare-memberships/

[The Sweetroll]

As I see it it's three major factors that push the prices up alot here in Europe.

 

-Shipping: This is especially noticable in smaller European countries where distribution is very small-scale which increases costs.

-Taxes: With a VAT of over 20% the prices are bound to be higher.

-Lack of competition: Again more noticeable in smaller countries. Since there often is so few retailers there is very little competition between them which leads to the already high prices not going down. E.g in Finland there's nothing like "black friday" sale or anything even close to the sales in the US.

[delet my acc pls]

I think it's because they ship everyhting from America, it's even worse in Australia and other countries.

They all come from china, not america.

[wtfxmitchell]

I don't think that any european country increased their VAT as result of what happend / is happening in greece ...

the netherlands did.... because they had put so much money in it that we don't have enough for ourself, so they increased taxes to earn it back....

[BusinessRogue]

European prices usually include taxes (VAT, etc.) already, in the US they don't.

 

 

OP - in the end, here in the US the states are deciding to in fact charge consumers taxes for purchasing items online whether it be from their own state or out of state. In the end, we still end up paying taxes for our technology from online (non-tax) retailers such as Newegg, Amazon, TigerDirect (used to be?) etc. 

At the end of year, when you file your taxes your CPA will ask you the amount you spent online purchasing items and then they generalize the tax % you would have paid if you'd of paid it in a retail store in your state and you then pay that amount or they take it out of your refund for the year. 

[MrSuperb]

the netherlands did.... because they had put so much money in it that we don't have enough for ourself, so they increased taxes to earn it back....

 

lol, sounds like something a typical rightwing populist would say

[wtfxmitchell]

lol, sounds like something a typical rightwing populist would say

true

[Canoas]

I really can't say, we usually send things in bulk. Also I think it varies from country to country. I'm sure you can find all the info you need on their website.

 

Here are the memberships:

 

http://www.myus.com/en/compare-memberships/

 

I finally found their shipping calculator. So it'd cost me about 60€, including the set-up fee, which is pretty sweet. I'll definitely use this service.

[GoodBytes]

A thing to remember also, to add what people are saying, is that you also have the hidden taxes... like really high taxes that companies pays to operate in Europe, import taxes, and red tape put in place by the government, which makes companies operating in a European country really expensive.