UK spares rip-off pricing

DaveBoulden · Post by **DaveBoulden** » Fri Nov 20, 2009 3:51 pm

Why are we always ripped off with pricing here in the UK? I'm trying to buy the M3-Mal and M3-Mat hinge and tray for mounting the Radias rack onto my M3-88. I phoned the UK Korg support company to be told they are £25 each...£25!!! They are currently sold for $10 each in the US which is £6 right now... why are the UK prices more than quadruple that of the US?

Westnik · Post by **Westnik** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 12:06 am

They always will try to rip you off. London is Big Rip off city. Believe me, I am living there.

That is why I bought my Hudson Reed shower cabin in USA for 400 dollars instead of 700 UK pounds (!) in my local shop near London.

Sometimes I ask my American friends to buy and send me something.

McHale · Post by **McHale** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 3:05 am

Correction: The trays and hinges are $15 each.

http://www.korgusa.com/

Oldfield · Post by **Oldfield** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 9:17 am

McHale wrote:Correction: The trays and hinges are $15 each.

http://www.korgusa.com/

It still doesn't explain why they are costing more than 200% here.

Stupid country.

Post by **Sharp** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 2:04 pm

Oldfield wrote:
McHale wrote:Correction: The trays and hinges are $15 each.

http://www.korgusa.com/
It still doesn't explain why they are costing more than 200% here.

Stupid country.

Maybe the quote he got from KORG UK included postage ?

Regards
Sharp

McHale · Post by **McHale** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 3:41 pm

I don't know anything about the inner workings at Korg, but maybe it's like the promotional stuff? Each Korg (US, UK, AU, etc) are free to set their own prices and do their own promotions.

So while Korg USA offers things like memory and the accessory trays at little profit to maybe encourage M3 sales, Korg UK doesn't. I don't know. Exchange rate isn't the only factor I'm sure. If it costs more for the operation to run or for shipping or for salaries or...

-Mc

DaveBoulden · Post by **DaveBoulden** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:18 am

McHale wrote:Correction: The trays and hinges are $15 each.

http://www.korgusa.com/

To correct your "correction":

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M3-Mal

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M3-Mat

... and they are shipped free. I ended up having to pay through the nose to get them from Korg UK as they will not supply any UK shops at trade prices... I asked my usual music equipment supplier, he contacted Korg and they would only supply to them (one of the UK's largest music shop chains) at the same price of £25 each plus nearly £5 postage.

I expect some kind of difference in pricing to the US as in the UK VAT is always included, but in the US thare are varyinfg state sales taxes and so the pre-tax price is always shown, but there's no way that can account for the 400% price-hike in the UK.

McHale · Post by **McHale** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:26 am

I checked. Korg USA is still selling them at $15. Sweetwater's normal price is also $15.00 (which is where I bought mine and what I paid). They just happen to be on sale right now. We also don't have sales tax on internet orders unless the shop is in the same state where you are ordering from.

I can't explain why there is such a vast difference in price, but VAT may be the reason. We don't have that, YET. As soon as Obama and his merry misfits gets around to it, I'm sure those trays and hinges will be $100 a piece!

What also could come into play is where they are manufactured. If they are made in the US and exported to the UK, your price is cheap...

-Mc

DaveBoulden · Post by **DaveBoulden** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 10:52 am

Yes, I could understand up to 200% difference were they US manufactured, but the Korg parts label on the boxes clearly state "Made in Japan" which means shipping and import duties will be incurred by both UK and USA retailers/Korg subsidiaries.

The point I was making about the Sweetwater price is that Korg USA must have supplied the units to Sweetwater at less than $10 per unit, otherwise they wouldn't be selling them at that sale price indicating a wholesale price of less than $10 thus making the UK equivalent retail price of £25 (about $40) an unbelievably greedy markup.

Either way, I've made my point... hopefully after a few weeks of some component purchases, metalwork drilling/milling, soldering and construction I'll share the details of why I'm buying them in the first place

McHale · Post by **McHale** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 11:58 pm

I'm hoping you're mounting a non-Korg module to your M3. The only reason I haven't done it is I haven't found a module I want.

Keep us posted, take LOTS of pics!!!

-Mc

DaveBoulden · Post by **DaveBoulden** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 12:30 am

I shall post build pictures as I go