UK vs USA prices.

Corythecorvette

Busy user
Having started to buy parts for my 78 vet to complete the restoration i find UK prices are extortionate to what is charged in the USA.
I payed a uk company for a seal £ 46 part £28, post,. £18.
USA part £2 post '£13 how can it be cheaper to buy from usa than my own country. I am all for a bit of mark up its what makes the world go round, but not in my opinion ripping fellow enthusiasts off, so i shall be shopping in the USA from here on in and suffer the wait...
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
This 'argument' crops up every now and then - a blanket statement saying that we're being 'ripped-off' by UK suppliers is perhaps being a little unfair. We can all individually source products from the 'States - if we are careful how we purchase them and carefully select the shipping options, make sure you pay all costs 'up front' you can make a significant difference to the final bill. Purchasing directly from the 'States currently is challenging with the reduced numbers of flights in and out of the UK apparently increasing air freight costs significantly. Logic is to only order when you have a whole shed load of relatively small and lightweight parts needed and do it in one consignment 'spreading' the increased cost over all the items purchased - it doesn't seem quite so bad then.
We need to support the UK specialists who look after us properly - they may not be buying the items at prices much less than we do - we surely don't begrudge them making a living?
 

Corythecorvette

Busy user
This 'argument' crops up every now and then - a blanket statement saying that we're being 'ripped-off' by UK suppliers is perhaps being a little unfair. We can all individually source products from the 'States - if we are careful how we purchase them and carefully select the shipping options, make sure you pay all costs 'up front' you can make a significant difference to the final bill. Purchasing directly from the 'States currently is challenging with the reduced numbers of flights in and out of the UK apparently increasing air freight costs significantly. Logic is to only order when you have a whole shed load of relatively small and lightweight parts needed and do it in one consignment 'spreading' the increased cost over all the items purchased - it doesn't seem quite so bad then.
We need to support the UK specialists who look after us properly - they may not be buying the items at prices much less than we do - we surely don't begrudge them making a living?
As per my little rant, i am all for suppliers having a mark up on parts, its what makes the world turn. But when i have just paid £28 for a 2 dollar part, forget the postage too, yes i feel ripped off. Trying to support uk suppliers and they way over charge as i have found doing my reaserch , no wonder i got a free 10p bag of sweets for my custom. I have now ordered £500 worth of bits from Ecklers which i would rather of given to the UK suppliers, but converting it across would have cost me over £1200 to buy here from uk suppliers.
 

Oneball

CCCUK Member
Some of the really cheap stuff is properly nasty lowest bidder crap. You may not be comparing like for like.

The same is true here. I can get a Solex repair kit for a tenner off eBay or pay close to £50 for a genuine one. The eBay one won’t work for toffee.
 

Corythecorvette

Busy user
Some of the really cheap stuff is properly nasty lowest bidder crap. You may not be comparing like for like.

The same is true here. I can get a Solex repair kit for a tenner off eBay or pay close to £50 for a genuine one. The eBay one won’t work for toffee.
Yes there is that i agree, its a long way to send back too, be nice if they had more reasonable prices, my mech told me the seal i was sent is a crap one too, thats from CC so who do we trust....
 

antijam

CCCUK Member
In the case of parts from Corvette Kingdom, you can do a direct like for like comparison for a lot of their stuff. Most of it comes from Corvette Central in the states - they even use the same part numbers. Comparing the point of sale prices on both sites will let you decide whether the mark-up is worthwhile for you. I've found the fast, hassle free and very helpful service from Scott of CK justifies the cost.
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
As per my little rant, i am all for suppliers having a mark up on parts, its what makes the world turn. But when i have just paid £28 for a 2 dollar part, forget the postage too, yes i feel ripped off. Trying to support uk suppliers and they way over charge as i have found doing my reaserch , no wonder i got a free 10p bag of sweets for my custom. I have now ordered £500 worth of bits from Ecklers which i would rather of given to the UK suppliers, but converting it across would have cost me over £1200 to buy here from uk suppliers.
Corythecorvette - if you had become a 'paid-up' member of the CCCUK - you would have got the benefit of additional CCCUK member discount (albeit it relatively small) that a number of specialist suppliers offer club members (including one or two USA suppliers) - let's just hope you are getting a 'like for like' product from wherever you purchase from.
 

uncle albert

Well-known user
I've read various threads on this subject lately....ie... usa ,versus uk prices...and yes, of course, parts are cheaper from the usa. !!!! All made in Taiwan though...... And I've used,ecklers, corvette central,corvette America,riks autos etc….but corvette owners , in the uk,maybe don't appreciate,how lucky they are,to have, quite a few options for parts here ... My corvette is over 50 years old..... I recently placed an order,from the sweet man,at 4pm ,the parts turned up next day at 12 noon.....that's what your paying for... On the other hand...I own a current model Ducati....{ sometimes I want to go fast !!!!!}….... my son took a tumble on it,...…. the parts we needed,were unavailable in the uk….and the parts factory..were on a 3 week holiday...and a three week delay...…...my son wanted to take it to assen for the moto gp..so the supplying dealer,suggested he would take the parts off, an, in stock, new bike !!!!!!! but in the end, we got the parts shipped in from a german ducati parts dealer...…..And if you think corvette parts are dear...………..don't buy a ducati...
 

Daytona Vette

Well-known user
The reality of it is: comparing like for like before saying one is over priced - We can buy Dulux Brilliant White Emulsion from B & Q cheaper than the professional painter can buy it at a Trade price from the Dulux Trade Centre - Why - Because it is NOT THE SAME and that is the same for a lot of other Branded items out there.
So please, please do not demerit our UK suppliers on the basis of this one's cheaper, when there is no real knowledge of the comparison and usually not even a manufacturers Brand name (for what good that may or may not be).

The question of reliance on the Brand name for quality in many cases is now more of a question of who is selling it, the outfits with more buying power want the same looking item at a cheaper price and that is usually when the product suffers.

Yes not everyone sells the exact same item at the same price, but beware - Years ago I bought some expensive sized Pirelli P7s from a well known Tyre discounter at a cheap price, they were the real "Macoy" but when they had done only a few miles many years later and were starting to deteriorate, I looked at the date code to see that they were already seven years old when they were sold to me.
 

Mad4slalom

CCCUK Member
This 'argument' crops up every now and then - a blanket statement saying that we're being 'ripped-off' by UK suppliers is perhaps being a little unfair. We can all individually source products from the 'States - if we are careful how we purchase them and carefully select the shipping options, make sure you pay all costs 'up front' you can make a significant difference to the final bill. Purchasing directly from the 'States currently is challenging with the reduced numbers of flights in and out of the UK apparently increasing air freight costs significantly. Logic is to only order when you have a whole shed load of relatively small and lightweight parts needed and do it in one consignment 'spreading' the increased cost over all the items purchased - it doesn't seem quite so bad then.
We need to support the UK specialists who look after us properly - they may not be buying the items at prices much less than we do - we surely don't begrudge them making a living?
True, by buying in uk you are getting the benefit of the suppliers knowledge as to which parts are good , which are not so. Also they have invested many many thousands up front in parts so that we dont have to wait weeks for a basic item , it is with us next day. American car ownership in the uk would not be so massive or enjoyable without these enthusiastic entrepreneurs quietly in the background keeping the wheels turning. Quite happy to pay a few quid more for the satisfaction the a vehicle wont be unuseable for several weeks waiting for a part. Import taxes and tarifs are imposed by the government not the parts stockists and suppliers, best to suck it up and smile that we are cruising in a corvette and not a prius 😩🤣👍
 

Corvetteville

CCCUK Member
Don't forget the Excise duty, VAT & parcel force charge to be paid when ordering from the US. I believe anything over £15 is applicable.
The purchase price plus shipping has excise levied on it. Then Vat on all that. Then parcel force charge £12 per parcel. All this has to be paid before it's delivered. Last time I got parts for my Jeep, it was one order, but heavy suspension parts. It came in 3 boxes due to weight, but P.O. charged £36!!
 
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Mad4slalom

CCCUK Member
I ordered a pair of slalom water ski bindings which were 360 quid, when I collected them from the royal mail depot there was 75 quid in tax and duty on top , approx 6 years ago . 😩👍
 

Nassau65

CCCUK Member
The post office now are revenue collectors for HMRC, and charge you for collecting it. The sow called handling fee. In the old days it was done free of charge, and was very hit and miss. I remember one day they delivered to me two large boxes containing 1960 door panels in one and a 1960 carpet set in the other. Nothing to pay. Lovely I thought. The following day another box arrived with the seat covers. £££ to pay ( seat covers only) so I came out on top. Now I think anything over £15 is chargeable . I was once notified of a £8.50 charge owing, £0.50 for the tax and a £8.00 clearing charge.
 

Mad4slalom

CCCUK Member
The post office now are revenue collectors for HMRC, and charge you for collecting it. The sow called handling fee. In the old days it was done free of charge, and was very hit and miss. I remember one day they delivered to me two large boxes containing 1960 door panels in one and a 1960 carpet set in the other. Nothing to pay. Lovely I thought. The following day another box arrived with the seat covers. £££ to pay ( seat covers only) so I came out on top. Now I think anything over £15 is chargeable . I was once notified of a £8.50 charge owing, £0.50 for the tax and a £8.00 clearing charge.
Yes , think I prefer to pay uk price “All in “ as no surprises 👍 . About 4 years ago I ordered a billet steering wheel for my beach buggy from CiS in california, it just arrived with no mention of any tax and I didnt have to collect from anywhere, dont know what happened there unless the price i paid was all in 🤔
 

Nassau65

CCCUK Member
Those were the good old days, when hardly anything got the tax put on. I remember going to Heathrow airport to collect a rear Louver for a 1979 Trans Am. biggest box I’ve ever seen. Had to strap it to the roof of the estate as too big to go inside. Nothing to pay, they even helped me to load it.
 

Chuffer

CCCUK regional rep
Those were the good old days, when hardly anything got the tax put on. I remember going to Heathrow airport to collect a rear Louver for a 1979 Trans Am. biggest box I’ve ever seen. Had to strap it to the roof of the estate as too big to go inside. Nothing to pay, they even helped me to load it.

Those good old days were a long time ago ! In the Britain we have been taxed by the Romans , the Normans , and every ruler and government ever since :mad: 🤬 .
Born Free , Taxed to Death !!
 

Adtheman

CCCUK Member
In the case of parts from Corvette Kingdom, you can do a direct like for like comparison for a lot of their stuff. Most of it comes from Corvette Central in the states - they even use the same part numbers. Comparing the point of sale prices on both sites will let you decide whether the mark-up is worthwhile for you. I've found the fast, hassle free and very helpful service from Scott of CK justifies the cost.
Absolutely, Service is exceptional and so is his knowledge and willingness to help with parts bought from him. My daughter is addicted to the sweets too.
 
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