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nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
[QUOTE 4725593, member: 76"]I am not an economist, although I have read Freakonomics, but can someone explain the economics behind some of the Chinese sellers on ebay?
I have purchased quite a few items from such sellers, most notably........
a small backpacking stove, identical to a Vango one, but instead of an average of £19.99 in the UK, it was delivered from an address in Hong Kong for £2.89
a ukulele strap, delivered from Beijing for £1.49
my most recent purchase last night and was a Baofeng UV 5R radio, they are around £25ish+ p&p from the UK (you may find one cheaper, but there are plenty more expensive). This will be delivered (including p&p), again from China, for...........£4.99
If I want to send a similar sized parcel to China, ParcelForce will charge £40.35
I know there is a chance it won't arrive, but for a fiver I am happy to take the chance, everything else has always arrived though.
So how can they send a radio with a retail of £25, in a package that could cost £40 (£65) for £4.99
[/QUOTE]
It varies a lot depending on the goods and the location of the supplier but P&P for Chinese exporters is heavily subsidised
Generally speaking the Chinese manufacturers that you are dealing with direct operate on low margins, typically 20%. Compare that with a Western manufacturer usually will be at least 40% and then that is to a distributor/retailer who will then apply their own margin too
Stuff will often be described as "samples" or whatever on the import documentation so as to avoid our VAT
I have purchased quite a few items from such sellers, most notably........
a small backpacking stove, identical to a Vango one, but instead of an average of £19.99 in the UK, it was delivered from an address in Hong Kong for £2.89
a ukulele strap, delivered from Beijing for £1.49
my most recent purchase last night and was a Baofeng UV 5R radio, they are around £25ish+ p&p from the UK (you may find one cheaper, but there are plenty more expensive). This will be delivered (including p&p), again from China, for...........£4.99
If I want to send a similar sized parcel to China, ParcelForce will charge £40.35
I know there is a chance it won't arrive, but for a fiver I am happy to take the chance, everything else has always arrived though.So how can they send a radio with a retail of £25, in a package that could cost £40 (£65) for £4.99
[/QUOTE]It varies a lot depending on the goods and the location of the supplier but P&P for Chinese exporters is heavily subsidised
Generally speaking the Chinese manufacturers that you are dealing with direct operate on low margins, typically 20%. Compare that with a Western manufacturer usually will be at least 40% and then that is to a distributor/retailer who will then apply their own margin too
Stuff will often be described as "samples" or whatever on the import documentation so as to avoid our VAT
biggs682
Touch it up and ride it
- Location
- Northamptonshire
I have had several dealings with Gearbest.com again mostly from China and a prompt service at stupidly low prices .
Daughter has just ordered a prom dress of e bay from China and its loads cheaper than same dress from Uk and more than likely will arrive quicker as well
Daughter has just ordered a prom dress of e bay from China and its loads cheaper than same dress from Uk and more than likely will arrive quicker as well
Bobby Mhor
Wasn't born to follow
- Location
- Behind You
[QUOTE 4725593, member: 76"]I am not an economist, although I have read Freakonomics, but can someone explain the economics behind some of the Chinese sellers on ebay?
I have purchased quite a few items from such sellers, most notably........
a small backpacking stove, identical to a Vango one, but instead of an average of £19.99 in the UK, it was delivered from an address in Hong Kong for £2.89
a ukulele strap, delivered from Beijing for £1.49
my most recent purchase last night and was a Baofeng UV 5R radio, they are around £25ish+ p&p from the UK (you may find one cheaper, but there are plenty more expensive). This will be delivered (including p&p), again from China, for...........£4.99
If I want to send a similar sized parcel to China, ParcelForce will charge £40.35 I know there is a chance it won't arrive, but for a fiver I am happy to take the chance, everything else has always arrived though.
So how can they send a radio with a retail of £25, in a package that could cost £40 (£65) for £4.99[/QUOTE]
A wee Bowfin for £4.99 that's good
Do I need a spare?
I have purchased quite a few items from such sellers, most notably........
a small backpacking stove, identical to a Vango one, but instead of an average of £19.99 in the UK, it was delivered from an address in Hong Kong for £2.89
a ukulele strap, delivered from Beijing for £1.49
my most recent purchase last night and was a Baofeng UV 5R radio, they are around £25ish+ p&p from the UK (you may find one cheaper, but there are plenty more expensive). This will be delivered (including p&p), again from China, for...........£4.99
If I want to send a similar sized parcel to China, ParcelForce will charge £40.35
I know there is a chance it won't arrive, but for a fiver I am happy to take the chance, everything else has always arrived though.So how can they send a radio with a retail of £25, in a package that could cost £40 (£65) for £4.99
[/QUOTE]A wee Bowfin for £4.99 that's good
Do I need a spare?
Andrew_P
In between here and there
Worse still eBay are actively promoting Chinese sellers - some of the stuff is awful. When I say worse mainly the ones using UK pick and pack and circumventing UK Taxation - using dodgy but barely legal Ltd companies etc.
It is hard enough to buy volumes of product on Spec let alone single items. Never quite sure where a consumer would stand in the event of the item causing a problem. Such as an Electrical product causing a fire. Under normal circumstances the manufacturer or importer would be liable, so I have wondered if the consumer would be in this case. I
It is hard enough to buy volumes of product on Spec let alone single items. Never quite sure where a consumer would stand in the event of the item causing a problem. Such as an Electrical product causing a fire. Under normal circumstances the manufacturer or importer would be liable, so I have wondered if the consumer would be in this case. I
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
The Bumfeng radios are stunning value in the UK. Not without theirnflaws, but umbelievably good for twenty sovs. For a fiver its such good value its probably fattening.
You will need the programming lead. Effectively impossible to program manually. Download CHIRP and google Miklor. Any problems pm me when you've got it.
You will need the programming lead. Effectively impossible to program manually. Download CHIRP and google Miklor. Any problems pm me when you've got it.
My time at Royal Mail had me running one or two Delivery offices,as the relief manager.As the PHG Postman Higher Grade i also dealt with customs and Royal Mail charges,which then were humongous i thought anyway.Do these items bought from China,do they incur any excess charges.
Bobby Mhor
Wasn't born to follow
- Location
- Behind You
[QUOTE 4725722, member: 76"]I would have thought so[/QUOTE]
I've one occasionally in my bar bag..
It's a good excuse to catch your breath after a hill climb
I carry my 4m Wouxun more..
just to need someone to talk to,
VHF is dead in this area, handy to catch the odd SOTA station.
I've one occasionally in my bar bag..
It's a good excuse to catch your breath after a hill climb
I carry my 4m Wouxun more..
just to need someone to talk to,
VHF is dead in this area, handy to catch the odd SOTA station.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Im thinking of getting a TyT MD380 and having a fiddle with digital.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
But UK suppliers but from much the same foreign sources.
I'm all for supporting British industry, but not for simply enriching middlemen.
I'm all for supporting British industry, but not for simply enriching middlemen.
welsh dragon
Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll pass.
I have bought a few things from China on Ebay, the latest being a honey coloured leather bag that fits onto the back my brooks saddle. To buy the same item from brooks would have cost me £68.00. From China £19.99 including postage. The only downside is that it could take 3 or 4 weeks to get here.
I have always recieved the items that i have bought from China, and considering the cost, everything has been good value for money. I know the quality won't be as good as the English counterparts, but it's just a bag for goodness sake and if brooks didn't charge such a riddiculous amount, i would have bought it from brooks. I'm all for supporting british manufacturers, but sometimes you can't afford not to get a bargain.
I have always recieved the items that i have bought from China, and considering the cost, everything has been good value for money. I know the quality won't be as good as the English counterparts, but it's just a bag for goodness sake and if brooks didn't charge such a riddiculous amount, i would have bought it from brooks. I'm all for supporting british manufacturers, but sometimes you can't afford not to get a bargain.
MontyVeda
a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
- Location
- Lancaster... the little city.
some of my Chinese Ebay purchases are as follows:
I bought one of those hard-drive docks from Ebay for a tenner. It came working but broken (inconsequential bit of plastic). Told the seller and got a full refund, so the dock cost me £0.00. I never use it though.
I also bought a flymouse remote control for about a fiver. It didn't work, got a refund, then discovered it only didn't work through a USB hub. works perfectly without a hub, so cost me £0.00. I don't use that either.
I bought a USB laptop lamp for £1.99, ordered green but got sent a black one. informed them and they sent me a green one and didn't want the black one back.... so two for the price of one, but i only use one.
I bought one of those hard-drive docks from Ebay for a tenner. It came working but broken (inconsequential bit of plastic). Told the seller and got a full refund, so the dock cost me £0.00. I never use it though.
I also bought a flymouse remote control for about a fiver. It didn't work, got a refund, then discovered it only didn't work through a USB hub. works perfectly without a hub, so cost me £0.00. I don't use that either.
I bought a USB laptop lamp for £1.99, ordered green but got sent a black one. informed them and they sent me a green one and didn't want the black one back.... so two for the price of one, but i only use one.
wheresthetorch
Dreaming of Celeste
- Location
- West Sussex
[QUOTE 4725722, member: 76"]I would have thought so[/QUOTE]
It says £4.99 or best offer. Would be interesting to see how low an offer they would accept!
It says £4.99 or best offer. Would be interesting to see how low an offer they would accept!
