British / Irish distributors & Euro

[crazysaz]

hi all, this is something that is really starting to bug me. I live in Northern Ireland, I pay British taxes and I use stirling, so why do I have to use distributors In the south who use euros and have a totally higher vat rate (21.5%) I wanted to order some Creative minis and the diff in cost is unbelievable between English and Irish costs, I know I cant mention prices on here but for a bucket of mini solar oils you're talking £20 difference. I'm not allowed to order from England so I'm just not going to bother. Same with Nimue, I can no longer afford to buy their products.
Why were these companies given these distribution rights? They are ultimately losing business by being misinformed. Its nothing to do with political beliefs btw, I really don't care about that. Its the money in my pocket I care about!
I would welcome a response esp frm head offices of companies!

 

[ValencianNails]

I would welcome a response esp frm head offices of companies!

To get responses from head offices it would be better to contact them directly.

It doesn't matter when you live, at the end of the day you pay the VAT price of whichever country you source your products from. It pains me to see the price difference between UK and Spanish prices (IVA as well as general price differences, so much more expensive here for the majority of items), but I have no choice, I have to buy from here and the cost is incorporated into my treatment prices.

Perhaps you should think about doing the same so that your treatment and retail prices reflect the costs you incur by buying from your distributor?!

 

[crazysaz]

You live in Spain hence you pay Spanish prices, I live in the Uk and pay Irish prices. Our economy is different than theirs and I couldnt charge those prices, in the case of the solar oils etc I just wouldnt be able to sell them. As far as I can see, Irish distributors go to the main offices who are located in America, South Africa etc and say ' can I have the distribution for Ireland' the distributors just think Ireland is Ireland and agree. Even people in England don't know this so its understandable but when you're running a business its important to know your market.
I'm really peeved off!

 

[sarahcarrick]

Sarah..I agree with you that sometimes having to use an Irish distributor in NI can put us at a disadvantage with regard to the Euro exchange rate.

Another way we get ripped off in Northern Ireland is we usually pay more for postage...because we are not mainland UK!! Sometimes it can make a really big difference. Prob the same for ppl that live in the Scottish Isles/IOM.

rant over!

Sarah

 

[Ruth Mills]

Seems a bit silly in a "global" economy, firstly as Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, and uses Sterling as its currency - and secondly because of the particularly poor exchange rate for Sterling vs Euro at the moment.

Ironically it would probably work out more economical to get a cheap Ryanair ticket to the UK mainland, visit a trade show over here, and come back with the biggest suitcase you can find loaded up to the hilt with a shed load of products (even with paying Ryanair's excess baggage charges)! And you could have a nice jolly too at the same time!

 

[RedAdmiral]

What I dont understand is that when I buy products in the 'north' I get them vat free the same for uk purchases. You should be able to buy products from sweet squared no probs

 

[The Geek]

Hi there, Northern Ireland is non exclusive meaning that professionals in Northern Ireland can order from either Dublin or Sweet Squared in Leeds.

HTHs!

 

[cna ireland]

Hi Sarah
in response to your question-you dont have to buy from distributors in the south of Ireland,you can also buy from the UK.
We have no choice over the VAT rate,but a business claims back their VAT if they are registered.If you are not paying VAT on your services then you are not entitled to a claim.
There is no such thing as vat free.However if you are outside a country,that you are ordering from (like the North versus the Republic)we do not charge VATon exports- you pay that in your own country.
I cannot speak for other companies but our pricing is almost the same as our UK counterpart Sweet Squared and both of us are way less expensive than our Euopean distributors!!!That does not mean that they are ripping anyone off-taxes and duties and shipping charges etc vary all over the world.
I know the pound is not worth as much at the moment,so it would make sense for you to buy from the UK as they have the same currency.
However it has always worked out cheaper in the past to buy in Euro when the pound has been strong.You can use a credit card and they do the sums for you.
I hope this clears up a few things for you.
Creatively
Karen

 

[RedAdmiral]

:o Sorry I have a VAT no. so thats why I dont pay in Uk

 

[crazysaz]

i know creative in the south dont charge me vat but nimue and beauty products ireland do. who is right and who is wrong? (hopefully creative!) im not vat registered so i cant claim it back.
even if the prices are similar, because the pound is dropping on a daily basis it means the prices are still going up for me!

 

[mannipatch]

hi all, this is something that is really starting to bug me. I live in Northern Ireland, I pay British taxes and I use stirling, so why do I have to use distributors In the south who use euros and have a totally higher vat rate (21.5%) I wanted to order some Creative minis and the diff in cost is unbelievable between English and Irish costs, I know I cant mention prices on here but for a bucket of mini solar oils you're talking £20 difference. I'm not allowed to order from England so I'm just not going to bother. Same with Nimue, I can no longer afford to buy their products.
Why were these companies given these distribution rights? They are ultimately losing business by being misinformed. Its nothing to do with political beliefs btw, I really don't care about that. Its the money in my pocket I care about!
I would welcome a response esp frm head offices of companies!

This is a situation that is also starting to bug me after being told by 3 English companies that I would have to order from Ireland from now on (November). I explained to one girl that although I live in Northern Ireland it is actually part of the U.K and that I did not want to order from Ireland for the obvious reasons, exchange rate etc.
One company said they would honour (what ever that means) my previous order by letting me pay with my debit card to her in England but that my order would be couriered to me from Ireland. But it would be only this one time, in future I would have to order direct from my own country!! Duh, what part did she not understand. Is there really people out there who don't know that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.
Now what really is getting to me is the fact that some of these distribution centres are constantly going on about supporting our own economy (don't buy from America etc).
Well the United Kingdom is my Economy I have always supported my economy even when the exchange rate was excellant and it was much cheaper to buy from America.
Now these same companies are telling me that I have to order from Ireland which is not my economy. Nothing against Ireland but there is a principle to this.
I have contacted my MP about this as I would like to understand Why this is happening.
By the way and for your information Ireland does not accept Maestro, our debit cards. So I could only order by credit card which I definitely won't be doing.