Quote Originally Posted by Troglodyte View Post
What is the reason so many in the USA are reluctant to buy Highand dress items from Scottish suppliers?
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Not wanting to deal with the unknown is part of it. Tariffs, VAT, customs. I've never dealt with any of it, and I'm not sure I want to.

Another part is, if something goes wrong with an order, I know how to deal with US companies including escalation paths to seek redress should the need arise. And honestly, I'd feel bad complaining to a store in Scotland, even if my complaint was legitimate. I don't want to be seen as a rude American.

Also, sometimes it's hard to tell if a product suits your tastes when buying online. With a US company I can ship it back at a nominal cost. If it has to cross the ocean, costs go up.

Then there's economy of scale. If I'm getting one thing shipped to me, it will cost more than if a US reseller receives a large shipment. So often I can buy Scottish imported goods from a US reseller for the same price or cheaper than buying it direct from the store in Scotland.

Although, I'd love to buy some tartan direct from a mill. But they seem to be geared toward selling in large quantities to businesses, and I don't know how much it would cost. They don't post prices, and shipping is likely prohibitively expensive. Conversely, US tartan resellers have their price per yard listed clearly, and will sell as little as a single yard.