The cost of buying from Scotland: new Argyle outfit arrives

[Phil]

I have to agree. It just doesn't make any sense for you guys in the states to buy abroad the way the dollar has gone down in value, but if you want a genuine Scottish made article you have to pay the price. I suppose some of the locally made stuff will still be imported though and that will have gone up in price too as a result. I'm sorry about your experience and hope it will be a lesson to others here in future.

[Nick Fiddes]

I tend to be of the school which says that, all other things being equal, I will order from a US business.

And here I'd absolutely agree with you. My point was that all the other things aren't always equal. But if you can get the same goods at the same price and quality etc. locally, it's a no-brainer.

[Rampant Lion]

You also have to remember that if you buy locally, and the product you're buying is imported that the price of the item is going to be higher because it's going to have to include the duties and taxes that the vendor pays. Just something to consider when you're looking for the best deal.

Personally, I like buying locally for the higher price just because it's easier. I don't have to worry about suprise taxes and/or duties.

[Monkey@Arms]

I'm obviously biased James, but I can't agree that buying locally is always best. And if I can be perfectly frank (sorry, this isn't meant to sound offensive, so please don't read it that way) the voices that regularly express similar sentiments on this board can sound to European ears either a bit protectionist, or dare I say a tad parochial. I of course know that the US imports lots of stuff. But I think in Europe as consumers we're perhaps somehow more used to centuries of international trade with authentic goods coming from the best source to supply them (not least due to our colonial history) whereas Americans are maybe more used to (rightly or wrongly) assuming American is best, and looking first within their own borders.

I suspect your only partially correct here, Nick. The fact is most people in the U.S. never order anything directly from another country, even if the product is manufactured elsewhere, thus the amount of personal import duties come as a shock. (E.g. I may think Swiss watches are the best, but it would never occur to me to import one directly.) So part of the issue is one of consumer education.

Best regards,

Jake

[James MacMillan]

I'm obviously biased James, but I can't agree that buying locally is always best.

Heck no it isn't always best. You and I are both correct. But, the barriers in money if nothing else make looking for a local product very attractive. I don't think we are at cross purposes here.

I have purchased many, many things from Scotland, and will do so in the future. But, if I can find the same quality locally, why go abroad? And that works both ways. Why would you order something from the states, if you could get it down the street?

The majority of items originally purchased in the start of this thread could have been purchased locally.

Most of us of Scots blood lines are very frugal with our money. AND that doesn't mean that we won't buy quality items.

You are in business to sell to us. Good! We will buy from you. But, as I am sure you know, there are people across the pond here, that are in competition with you.

No offence meant or taken.

[McClef]

I know that they were within the UK but the packaging of the stuff I have had from Kiltstore has always been robust.

Competition too is a great thing but not easy when tariffs and taxes on international transactions skewer the comparison.

Quality fortunately is international although our assessment of it can be affected by factors beyond the control of the supplier.

[jordanjm]

I have one of those clan crest buckles. I do not like the size of the holes in the black area for the pin to go through, so I put a piece of black leather on the back of the buckle, and it did the trick. It looks really nice now.

[Nighthawk]

Hi Nighthawk, I'm afraid that the shipping is just for shipping. As I've explained elsewhere on these boards before, import duties aren't something we can cover, not least because they are so unpredictable. It's exactly the same for us in Europe when we import from the US - we have to pay duties this end. But do remember you're saving the 17.5% VAT we pay, so you're usually ahead! If you prefer (and specifically request it) we CAN ship an item like this airmail, but if so it's untracked and we have to ask for a disclaimer against it going missing in transit. Sorry!

I figured as much. Having an obscure name is a pain some times. I say "Wolfe" and people say "Oh! Titanic!" I have to correct them and say "No- that was Wolff. Mine is 'fe'" And no one other than you carries the Wolfe tartan, which in itself is impressive. I guess I need to save me pennies a wee bit longer.

Thanks a lot for the response, Nick.

[Big Mikey]

This is just to throw a wrinkle into the whole discussion.

I recently purchased 5 yards, double width camo material from Barre Army Navy in Vermont. I chose to buy from them because they were the only place I could find with the pattern I wanted. The price was very reasonable, about $7.95 per yard. There were only two shipping options offered so I chose the cheaper one......$45.00!!! As I wanted the material, I didn't have much choice.

Here's the kicker, no duty charged!! I can't figure out how the duty charges work. On my first order from SWK, I was charged a small amount ($10.00 or so), on my second order, nada. It's the same with my EBay purchases, sometimes a charge, sometimes not.

I only hope that there are no government workers reading this and flagging my name right now.

[Nick Fiddes]

Big Mikey, you've just described exactly our problem. Unpredictable! People (understandably) complain that we don't say how much duties will be. But the fact is that US customs in particular are just incredibly inconsistent. Sometimes they'll go by the letter of the law by its most stringent interpretation; then often other times things just glide through. And for whatever people say about particular shippers, there's no obvious pattern. It's not just which port of entry, but what day of the week, it seems. Our lives would be so much easier if they had single consistent set of rules that we could at least predict!