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Importing tiles from europe |
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| message from Sean on 19 May 2004 |
Has anybody any experience of importing tiles directly from europe?
The prices in this country to me appear vary inflated.
TIA
Sean
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| Anna Kettle replied to Sean on 19 May 2004 |
This must be a post from USA. Being the only country in the world
Anna
~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Plaster conservation and lime plaster repair
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642
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| Anna Kettle replied to Anna Kettle on 19 May 2004 |
Dunno what I was talking about here. Shortly afterwards I felt the
need to go and like down. Must be the heat. Sorry
Anna
~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Plaster conservation and lime plaster repair
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642
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| Sean replied to Anna Kettle on 21 May 2004 |
Anna
I made the assumption that by posting this to a "uk" newsgroup that
others would assume that "this country" meant the uk.
You'all have a nice day now!
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| Lurch replied to Anna Kettle on 19 May 2004 |
I was wondering!
I know the feeling.
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| Andy Hall replied to Sean on 19 May 2004 |
Where are you located, Sean?
Do you mean importing into the UK from mainland Europe or...?
I've imported numerous things, including tiles from other European
countries into the UK.
There are four points to consider:
1) Look at how you will pay. Credit card companies typically don't
give good exchange rates, and from a cost perspective you can
generally get a better deal through a telegraphic transfer or other
instrument through a bank. On the other hand, paying by credit
card may give you some level of consumer protection. The law goes so
far on this and mainly applies to UK purchases, but a card company may
offer more protection on card purchases.
2) Consider that if you have problems with the product and a return or
follow up with the supplier is necessary then it will be more
difficult and expensive than purchasing in the UK. Consider whether
it is worth finding a supplier in Belgium or France and driving there.
Alternatively, if you are considering product from Spain or Italy
(where there are real savings to be made on stone and ceramic, then
perhaps a short break? I've driven to Rome comfortably in two days
to give you a perspective.
3) Look at methods and costs of shipment. This will be significant
if you choose anything that delivers quickly and may outweigh some or
all of the cost saving.
4) Consider the VAT element. If you are a consumer and not VAT
registered, then the supplier outside the UK but inside the EU will
have to charge you their national rate of VAT. These rates vary
between 15 and 25% depending on where and what. If you are a
business and registered for VAT you provide the supplier with your
number and they will invoice you net of VAT. Of course the product is
then meant to be used in connection with the business.
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
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| usenet replied to Andy Hall on 19 May 2004 |
It varies, a Nationwide credit card gives a pretty good exchange rate
and no 'commission' either.
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| Sean replied to Andy Hall on 21 May 2004 |
I'm based in N Ireland Andy so yes I'm interested in Importing from
mainland Europe.
Will have to look into this ...see what my credit card protection
covers...thanks
I'm interested in porcelain floor tiles (200 sq metres) mainly at the
moment. Which region would you recommend visiting. Being a bit green
on it I'm not sure if there are different regions for different typres
of tiles.
I've got at least 6 months before I'll need them on site. From a
buying/shipping point of view does it make more sense to buy more than
my requirement and sell the excess stock so as to lower the overall
cost of shipping? Is there a rule of thumb amount of stock that you
need to ship to make it cost effective?
I've got a friendly builder who hopefully will be able to look after
things from a VAT perspective
Thanks for your reply Andy. Its been very helpful. Is there any chance
you could recommend suppliers in Europe who I could deal with in
English. It all seems a bit daunting, cold calling suppliers and not
being understood.
Thanks
Sean
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| Andy Hall replied to Sean on 21 May 2004 |
OK. This probably makes the idea of using Eurotunnel and making a
car trip less practicable. Are there any ferries from Belfast to
Spain perhaps?
It really depends on what you like. I've seen stores with good
selections in SPain, Italy and France. I bought some from a store
in northern France, but this was an on the spot purchase having seen
exactly what we wanted and having a note of the area to be covered.
I had the Land Rover and was able to bring them back myself on that
occasion.
It depends on the method of shipping and how quickly you want them.
Generally you pay for weight and linear dimensions - i.e. the shipper
adds the height, length and width - rather than volume.
For your situation, I would have thought that an overland trucking
type service would be appropriate. The main issue will be the
weight. I would talk to a few freight forwarders and see what they
can do for you.
Sometimes you will find a supplier who is used to organising shipping
and that will work fine, but I would check on who they use and satisfy
yourself of how the steps work along the way.
For example, not long ago, I bought a dust extractor for use in
woodworking from a supplier in the U.S. The supplier had done a few
international shipments but it was not an everyday thing. This item
came in about 12 boxes which were large in size and some heavy. They
researched the options and so did I. We both came out with the
most cost effective scheme being to do the first part of the shipment
by Fedex overland to a U.S. sea port, then taking space in a container
to Tilbury (IIRC) organised by Franz Maas (a large freighting company)
and finally truck delivery to me. It sounds complicated, but actually
ran very smoothly indeed.
For something like tiles, I would make sure that the supplier packs
effectively and probably palletises the shipment and make sure that
you have insurance cover included.
For a supplier that you are likely to find on the web, I would expect
that if they have English pages, they will know how to ship to the UK.
I expect that you will pay a bit of a premium for NI, but I guess that
that is common.
For most shipping arrangements there is a dimensions and weight
element and a transaction cost. You may gaing a bit by overbuying,
but probably not a lot because this stuff is heavy. Of course you
might get a volume discount from a supplier.
It shouldn't be a problem. You would normally just get an invoice
from the supplier in whichever country and pay that rate.
I don't have any specific recommendations. I would suggest that you
spend some time Google searching for the types of tile that you want.
Try using the Italian word for tile (matonelle) as a search word, and
the Spanish (I believe it's azulejo) to identify sites and
manufacturers. Then work from there. Find out who the UK
distributors are and ask for catalogues and samples - they may point
you to a local tile dealer.
Then you can compare prices and see whether the exercise is worth it.
Don't be surprised if the shipping cost is substantial in comparison
to the purchase price.
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
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