The Price - why cheaper in Dollars than Euros?

This was slightly discussed in another thread, but I couldn’t find a definite answer to this - why is the AR $1549 and 1489 Euros? That’s quite a difference in price. Converted to my currency, Norwegian Kroner, 1549 dollars is = 9300 NOK, while 1489 Euros is 12300 NOK. So, I should just order from an American store, or what?

Just doesn’t make much sense to me, but I’m probably overlooking something. :stuck_out_tongue:

Tax.

Hmmm, so I don’t need to pay the Norwegian government their 25 percent income taxes because Elektron charges the extra tax on top of their asking price, and somehow just pays that to the Norwegian government for me? I don’t get it.

The Euro price includes VAT, which is required for all member countries of the EU.

Norway is not part of the EU (as you probably know) so I think you should be exempt from paying VAT i.e. it should be possible to order in US dollars direct from Elektron (or a retailer somewhere more local than the US).

Might be worth contacting Elektron about it.

Peace,
Andy.

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The VAT in Norway is 25%, so 1549 $ for Norway is without the 25% of your TVA.
And Zen Punk Hippy&Rock&Roll (soyons fou) has the good answer (Theprice in Euro includes VAT)
Buy in Switzerland the VAT is only 8%

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Taxes. US sales tax is wildly inconsistent between states and even counties, so US prices in adverts are almost never inclusive of tax. Even if you order from out of state you’re supposed to mention large purchases on your tax return and pay ‘use tax’ on them, ie the sales tax you would have paid if you bought it locally.

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That makes sense. :slight_smile: Thanks for clarifying, guys! :slight_smile:

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Maybe have a sticky for this question or add it to FAQ for us all? Comes up with every release.

I am from switzerland and i buy from the elektron store too because the dollar price is cheaper than the price in swiss francs in my own country. I can save around 100 francs. Very funny thing…

in the end you’ll end up spending the full price of 12300 NOK, I’ve ordered four machines directly from elektron and was charged import tax and VAT equalling the price difference each time. For example, I was charged 2700 NOK from customs for the MDUW, which made the machine rougly 25% more expensive. But living in Norway the average income means this is only fair :stuck_out_tongue:

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I suppose this probably does come up often, but it is nonetheless still amazing that it can be ordered direct from Elektron, shipped to America (from Sweden/EU) and cost ~€1121, vs. €1489 in Germany.

So ordering to the states is 25% cheaper by comparison.

Were you to be charged customs for ordering in the states, it would even out the price, but as the price is fully inclusive of shipping/taxes, it is a much better deal ordering in the states.

In the US, individual states set their sales tax rate. Some states have 0% sales tax with a large income tax. Others have no income tax and a large sales tax. By law you are required to submit any unpaid sales tax to the state at the end of the year for any out-of-state purchases. Overall, the taxes are a bit lower, but you get what you pay for (how are public schools and what’s the medical coverage like in the EU).

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That is understandable. I was wondering then, if the VAT applied should not be as per the country then? eg: Ordering from Germany should apply a 19% instead of 25% VAT, no?

edit:
I got a response from Elektron and it is Swedish law to charge 25% VAT when ordering within the EU zone.

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If you have a business/company with an inter EU VAT number, you do not pay VAT on cross border purchases within the EU.

Additionally, ordering gear from the US is a bit of a red herring as you will have to pay VAT on import into the EU not only on the price of the product, but the shipping costs as well!

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Old thread but I am going to put his here.
I just got an AR a few days ago from DV247 for 999 GBP incl. shipping.
It just now came to my eye that the same DV247 is now selling AR for 1249 GBP incl. shipping.
I mean a 250 pounds bounce in less than a week?
What is going on? they running out or what?

Is it possible you were able to participate in some of the Christmas/end of year discounts that Elektron was offering? 15% I believe.

2d

I think the £999 price was temporary. It was £1099 at DV247 when I bought mine in early December, although I got mine for £919 because it was “B stock” that had been returned by another customer :wink: .

I can’t quite remember, but I think the price of the Machinedrum SPS-1UW+ has come down from £1249 to £1081. I do remember wondering why an older model was more expensive. Maybe they want to shift those Machinedrum units first.

Dv247 do this from time to time. I got my AK from them last December for £950 new. I’m sure it was tied into the Black Friday sale too but they were selling the A4 for something like £940 at the time!

thx for the info :slight_smile:
Misteries of the free market I guess. Pretty sure each big distributor has its own marketing strategies to drive the consumer to buy… like showing low stock (1-2 units) when they instead have plenty, or lower the price temporarily, sell 1-2 units, then raise it so perople get worried it may keep raising and buy…

Anyway I consider myself lucky, I would have kept waiting if it was 1250. U know, slightly unemployed right now… but lots of time to play :stuck_out_tongue:

Greeting everyone,

I was doing a little research on the price of elektron machines (I pre-ordered both MKII units A4 and AR) and I found something that made me ill. Turns out, you can pre-order an analog rytm MKII for $1499.00 USD, if I were to do that in the Europe it would cost me ~$2000.00 USD. (That is a ~$500USD difference).

Here is a few examples:

Example 0 - US as baseline $1499.00
Example 1 - UK £1,499.00 ($2026.61 USD)
Example 2 - Germany ~ EU 1.699,00 € ($2022.13 USD)

Just to get it our of the way I do understand that currency fluctuates, european taxes and tariifs, and the actual price of going over-seas.

How is this premium price justifiable and why are there no discussion about this?