Price of Thinkpad in UK!

Hi everyone, I just came to UK as an International student. I am surprised by that price difference between UK and my country (as well as US), by comparison the price of X220 in UK is approximately 30-40% higher than US . Of course this is due to VAT in UK as well as EUROPE but dont you all think this is ridiculous?

 

Not just UK, actually. Most nations have higher computer prices than the US, including China, for example. Ironically, laptops that are manufactured in China and sold there are far more expensive than the same laptops imported to the US. Go figure.

 

Ha funny you say that. When I was in Taiwan, I was shocked by how much more expensive Acer, MSI, ASUS laptops were in Taiwan vs the US.

But yes, most foreign countries have some form of VAT or luxury tax. It is to prevent people from buying laptops from overseas and shipping it and avoiding VAT. I had a friend who bought a 500 dollar laptop in the US, back in his home country of Turkey, the same laptop was 1800 USD.

 

So, whats the solution? A trip to US and bring back a brand new computer with almost half price?

 

If you live in UK you will have to pay import duty and VAT.

 

Oftentimes when I go to China, I pack along two laptops: my own, and a new laptop for a relative/friend. You just have to make sure to leave all the new packaging behind. A laptop made in China, shipped to the US, and then flown back to China...

 

1. Taxes
2. Pay
3. Freight cost
4. Premium Pricing

these are the 4 reasons why electronics products are more expensive in Europe.

 

There are many instances where the reverse is true. Take medical care for example. In the UK medical care is universal and free. Medical Care in the US is very good, but the cost is much higher in the US and many in the US have no coverage. Luckily I do. These programs in part are funded by higher taxes in the UK, which means your X220 is going to cost more.

In China, they steal US and others intellectual property like movies and software, then sell it at fraction of the cost. That cost companies billions of dollars and forces the companies to sell their products for next to nothing in China as a way to combat piracy. A byproduct of this is when I got to Best Buy or or Wal-Mark to pick up a Blu-ray, they want $20 for it, whereas they charge $2-3 for it in China. That hardly seems fair?

 

I think the Chinese pricing model for products have little to do with IP infringement. It is more like that those whom will buy your machine will buy it, and quality of your product in the mind of niche consumer is directly correlated to how much you want to charge for it. So if you charge them more it creates a halo effect, like those haute couture luxury brand. Those whom can't afford it won't able to buy it, even if you push the price down by 30 or 40%.

In China, you don't even have to pay 2-3 dollars for a knock off blu-ray movie, just 1 dollar. But nowadays all the movies are already online, no one really bother buying these movies anymore. Everything is on the internet and there is set top box for watching all the movies and shows you want (some of the latest hollywood titles may not be there) 24/7.

Furthermore, the middleman does take a big cut out of these transactions. A grey imported Thinkpad laptop sold in the Chinese black market can earn around $200 to $400 USD per machine, this is why to get international warranty in China for Thinkpad you need have both the visa and original tax invoice. Most people whom buys a Thinkpad for their own use, would usually get them through grey channel or through corporate excess stocks (some companies order Thinkpad in bulk and then let some of them leak to the market for profit). Only a few would really get them through Lenovo directly.

While, Lenovo is largest computer company in China, they are not the most widely used machine in the end consumer demographic (unless this person happens to work in the State Enterprise or Government affiliated organisation). For personal end consumers many would buy HP, ASUS or even an odd Mac (well for those well heeled anyway). HP wants to make a large inroad into the Chinese market, this is why they are investing heavily in the Chinese consumer market in terms of advertising, product pricing, etc. ASUS is just cheap and well specced.

 

I'm certainly no China expert. I just remember seeing something where companies were having to sell their products at 1/10th of what they did elsewhere in an effort to combat piracy.

 

You don't really combat piracy of physical products. You can't really pirate a physical product in the first place.

As for clones, there isn't a way that you can push your price down far enough to compete with them.

 

I bit the bullet and purchased a lenovo x220 in the UK. Fyi. If you phone and ask for the online sales team they'll give you 10% off.

 

I was thinking more software and movies than psychical products, but they've cloned Apple stores over there.

 

Thanx for your info, I guess that sale does not stack with the ecoupon or deal posted on the Lenovo website?

 

you can clone physical products but the cost of doing so is expensive and there may not be a market large enough to do so on a cost effective basis. But when companies start to clone your products, then you know that your product must be the best in the industry.

X200 that was cloned.

ThinkPad X200 got cloned in Shenzhen|&nbsp Cloned In China

 

I wished that clone was a real Thinkpad back when that clone first appeared...
7 row keyboard in a netbook. And a Trackpoint. Also fingerprint reader, physical lid latches, 180 degree opening hinge. Nuff said.

 

Well... yes, but that's more just the market correcting for the artificially inflated prices and 70+ year state-sanctioned monopolies on production of those "goods"...

 

Hi
I'm in UK and will be buying a X220 soon. Are you saying that the online sales team over the phone will give you 10% discount on top of the web price? Also how long did your X220 take to arrive from the day you placed your order?
Cheers