You avoid VAT within the EU as it's already been paid at it's point of entry. so you can buy from any country in the EU without customs and excise hitting it up for VAT.
If you buy from the states, you're paying their sales tax from wherever you bought it from (say you order from a store there) as it's figured into their price, then paying VAT on top of that when it comes to the uk.
I bought an axis a few years ago and didn't realise this at the time and was waiting for a big hit that never came.
then when i got the PRS from the states i paid nearly 300 quid in handling charges and VAT etc
If a company is a distributer for a product you would think that the cost of VAT would be figured into their price. so the sounds great price on splawns etc should have VAT and import costs figured into them already. so the 1900 quid sounds great charge for a quickrod should stay 1900 quid, obviously with p and p added on top
And yes sounds great are scumbags. I've sent them god knows how many emails asking for prices on SLO's and they just don't seem interested in replying. i would imagine if you said you had unlimited funds and wanted to buy one then and there they'd be all over you. just glad i have my Hot Rod 50 without having to deal with them.
to be perfectly honest, i would rather import an SLO from the states and pay more than have to deal with sounds great.
there's the occasional bitching session from the british members of the soldano forum. I wish to God mike soldano would change his distributer here. Thomann do soldano, but it's a case of WYSIWYG with them. can't really order any custom options i believe.
