Maplin - now VAT exclusive prices

[Harry Bloomfield]

I notice Maplin have recently moved on their website to displaying VAT exclusive prices. No warning on the pages, the VAT only goes on when you order. that surely cannot be right?

[Brian Gaff]

Quite a few shops work this way. I've no idea if its due to multinational buying going on, so the local taxes go on at purchase time for that country. Brian

[Harry Bloomfield]

on 28/03/2012, Brian Gaff supposed :

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As said, it was delivery cost being added on top at the checkout, I was trying to place an order for collection from my local Maplin.

I'm none to happy with Maplins policy of charging £2.99 for delivery of an item, if the item is not in stock and you ask for it to be delivered for collection at one of their own stores. Fair enough paying a delivery charge for home dlelivery, but very unfair them charging you to get it from one store to another store - simply because they don't have the stock.

Anyone agree?

[hugh]

In message , Harry Bloomfield writes

Yes

[John Williamson]

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If you go into your local store, and they order it for you, there's no delivery charge, at least if all you're buying is a couple of RAM sticks. Not on the receipt I got this morning, anyway. On the downside, I paid the store price, not the web price.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Haven't bothered with them for ages. Their delivery is so slow - despite costing the same as others. And of course just about everything they sell can be bought elsewhere cheaper. It's quite sad, as they were once a decent company.

[Tim Watts]

True they used to sell proper electronics - but do you remember the 70's? Paper order forms and lucky if you got the order inside a week - and 10-30% was usually missing or on backorder...

[ARWadsworth]

I remember. But that was that the 80's not the 70's.

[Bob Eager]

Because 'consumer' websites are mean to do VAT inclusive prices - or so I thought.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Man at B&Q used his keyboard to write :

To answer your question - because they general sell to the public, VAT has to be inclusive in the price.

However, I misinterpreted it - wasn't the VAT going on top, it was a delivery cost to have it available to collect at their store. No problem with paying to have items delivered to my home address, but paying to have things delivered to their store because they don't have stock, so far as I am concerned - is not on.

[Tim Streater]

I understood it to be that, if you don't mention VAT in any of the advertising literature or web site, then by law that means you've included it. So for retail purposes this works well for Mr & Mrs Numpty.

For those selling to the trade as well, they'll tend to give both and be clear about which is which.

[Martin Brown]

Why not use RS or Farnell though? In stock components arrive the next day and they have decent stuff rather than Maplin's hobbyist tat.

[Harry Bloomfield]

It was a part I needed for a Maplin specific item, so no choice in the matter. I may have resolved it via ebay, with five of the parts free delivery, for the same cost of one item plus postage from Maplin.