Ordering a New Pipe

[Storm_Crow]

I was about to order the Peterson Rusticated Lestrade...

...off of this website...

http://www.alpascia.com

They seem to be based in Italy. Has anyone ever purchased with them before?

They have somewhat confusing shipping options:

* By mail outside EU
The items will be sent by mail to the address you enter.
if you choose this option VAT will be added to your order

Order amount from USD 1.37 to USD 822.00 Price: USD 16.44
Order amount over USD 823.37 Free of charge

or

* By courier (FedEx) outside EU
The items will be sent by courier to the address you enter.

Order amount from USD 1.37 to USD 822.00 Price: USD 13.70
Order amount over USD 823.37 Free of charge

Apparently the "sent by mail" option requires something called "VAT" which is an extra charge of some kind. The latter option is "sent by courier" which apparently doesn't require this VAT charge. What is the difference between "sent by mail" and "sent by courier?"

Better question...this pipe seems to be out of stock at the US distributers atm. I've checked pipesandcigars, smokingpipes, cupojoes and more without luck. Anyone have a line on where I might find this pipe domestically so I can avoid any shipping confusion?

 

[chris]

VAT is Value Added Tax.

Basically it is another tax on just about anything you purchase in the E.U. so somewhat similar to your various state taxes. However it is not normally charged to purchasers who live outside of the E.U.

The courier option appears to be cheaper and - I would have hoped - more reliable than mail and does not involve VAT so I would go with that if I were you.

I have never ordered from that company myself but I have seen good things about them on another forum.

Hope that helps

Chris

 

[mark]

I've ordered from them several times with no problem. Have it sent Fedex and you won't be charged the VAT.

"Sent by mail" involves using their local postal system and requires the tax.

The last pipe I ordered from them arrived in 5 days. I wouldn't hesitate to order from them again.

 

[Blackhorse]

The Value Added Tax is pretty common in many parts of the world.

The premise is that the purchaser of an item pays a tax based on the value that has been added to an item during its manufacture. So a pipe starts out as a hunk of briar and a piece of lucite (hopefully) that are worth, let's say $40 US. It ends up as a Peterson Pipe worth $140 US...so $100 US in value has been added...and you pay a tax on that. If the VAT is 10% the tax is $10 US.

The thing that bothers ME, is that this an Italian site. The pipe was MADE in the UK (assumption) so that's where the value was added. Why does anyone have to pay a tax on value added outside of the tax base? That doesn't seem logical...but then I guess we ARE talking about taxes here. I guess the EU takes it's "cut" of anything sold no matter where it was made at the point of final sale.

Taxes suck.

 

[EC Outlaw]

Blackhorse, VAT is charged when sold at retail. The wholesale distributor doesn't collect, and the retailer doesn't pay a VAT unless they add value. Since the EU is a common body for taxation, like the USA is a common body for the 50 states, the VAT is similar to a national sales tax on manufacturing. Several members of the GOP have proposed replacing the Income Tax with a Value Added Tax, which is paid by the consumer.

I won't go into any discussions as to whether such is a 'progressive' or a 'regressive' tax.

 

[monbla256]

Storm crow,
Is there not a US retailer that carries that particular model? Reason I ask is the last two times I have ordered from a EU retailer, my credit card chrged me a "conversion fee" for converting my payment from Dollars to Euro's. So it made my "deals' from Europe not so much a "deal" when I added this fee

 

[mark]

Better question...this pipe seems to be out of stock at the US distributers atm. I've checked pipesandcigars, smokingpipes, cupojoes and more without luck.

 

[Blackhorse]

He could always "order" it as they will do that via several vendors - and I've seen comments from several guys here that Peterson is pretty good with filling those orders...but no first hand experience.

I'm usually content to look around for estates that are in good condition. Just today I picked up a nice looking Killarney 150 Rhodesian with the older Lovat stem design for fifty bucks. More my price anyway...unless I go freakazoid...which has been know to occur...but rarely.


Um...sorry, I had no idea the photo was so large.

 

[SPUD 15]

THAT APPEARS TO BE A 4 OZ. BOWL. MIKE

 

[monbla256]

WOW ! You got one of those grp50 Specials !!! Load that puppy up with a nice full bowl of a good Virginia Flake and you could smoke for days !! That is a LIFE SIZE photo, right ?

 

[Blackhorse]

Outlaw -

So...a regressive tax is a tax imposed in such a manner that the tax rate decreases as the amount subject to taxation increases.

In terms of individual income and wealth, a regressive tax supposedly imposes a greater burden (relative to resources) on the poor than on the rich
as there is an inverse relationship between the tax rate and the taxpayer's ability to pay as measured by assets, consumption, or income.

And...a progressive tax is a tax by which the tax rate increases as the taxable base amount increases. I guess this describes income and property taxes.
"Progressive" describes a distribution effect on income or expenditure, and attempts to reduce the tax incidence of people with a lower ability-to-pay.

Thus...since the VAT taxes the value added during manufacturing and is paid by the purchaser at the time of sale...it would SEEM to be more progressive than regressive...
almost like a "luxury tax", or perhaps more accurately, a "sales tax" based on manufacturing operations that create value.
But I'm sure a knowledgable "tax philosopher" could make a case either way, depending on how well they could massage the data. lol

(I guess I forgot that Great Britain was in the Union...I still think in Pounds Sterling and ha'pennies, etc. My bad.)

 

[Storm_Crow]

Thanks for the info guys!