This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

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atoz
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This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by atoz »

Not only is it more difficult buying a Brooks, it will cost you more-and it's all down to Brexit-just read the article if you don't believe me. You couldn't make it up.

https://road.cc/content/news/caveat-emp ... ers-283863

There's quite a few cyclists of a certain age who are supporters of brexit, in my experience. Mind you they are often not Brooks users if my experience is anything to go by. Looks like that situation won't change.

Thanks Boris- from a lifelong Brooks user. I might add I am a Carradice saddlebag user also, so my retro credentials are assured lol
PH
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Re: This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by PH »

OK, to clarify, rather than in any way support Brexit.
The story refers to buying direct from Brooks, not buying Brooks products elsewhere. There is no change in the later, as the article says at the bottom. I don't know what percentage of products they have previously sold direct, they're at full RRP, and were always expensive shipping, I can't imagine why they'd be anyone's first choice of supplier. The article says you may have to pay import taxes, but they don't apply if the product is EU or UK made, and don't apply to any purchase under £135, the VAT is now the UK rate rather than the suppliers rate, otherwise the taxes remain the same.
I've bought a Brooks Cambian post Brexit, from an EU supplier because they were considerable cheaper than any UK one (For that particular saddle) same as last year.
Ben@Forest
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Re: This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by Ben@Forest »

atoz wrote: 6 Jun 2021, 10:17am Not only is it more difficult buying a Brooks, it will cost you more-and it's all down to Brexit-just read the article if you don't believe me. You couldn't make it up.
You have made it up. In relation to Brooks products the last paragraph states:

“Furthermore, we can confirm that UK-made Brooks England products are shipped directly from the Brooks England factory in Smethwick to Extra UK’s warehouse, and not via Selle Royal’s HQ in Italy,” it added.
merseymouth
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Re: This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by merseymouth »

Well, as Brooks is now an Italian company they will be cutting their nose off to spite their face. As previously stated -"You couldn't make it up!" :? MM
atoz
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Re: This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by atoz »

Ben@Forest wrote: 6 Jun 2021, 12:42pm
atoz wrote: 6 Jun 2021, 10:17am Not only is it more difficult buying a Brooks, it will cost you more-and it's all down to Brexit-just read the article if you don't believe me. You couldn't make it up.
You have made it up. In relation to Brooks products the last paragraph states:

“Furthermore, we can confirm that UK-made Brooks England products are shipped directly from the Brooks England factory in Smethwick to Extra UK’s warehouse, and not via Selle Royal’s HQ in Italy,” it added.
Yes I'm sure you are right about where they are shipped from. That was not the point of the article, as I am sure you are aware.

Brexit is affecting online direct business for many people. My understanding is it is who is the parent company that is the issue, not where products are actually sourced.

This type of issue has been widely reported in the trade news and cycling websites. Are they all mistaken?
atoz
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Re: This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by atoz »

PH wrote: 6 Jun 2021, 10:44am OK, to clarify, rather than in any way support Brexit.
The story refers to buying direct from Brooks, not buying Brooks products elsewhere. There is no change in the later, as the article says at the bottom. I don't know what percentage of products they have previously sold direct, they're at full RRP, and were always expensive shipping, I can't imagine why they'd be anyone's first choice of supplier. The article says you may have to pay import taxes, but they don't apply if the product is EU or UK made, and don't apply to any purchase under £135, the VAT is now the UK rate rather than the suppliers rate, otherwise the taxes remain the same.
I've bought a Brooks Cambian post Brexit, from an EU supplier because they were considerable cheaper than any UK one (For that particular saddle) same as last year.
If you're right, my mistake. Although in my experience a lot of cycle shops don't sell Brooks. I bought mine from Spa Cycles some years ago
Aikon
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Re: This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by Aikon »

It’s not that they’re mistaken, it’s just with hundreds of online and physical UK based retailers having access to Brooks through the time served UK distributor Extra UK it’s a bit of non-problem, unless you choose to buy direct from the brand online, which would be from their warehouse in Italy.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by [XAP]Bob »

merseymouth wrote: 6 Jun 2021, 4:29pm Well, as Brooks is now an Italian company they will be cutting their nose off to spite their face. As previously stated -"You couldn't make it up!" :? MM
That's what is an insane claim. Why would an Italian company deliberately make it difficult.

There is no logic to that at all. I can see why people might think that EU governments might want to make life difficult - although I haven't seen any evidence of them doing anything other than bending over backwards to accommodate a hangry toddler.

The EU hasn't suddenly developed a load of rules, it's just that our government has decided we should follow a load of rules we wrote as members of the EU for anyone who isn't a member of the EU to follow.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
merseymouth
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Re: This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by merseymouth »

Well, the current behaviour of the E.U. which is harming it's own members is shameful! The interests of certain member states are obviously being given special treatment, the fisheries policy is screwing Ireland down to benefit France, Spain and the Netherlands over allowing the Irish fishing industry to use it's own waters.
Since the French used the ruse of only permitting inbound deliveries of TV's made outside the bloc to favour their own industry, they have played fast and lose! ( Imports only permitted at a certain custom post, which happened to be an armpit place at the border with Andorra?) Sneaky mob.
So forcing Italian companies to work against their own commercial interests s par for the course! Sour loser the E.U. MM
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by [XAP]Bob »

The interests of all states are always balanced, so there will always be industries that do better in one country than the other.

You seem to be under the impression that the EU is an autonomous authority dictating to its members, when in reality it is only those members which can make a decision for the EU.

The fact that we now have *more* EU rules to follow than we did as members was entirely predicted more than five years ago - after all that's exactly what the EU (and especially the single market, which we did not even get consulted about leaving) does, it reduces red tape.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
merseymouth
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Re: This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by merseymouth »

Well XAPBob, One word sums up the current approach to how they treat the first exiting member - "DANEGELD"! :twisted:
Blackmail is a torrid practise, but plain and simple that is what the E.U. is employing. MM
atoz
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Re: This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by atoz »

Aikon wrote: 10 Jun 2021, 9:37pm It’s not that they’re mistaken, it’s just with hundreds of online and physical UK based retailers having access to Brooks through the time served UK distributor Extra UK it’s a bit of non-problem, unless you choose to buy direct from the brand online, which would be from their warehouse in Italy.
Quite likely. Although it's been some time since I have seen a Brooks in a cycle shop.Just because they are easy to get through the trade there's no guarantee that cycle shops will stock them. This is often a problen with "niche" or legacy items. A few years ago needed to order a replacment rear axle for Campag Nuovo Tipo hub via Spa Cycles because my LBS couldn't get them. It turned out that the supplier Spa used were the very same people my LBS used, but it was less than obvious. The trade wholesalers are not always helpful with such items, after all they make more money on the trendy new stuff.

The issue as far as I understand it, is VAT and how it is applied. This was highlighted months ago see https://www.ft.com/content/bae02f57-a64 ... 341aa59caf It has been said this is as much of a problem because ot the way our government operates as anything else, but I simply don't know enough about the subject to comment. I do know it is affecting the cycling online trade. I do patronise my favoured bike shop but it is not a convenient journey for me. The more local shops aren't great.
PH
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Re: This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by PH »

atoz wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 1:33pm Quite likely. Although it's been some time since I have seen a Brooks in a cycle shop.Just because they are easy to get through the trade there's no guarantee that cycle shops will stock them.
Sorry, but you're milking this way beyond what the story entails. All the information is contained in your original link, buying a Brooks from a UK retailer is exactly the same as it was pre Brexit. They don't have to stock them, those that do can probably offer a better price, but they just need to have an account with the distributor, if you look at the other brands they handle you'll find that most bike shops with have such an account. Buying a Brooks from an EU retailer, has changed in that now they charge the UK rate of VAT ,and pass that on to HMRC, rather than their own, that change is also about to happen between EU countries. If the purchase is under £135, everything else is the same (Though they may have decided the admin isn't worth the UK sales and have stopped shipping) Buying direct from Brooks in Italy, is exactly the same as buying from any other EU retailer, but in reality, when I've looked, it's never been the best place to buy from.
Purchases with a package price over £135 get more complicated, as you have to pay the VAT in the UK, it's the same rate of VAT but the courier will add a handling charge, though some retailers have found ways to deal with that. If it's over £135 there will also be import tax unless it conforms to the country of origin requirements (Which a Brooks probably does).
You've stuck with the idea in the thread title, it isn't true, there's no problem buying a Brooks in the UK, for example Spa seem to have the full range and at better prices than you'd get direct from Brooks.
atoz
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Re: This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by atoz »

PH wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 2:13pm
atoz wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 1:33pm Quite likely. Although it's been some time since I have seen a Brooks in a cycle shop.Just because they are easy to get through the trade there's no guarantee that cycle shops will stock them.
Sorry, but you're milking this way beyond what the story entails. All the information is contained in your original link, buying a Brooks from a UK retailer is exactly the same as it was pre Brexit. They don't have to stock them, those that do can probably offer a better price, but they just need to have an account with the distributor, if you look at the other brands they handle you'll find that most bike shops with have such an account. Buying a Brooks from an EU retailer, has changed in that now they charge the UK rate of VAT ,and pass that on to HMRC, rather than their own, that change is also about to happen between EU countries. If the purchase is under £135, everything else is the same (Though they may have decided the admin isn't worth the UK sales and have stopped shipping) Buying direct from Brooks in Italy, is exactly the same as buying from any other EU retailer, but in reality, when I've looked, it's never been the best place to buy from.
Purchases with a package price over £135 get more complicated, as you have to pay the VAT in the UK, it's the same rate of VAT but the courier will add a handling charge, though some retailers have found ways to deal with that. If it's over £135 there will also be import tax unless it conforms to the country of origin requirements (Which a Brooks probably does).
You've stuck with the idea in the thread title, it isn't true, there's no problem buying a Brooks in the UK, for example Spa seem to have the full range and at better prices than you'd get direct from Brooks.
Spa are still doing them then? Good. Not exactly an LBS then. That was the point I made before about niche items, Spa are more likely to get them. Same goes for spares for other classic items, like Zefal pumps for examples. Let's hope they stay in business then..
PH
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Re: This is what you get with Brexit- you have more problems buying a Brooks saddle

Post by PH »

atoz wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 2:54pm Spa are still doing them then? Good. Not exactly an LBS then. That was the point I made before about niche items, Spa are more likely to get them.
OK - last time, your LBS is just as likely to stock or be able to order a Brooks saddle now as they were pre Brexit. That information is in the article you linked to at the start of this thread.
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