Brooks Schmucks..

[Betsy]

A few months ago i was ordering some 100mm Brooks Cambium grips for my work bike, i run a 50cm flat bar so i don't stick out too much on the cycle lanes and it helps for nipping through traffic, the 130mm grips + levers + shifter + light mount meant it was all getting a bit cramped and i don't need a 130mm grip, ive only got womens hands, like Blackadder.

..anyhow, when i tried to order them through proud heritage brand 'Brooks England 1866' there's a £135 minimum order because they ship from Italy.
Wow! £135 grips +VAT!! https://www.brooksengland.com/en_uk/uk-shipping-notice so i ordered them from Amazon instead.

 

[klunkrider]

Brooks have been bought out by Selle Italia.

I believe direct orders from Brooks go through Italy as in the item gets shipped from the UK to Italy (that’s where the customer facing dispatch centre is) and then back again to you.

Not sure if their entire catalogue is UK made still, if not then it probably goes manufacturer>Italy>you but from what I hear, common sense does prevail for the stuff they make here and sell through the established distro channels. It doesn’t get the trip to Italy, going straight from the factory to Chicken or Zyro or whoever the distro is then onto the retailer then to you.

 

[klunkrider]

They sent me a replacement back plate for a Cambium a little while back and it came straight from them, shipped domestically within the uk but I think that might have been because there was no transaction/money changing hands. I think it was even just in a hand addressed padded envelope.

 

[was8v]

The country has spoken, we voted to leave a trading bloc.

We live in a globalised world, even things made in the UK rely on value added elsewhere, this means everything gets more complicated.

"Taking back control" is actually non sensical, we never had control in the first place, and we have less now.

 

[Betsy]

Yup, they're MiE and shipped to Italy for worldwide distribution (including back to the UK) i just expected that they would retain some stock for domestic customers, if only for environmental reasons.. i'm not sure £135 is a true reflection of their added costs either..

 

[klunkrider]

Yup, they're MiE and shipped to Italy for worldwide distribution (including back to the UK) i just expected that they would retain some stock for domestic customers, if only for environmental reasons.. i'm not sure £135 is a true reflection of their added costs either..

They do retain stock, just won't sell it directly to you and that's probably more to do with Selle Italia than Brooks.

The £135 is a vat thing, something to do with who collects it and at what point. If the transaction was sub £135 they'd have to collect the vat in Italy, which would be different to what you'd pay here so then they'd have to work out that difference and figure out a way to charge you, over £135 and they can leave it to the UK Gov via Customs to collect the it. Or something like that.

 

[Betsy]

I think Selle Italia and Brooks are pretty much the same thing, they're just keeping the Brooks England brand alive for their heritage selling point.

According to the website "Please note that the prices shown for orders to the UK do not include VAT. All Taxes and Duties must be paid to the courier upon delivery"

If i order some grips for £35 quid, they charge them to me at £135 and then i have to pay VAT on the £135, could they not charge them to me at €40+Vat and than let UK customs impose they're own charges when they hit the border?

 

[klunkrider]

They're not going to charge you £135 for grips, they just won't sell to you unless you spend £135 or over.

 

[Betsy]

I appreciate that but however it's worded the grips would still cost me £135+vat.
Even after Books were swallowed up, i still admired the workers as craftspeople and tried to support them with my £££ over the years (i ride a Brooks Swallow daily) i don't really want to shovel more of my hard earned into the pockets of Bezos but Brooks/Selle are forcing my custom away with these charges, i suppose... after years of buying their products, i'd like a bit of support back.. anyhow we'll just have to agree to ...erm agree?

 

[klunkrider]

Just buy from a UK based third party retailer.

The stock won't have left the UK and if you shop around the price could well be cheaper than buying direct from Brooks anyway.