[simpits-tech] You Suck

[Jims Parambus Account]

Just thought that I would add my "moan" to the proceedings. I love
Top Gear as well except for one item that comes up every now and
again. This is when they moan about the price of new cars in the UK
and say that the cheapest way to buy a new car is to order it from
Holland and import it to the UK. I live in Holland and what the UK
and othe non-Dutch-resident viewers do not realise (and really
annoys me when Jeremy goes on about cheap cars) is that if you
buy a new car in Holland that is staying in Holland for your own
use; the taxman adds something called "BPM" to what you have to pay
for the car. BPM is somewhere around 65%, on top of which you still
pay BTW (VAT) at another 19%. Back in 1991 I bought a new TransAm in
Holland. It was from the Pontiac dealership here and was a fully
legal european version. The US price at the time was around &19,000.
The cost to me: $45,000. You have no recourse but to pay the price
if you want the item.

Furthermore; the way customs operates here is like russian roulette.
You take a chance on your item getting stopped. Sometimes you are
lucky and it gets straight through, but if it is stopped, then
starts the cost. Firstly, you have to pay for the import license
(invoerechting), then the duty payable has nothing to do with
what you may have paid for the item; it is based on what that item
(or equivalent) costs in Holland. So if you are unlucky, you may
end up paying tax on a second-hand item based on the new cost. THEN,
you pay the 19% BTW on that. Oh, I almost forgot, the price that is
used as a basis for the tax INCLUDES the shipping costs, so you have
to pay tax on the shipping as well.

Every time I want to bid for something on ebay, I have to factor in
all these other potential costs. Quite often I have had to miss items,
not because I doen't want to bid so high, but because of all the extra
costs involved in getting it here.

I love Holland, NOT.

The only redeeming factor in this country is that it has an excellent
healthcare service, which as I am getting older, I am appreciating
more and more. Still, you have to pay for that as well by having
health insurance which I am almost sure is compulsory.

I have given a simplification above of a number of processes which
are much more complicated than stated and I am sure that there are
other NL members who may chip in with comments, but I think that the
guys in the UK should remember that the grass is not always greener
on the other side of the fence.

Sorry for rambling.

Jim.

-----Original Message-----
From: simpits-tech-bounces at simpits.org
[mailto:simpits-tech-bounces at simpits.org] On Behalf Of Jamie
Sent: 09 October 2008 16:57
To: Simulator Cockpit tech list
Subject: Re: [simpits-tech] You Suck

Yes he is, but he is one of the very few presenters in the world who would 
be willing to admit it.

Its all three together that make the show work so well.

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Roy Coates" <roy at flightlab.liv.ac.uk>
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 2:51 PM
To: "Simulator Cockpit tech list" <simpits-tech at simpits.org>
Subject: Re: [simpits-tech] You Suck

> On Thu, 9 Oct 2008, Jamie wrote:
>
>>
>> Ah, Top Gear - don't you wish YOU had a job like theirs!?
>>
>> Clarkson is probably one of the best presenters ever.
>
> He's an ego-centric tosser. I'd rather have the hamster or James May.
>
>
>> In the UK people don't question the price of goods. Most don't shop for
>> electronic goods anywhere other than Dixons or Argos.
>>
>> Manufacturers simply take advantage of this.
>
> I think you're right Jamie. The greatest British sickness is to moan and
> bitch (quietly) and then just suck it up.
>
> The merrycans wouldn't tolerate it.
>
> --
>
> Roy Coates.
> Dept of Engineering.
> Liverpool University.
> E-Mail: r.coates at liv.ac.uk
> Tel: 0151 794 4862
>
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> Lord, If I must have an instrument failure, please let it be the Hobbs 
> meter.
>
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>
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