Klarinet Archive - Posting 000293.txt from 2001/10

From: "Kevin Fay" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Wiseman Cases
Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2001 01:16:37 -0400

Kelly has a currency problem:

<<<I am in the process of purchasing 2 Wiseman cases from Howard Wiseman,
who was at the Clarinet Fest in New Orleans. The $456 (I believe this was
the amount he had on his brochures, PLEASE correct me if wrong, as I can't
find mine) was in US dollars. When I was contacted about sending money for
the 2 cases, Howard Wiseman said the amount in US Dollars Would be $918
(close to the amount I'm thinking of) but that he cannot accept US dollars.

* * *

Unfortunately, Wiseman Cases, Inc doesn't accept Credit Cards, leaving me to
get the money transferred to cash or check in Great Britain Pounds. In going
to the bank, (Chase Manhattan, where I bank) I found out that the
conversion rate here at a bank is 1.6 US dollars to 1 GBP, making the amount
$1040 dollars, and then there is a $25 wiring GBPs or a $25 foreign bank
check fee to make a check in GBP. This brings the amount to $1065 US, which
is a hell of a lot more than the original $912 for the two cases quoted at
ClarinetFest. Western Union was even more...the conversion there made the
amount $1007.30 dollars plus an
additional $83 dollar wire fee, bringing the grand total to $1090.30. Yikes!
Even with the $1065 from Chase Manhattan, this brings each case to $532.50,
and I agreed to $456.00.>>>

Some obervations:

-- If Mr. Wiseman can't accept payment in U.S. dollars, he shound't have
advertised a price in that currency. (This isn't likely any sort of
intentional false advertising on his part -- more likely just a small
businessman trying their best.) The disappointment here is that your price
expectation is based on his advertisement, which is "false": while not at
all a charlatan, it is Mr. Wiseman's fault that you're having this problem.

-- Mr. Wiseman has a relatively quick and painless way to fix the problem:
do the needful to accept credit cards. They're great at doing this stuff.
Of course, that imposes some costs on Mr. Wiseman, not only the set-up fees,
but the 2% or so that is charged for each transaction. By not accepting
credit cards, Mr. Wiseman is transferring the transaction cost to you.

-- The most elegant solution is to not buy the cases from Mr. Wiseman.
Instead, buy them from someone who is in the business of importing them and
taking care of the currency/customs/tax problems. All of the discount
houses (WW&BW, IMS, Fred Weiner) catalog and stock Wiseman cases.

To be sure, the middlepeople charge an uplift for the resale of the
merchandise; they're in business for profit, too. But they handle the
currency thing every day, and are likely to get a much better deal than you
can alone.

kjf

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