The best place to buy Festool.

[Brice Burrell]

They don't add the price to shipping to the item and advertise it as free shipping over here so much as Brice says.  I worked for an electronics etailer who lowered his price on his parts online then milked them on the shipping back end.

I hate that.  I try not to buy from those guys.

 

[PeterK]

As my closest stocking dealer is 5 hours away, all my purchases have been online. I started (and have stayed) with Bob Marino and he was very very helpful with advise on what sanders and vacs to start with. Guess that was about 8-9 years ago or whenever he first got started as a dealer. Made a purchase at another online supplier of various woodworking supplies as had many non Festool items I needed so add an MFT to the order. Did not realize until I received it that they added $100 for shipping!!!! Never again.

We are blessed here with a couple very knowledgable dealers. I am really impressed with the posts by Tom Bellemare - Tool Home in Austin Texas. He has been very detailed, insightful, helpful with his posts and sharing his knowledge. I have not purchased from him but know many here have with great results.

I like to support the guys who support this site with my business.

 

[agehall]

Andvari

Sweden is indeed worth visiting.  It can be lovely even in February.  But they use the Swedish Krona not the Euro.  (That said, the dollar has risen against the SEK as well.)

Well, the past two winters, we've had -20 to -30C in Jan-Feb and tons of snow. Not sure if I'd classify that as "lovely"...

Back to topic; anything sold in the US is cheaper than in Sweden. For example, I just got a CXS kit in the US for $275 while the same kit back home would be approx $450.

Maybe if the dollar continues to do well vs the Euro over the next 6 months I'll visit Sweden in the summer. My great grandfather was from Oland. Some day I'd like to see it.

Drop me a PM if you get to Stockholm.

 

[andvari]

Andvari

Sweden is indeed worth visiting.  It can be lovely even in February.  But they use the Swedish Krona not the Euro.  (That said, the dollar has risen against the SEK as well.)

Yes thank you. The dollar has actually risen just about the same against the SEK as the Euro. If I go though I will be visiting more than just Sweden so the Euro rate is going to be important too.

 

[andvari]

Nobody is talking about Amazon ... I would have thought they've be good for bits and pieces ...

Amazon is pretty spotty on Festool inventory, and most of the time when you deal with them you are dealing with a third party working through Amazon. After a botchup with an order for a TS55 I've reached the conclusion that you get better service going directly to an internet dealer that specializes in Festool.

In my case it also means faster delivery - normally on Amazon I use Prime which is 2 day, but on an internet dealer that is just one state away I can get next day on UPS ground.

 

[Timtool]

Only in America would they make it cheaper to buy stuff if it comes from another state by truck, compared to buying locally  [huh]

 

[Brice Burrell]

Only in America would they make it cheaper to buy stuff if it comes from another state by truck, compared to buying locally  [huh]

Come on, there's certainly some bias towards America in that statement.  There's always a guy out there willing to sell it cheaper, that's how the free market works and we aren't the only one's to have a free market. 

 

[mouppe]

Ask the dealer who has to charge sales tax compared to the online dealer who doesn't if he thinks it's a free market?

Just saying.

 

[joraft]

Ask the dealer who has to charge sales tax compared to the online dealer who doesn't if he thinks it's a free market?

Just saying.

I strongly suspect that won't be the case by the end of 2012. I see some sort of a state internet sales tax "national clearing house" on the horizon.

That's why I'm trying to work my way through the Festool catalog as quickly as possible.  [big grin]

 

[AlexThePalex]

Only in America would they make it cheaper to buy stuff if it comes from another state by truck, compared to buying locally  [huh]

Come on, there's certainly some bias towards America in that statement.  There's always a guy out there willing to sell it cheaper, that's how the free market works and we aren't the only one's to have a free market.   

I'm not seeing this only in America, but I'm starting to think the free market is becomming more and more something of a myth.

 

[andvari]

Only in America would they make it cheaper to buy stuff if it comes from another state by truck, compared to buying locally  [huh]

Come on, there's certainly some bias towards America in that statement.  There's always a guy out there willing to sell it cheaper, that's how the free market works and we aren't the only one's to have a free market.   

There is always somebody trying to make the process more efficient. An internet order taking system backed by large regional warehouses and something like UPS is going to eliminate a lot of middleman costs that the consumer otherwise has to pay. Festool wants to protect local distributors and their retailers with their prix fixe that makes things more costly to their customers than they need to be.

The sales tax situation adds another layer to this - it's an anachronism stretching all the way back the to Constitutional Convention of 1787. Eventually some Federal solution will put it to rest, but the prix fixe issue is also an impediment to competition in the market.

The US should make this sort of price control illegal. It makes the economy less efficient.

 

[Brice Burrell]

Ask the dealer who has to charge sales tax compared to the online dealer who doesn't if he thinks it's a free market?

Just saying.

We're straying too far into the forbidden zone here but I think it's worth noting that we're all required to pay your state's sales (and use) tax no matter what state you purchased from.  And as John said, and I'd be willing to bet an internet sales tax is very near....

 

[Vindingo]

Most dealers in UK wont go below  £50 +vat     for free shipping and some  are more.    I find prices online for tools lets say  £80 free shipping and another online dealer for £74 but no where on the website does it mention shipping un till you come to pay then it will say + £6 shipping costs and so often equals to the one which is free shipping.  Dealers dont loose out even if it was a small items your ordering  like mention nothings Free even when it says its Free shipping as they have just added the shipping cost to the price already.

JMB

That might be true over on your side of the Atlantic, but not over here. 

Has a dealer specifically told you that they lose money on small internet orders? 

I'm inclined to think they wouldn't offer free shipping on all items if that were the case.  And if they break even, that is the cost of reeling in the customer with hopes of future larger sales. 

 

[joraft]

And as John said, and I'd be willing to bet an internet sales tax is very near....

As I see it, a big problem is going to be the varying sales tax rates. One of my businesses involved selling my products throughout my state of California, which has a different sales tax rate for every one of the 58 counties. My quarterly sales tax reports were 20 pages long. I wonder how many different rates there are across the entire U.S.

 

[Wonderwino]

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of seperate sales tax jusristictions in each state: State, County, Municipal and multiple "special zones" for economic development, hospitals, enterprise zones & etc.

I recall several years ago, New York city declared a "sales tax holiday" for a few weeks.  This action had some serious consequences: sales exploded, causing MORE JOBS, increased payroll and income tax revenue.  When the tax returned, the sales went down.  Is there a lesson here?  Would lots of new jobs be a problem in the US?  There ought to be a Contitutional Ammendment banning all sales and value added taxes.  [scared]

 

[joraft]

...  There ought to be a Contitutional Ammendment banning all sales and value added taxes.   [scared]

Let's toss in income taxes and real estate taxes while we're at it.

That'll force our various government entities to run "lean and mean". (with emphasis probably on "mean"  [smile])

 

[NoBreyner]

I'd rather for lean and mean rather than fat and happy at our expense.

On Topic:  I am looking forward to my first purchase from Bob Marino.

 

[andvari]

And as John said, and I'd be willing to bet an internet sales tax is very near....

As I see it, a big problem is going to be the varying sales tax rates. One of my businesses involved selling my products throughout my state of California, which has a different sales tax rate for every one of the 58 counties. My quarterly sales tax reports were 20 pages long. I wonder how many different rates there are across the entire U.S.

There is lots of software out there already to deal with this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_Tax_Management_Services

 

[joraft]

There is lots of software out there already to deal with this.

As I mentioned earlier, some sort of national clearing house for state and local sales taxes. This looks to be along those lines.

Interesting read, by the way. Thanks.

 

[RONWEN]

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of seperate sales tax jusristictions in each state: State, County, Municipal and multiple "special zones" for economic development, hospitals, enterprise zones & etc.

I recall several years ago, New York city declared a "sales tax holiday" for a few weeks.  This action had some serious consequences: sales exploded, causing MORE JOBS, increased payroll and income tax revenue.  When the tax returned, the sales went down.  Is there a lesson here?  Would lots of new jobs be a problem in the US?  There ought to be a Contitutional Ammendment banning all sales and value added taxes.   [scared]

If that will be a part of your platform Alex, you'll have my vote this nest go-round.  [thumbs up]

Even with all of our crappy politicians I haven't found a country that I'd prefer to live in -- I've enjoyed visiting many other countries & the things they have to offer but I always come home.  [not worthy]