Hilleberg - Why? Why do this to me?

[Squidders]

So, for a very long time I have coveted an Akto - there is no denying the quality of Hilleberg products and I hear their warranty and ongoing support is very good also... but why are they ripping us off?

Barring discounts, the general price for an Akto in the UK is about £425 (4527.51 SEK), the distance between Sweden and here is small and shipping is inexpensive. The average price for an Akto in the USA is about $465 (2995.72 SEK) - Wait, what?!? There's a difference of 1531.79 SEK there! That's including shipping to the USA from Sweden.

So maybe we, in the UK get stung on sales tax or import duty a bit more than the US but there's just no way it's the % extra we end up paying in the UK.

Why are Hilleberg ripping us off I wonder? Because they are without a doubt.

 

[Kerne]

No import duty - Sweden is in the EU. Maybe VAT makes a difference at 20%. Loads of products end up cheaper in the US just due to the size of the market. Also, Hilleberg have to compete with the many quality brands already made in the US.
That said, I bought an Akto about 10 years or so ago and it's the dog's! Worth every penny.

 

[Toddy]

The UK is known as a honey-pot. We pay higher for everything than anyone else.

If we stopped importing for a while, prices would drop as the foreign suppliers desperately tried to tap the market.

It gets excused as 'transport overcosts' since we're an island......so how come they export to Australia, NZ, to America, and sell more cheaply there than they do here ?

Rip off.

Buy British, or commission a British Maker and you'll still save money.

M

 

[BigMonster]

Try buying something on ebay.com or amazon.com, they will automatically add customs charges for you to cry.
Just bought myself new Leatherman Surge from the states. Full RRP + shipping + customs charges + parcelforce fee for paying customs charges, was still cheaper for me (about 115 pounds) than buying an old version of the Surge here (107 to 120 pounds).

 

[Squidders]

Amusingly, it's more to buy from Hilleberg directly and locally in Sweden than to buy one from the USA!

Like I said, a great product... but ripping folk off just because you can is a scummy way to be.

 

[ebt.]

"value based pricing". which translates to 'charge whatever suckers will pay'.

Theres no point grumbling about it, just vote with your cash.

 

[demographic]

Just buy from abroad then, its what I do with quite a few motorcycle parts and even after postage and import tax its often cheaper.

The Royal Mail handling fee at this end grates a bit sometimes mind...

 

[theoctagon]

Buy a scarp 1 instead

 

[markie*mark0]

i agree, but it doesn't stop me hankering for one

 

[Broomstickize]

Trip to the states for a camping trip and forget to take a tent?
Not sure how the duty would work out... presuming that you are going to declare and all that.
Could end up with a cheap holiday.

 

[Twodogs]

Maybe fly to Norway buy the tent and get some of the tax back as you leave the country at lest you get a trip out of it .

http://www.globalblue.com/

There two Hilleberg sellers in Oslo

Or go for the Helsport model ,

http://www.xxl.no/Root/Villmark/Telt-og-Lavvo/Telt/helsport-Ringstind-1-grønn/p/1092599_1_Style

Twodogs

 

[Tiley]

Buy a scarp 1 instead

Absolutely. It works out less expensive and it's a better bit of kit.

 

[Squidders]

I'm not so sure... the reviewer loves it but has a list of things he has modded and would like to see changed that is too long for my liking.

 

[SimonM]

Maybe fly to Norway buy the tent and get some of the tax back as you leave the country at lest you get a trip out of it .

http://www.globalblue.com/

There two Hilleberg sellers in Oslo

Or go for the Helsport model ,

http://www.xxl.no/Root/Villmark/Telt-og-Lavvo/Telt/helsport-Ringstind-1-grønn/p/1092599_1_Style

Twodogs

I have the Helsport "version" ...Ringstint 2 light. Great tent, easy to pitch and very stable.

Got minor from Tamarack.

Simon

 

[Paul_B]

A few years back Hille tents were hard to get hold of in the uk for almost a year. One large outdoor chain had bought up a huge chunk of Hille's uk stock allowance of Atkos. They got big discounts and sold it off for almost 60% of rrp, possibly less. About 6 or so years ago. That was what the guy in a Keswick independent retailer told me. It is possible to sell Hille tents cheaper but its not in retailers' interests, not just Hille it takes both to stiff us.
Btw about 4 years ago i made a few visits to Sweden. I loved Haglofs stuff so would check outdoor shops wherever i found them. Haglofs was not cheaper in Swedish outdoors shops. I could find some things cheaper in the uk even. Not all Swedish brands are rip off merchants here.

 

[EdS]

not sure how they can claim to be "[FONT=ff-dagny-web-pro-1, ff-dagny-web-pro-2, serif] amazingly light, solo tent" at 1.3kg minimum and 1.7kg pack weight - that is a seriously heavy for a 1 man tent, still heavy for a 2 man tent[/FONT]

 

[Uilleachan]

Well, the akto isn't amazingly light. What it is, is light for the build quality, even then I wouldn't be plonking it down willy nilly just anywhere without the footprint/or suitable "chaffing" mat under the ground sheet, so that pops the weight up a little further. Of course the foot print isn't needed in camp sites sea/loch shores cultivated fields etc, but if it's rough, stones heather brash etc then a footprint will help preserve the groundsheet.

A few years back I went out looking at solo/small tents with intent. The only one I found that met all my specifications was the akto, paid £350 for mine which is more than I was planning to spend it must be said and that delayed purchase until I'd saved a little more.

The akto is sold as a 3 season tent but it's generally regarded as being 4 season in practice, by those using it. It's around twice the weight of the lightest tents I looked at but half the weight translated to less than half of what I'd consider a tent worthy of the name to be.

Having spent quite a bit of time in tents over the years I wanted a full flysheet that hugged the ground, almost all the "light weight" tents I looked at were lacking in this regard, some were effectively just flimsy open tarps with flimsy inners. After that it came down to materials and build quality, the akto won hands down on both counts, heavy enough materials employed to be practical and very well made. Combined with the footprint, or in my case a wee ground sheet from my wild country tent porch redeployed and pressed into service as an improvised footprint, it's a very good tent for wild camping in rough terrain and given the design and generous flysheet, it's a good tent for rough weather too. I can see why it's considered 4 season in practice, if not in manufacturers spec.

I'm a big guy and that too was a consideration, but I can sit up straight in it, get dressed etc, stow all my gear under the flysheet.

Why so expensive? Devalued currency and 20%VAT are the main culprits at the moment I suspect, also as Toddy asserts in her post above, one has to factor in the "rip off britain" factor, that'll account for a few percent too.

 

[Jared]

It is annoying.

I believe they make the tents in Estonia.

 

[Catfish1972]

I bought a Hilleberg Saivo for an expedition last year. I think we spent eight nights in it, which works out at £125/night. I'm going back again this year so hopefully will be able to reduce the cost per night used below £60, but still, it's an extremely expensive way to camp. I slept in some of the same spots 20 years ago and back then we used a 6m x 2m plastic sheet. I definitely slept better in the Saivo, though.