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Thread: Makers mark.

  1. #21
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    As with all the assay offices, different metals need to go on different hallnotes, and therefore will be each charged minimum charges and all offices charge on the number of hallnotes as well as their contents. There is really no way round that I'm afraid. Of course, as previously mentioned, you can put both hallnotes in the one package when you send it in, so only incurring one postage charge.

    Our all-in charge for one or two items is £12.00, one of the most competitive fees of all the offices.


    Quote Originally Posted by BarryM View Post
    I recently sent off a packet to London that had 12 silver items and 1 gold item - hence two hall notes. I was a bit disappointed to be charged the 1-2 item charge for the gold even though it was part of a package of 13 items in total. The gold ring cost nearly £15 to be assayed and hallmarked (over 10% of the cost of the item)

    It is not really surprising that at these rates hobby jewellers like myself who make few items and (in my case) never build up enough items in gold to make a sensible package, avoid making in anything but silver.

    Does Steve have any suggestions to reduce the unit cost in this scenario??

  2. #22
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    And thank you everyone for all your lovely comments about us! I will pass these on to all the staff concerned who really appreciate hearing them!
    Happy Monday for lots of people at LAO!

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveLAO View Post
    As with all the assay offices, different metals need to go on different hallnotes, and therefore will be each charged minimum charges and all offices charge on the number of hallnotes as well as their contents. There is really no way round that I'm afraid.
    You are just restating the pricing policy, not the reason WHY this policy is used. I am happy to pay charges that are reasonable and based on a fair pricing policy and an explanation why each metal is charged independently would be interesting. I am sure that there is a logical reason. That your competitors use the same method is really not a reason to do it.

    Our all-in charge for one or two items is £12.00, one of the most competitive fees of all the offices.
    Well I am not VAT registered so I pay £14.40 not £12.00.
    Barry the Flying Silversmith👍

  4. #24
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    The policy is used as there are different methods for testing different metals, and in order to speed the process, reduce mistakes and make the whole process more efficient, different metals are separated out and kept apart so that if necessary they can be sent to different areas and departments for testing without unnecessary delay. It's also helpful for the markers to keep the punches separate too, so that punches may not get mixed up, as could easily happen. This is the reason why all assay offices work in this way, and have always done so.

    Regrettably you will need to take up the VAT issue with HMRC, as we have no control over that. In the same way as many businesses operate, all are prices are quoted ex VAT.

  5. #25
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    These days most businesses quote final price, vat inclusive. Quoting exVAT makes you look a bit like a perma-sale sofa warehouse...trying to pretend that £999 isn't £1k. Most people reckon that, in the real world, businesses that do that, these days think their customers can't work it out or are a bit stooopid. It's like slapping on the shipping at the last moment. Really annoys.
    Especially when there is a restricted market.
    Author: Pearls A Practical Guide
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  6. #26
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    Even for business-to-business transactions, where you'd expect the purchaser to be VAT registered?

  7. #27
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    Default Makers mark.

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveLAO View Post
    The policy is used as there are different methods for testing different metals, and in order to speed the process, reduce mistakes and make the whole process more efficient, different metals are separated out and kept apart so that if necessary they can be sent to different areas and departments for testing without unnecessary delay. It's also helpful for the markers to keep the punches separate too, so that punches may not get mixed up, as could easily happen. This is the reason why all assay offices work in this way, and have always done so.

    Regrettably you will need to take up the VAT issue with HMRC, as we have no control over that. In the same way as many businesses operate, all are prices are quoted ex VAT.
    Steve,

    OK that is a reasonable explanation which I accept - in effect the different metals go down different processing paths.

    I understand the VAT issue - but to say that it COSTS £12 is inaccurate - you CHARGE £12 - everybody pays £14.40 and some of those can reclaim the VAT but we ALL still have to remit £14.40 to the Assay office. (Sorry to be pedantic but this is a bit of a bug bear with me - not just the Assay Office who say things "cost" the VAT exclusive charge, it doesn't it "costs" the VAT inclusive charge)
    Barry the Flying Silversmith👍

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by BarryM View Post
    I understand the VAT issue - but to say that it COSTS £12 is inaccurate - you CHARGE £12 - everybody pays £14.40 and some of those can reclaim the VAT but we ALL still have to remit £14.40 to the Assay office.
    We are all unpaid tax collectors...

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by pearlescence View Post
    These days most businesses quote final price, vat inclusive. Quoting exVAT makes you look a bit like a perma-sale sofa warehouse...trying to pretend that £999 isn't £1k. Most people reckon that, in the real world, businesses that do that, these days think their customers can't work it out or are a bit stooopid. It's like slapping on the shipping at the last moment. Really annoys.
    Especially when there is a restricted market.
    Many businesses do, it's true, but a great many businesses, particularly the larger ones, do not. It's not so much the sofa warehouse mentality more harking back to the times when VAT changed more regularly than it does today, and if you were quoting vat inclusive you then had to keep reprinting your price lists! It was easier to quote the net price and then to say "plus VAT" so that your price lists were always accurate!

    Then there are the companies who export regularly and always quote VAT exclusive!

    Of course, as ps bond mentions, its also very helpful for B2B transactions, where they reclaim the VAT back and so work on net prices only. The majority of our clients are VAT registered, and though I appreciate a lot of you are not those who are not do have to add the 20%

    Barry M if you do want to be pedantic, yes we charge £12 and HMRC charges the rest. You could also argue that our cost is £12 and HMRC cost is the rest!

  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveLAO View Post
    harking back to the times when VAT changed more regularly than it does today, and if you were quoting vat inclusive you then had to keep reprinting your price lists! It was easier to quote the net price and then to say "plus VAT" so that your price lists were always accurate!
    Presumably prior to the rise in popularity of 'the machines', which should now make it easy - nay automatic - to update a pricelist i.e. on a (gaaasp) web-page?

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