As usual the old adage of not pleasing all of the folks all of the time applies here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5190044.stmIndependent retailers are calling for the closure of a tax loophole that allows cheap CDs and DVDs into the UK.
More than 100 firms from the Forum of Private Business (FPB) have written to the Treasury arguing the law poses a threat to small High Street businesses.
But retailers importing the CDs say consumers benefit from lower prices.
Under current tax laws shoppers do not have to pay VAT or import duty on goods brought in from outside the European Union (EU) that cost less than £18.
Larger retailers, such as supermarket giants Tesco and Asda, have taken advantage of the current rules to sell cheaper CDs and DVDs imported from places such as Jersey.
The letter - signed by 120 firms including the chains Fopp and Music Zone - comes as record industry representatives are set to discuss the matter at a meeting with the Treasury later.
While I sympathise with these retailers this situation is the result of large retail chains using a method to circumvent the artificial pricing monopoly that the record companies operate.
Tying customers into specific country deals and enforced prices that are way and above the cost of the goods plus profit is wrong and its those that operate these types of monopoly pactices that should be attacked, not those who seek to give the end consumer a fairer deal
For those that are perhaps not aware of it the UK is one of the most overpriced markets in the word, its actually cheaper for me to order and pay postage to import CD,s from anywhere else in the world and still pay less than the cost of paying for something here, the same applies to the legal download monopolies, why does it cost more to download something for UK consumers regardless of where the server is located, these are examples of price policies designed to maximise revenues for the media Cartels who operate many tax free and cross border loopholes themselves.
