UKC

Is there any reason that international companies place restrictions on certain product lines, and contractually force retailers not to ship these products abroad? If I want to order a pair of boots that the company haven't decided to sell in the UK, why can't I order them from a country that is stocking them? Who loses out? The company gets my money, the retailer gets my money - everyone wins.

There's a lot of specific expedition gear that is too niche for companies to bring over to the UK, I can only guess because we don't have -40 winters, so it means I have to hunt and hunt trying to find an independent shop that doesn't know/care about these shipping restrictions. Seriously, in the global economy we live in these days this should not be a problem.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

Importers normally only import what they think will sell in their home market.

Nothing to stop you buying direct from a retailer in another country.

Obviously easier within the EU, you may have to pay import taxes from elsewhere. It is a lottery if you get thro customs for free, but you often do.

In reply to Rick Graham:


As stated in my original post, there is. Many manufacturers won't allow retailers to ship internationally.

Most US/Canadian websites have this sort of thing on their website: http://www.sierratradingpost.com/lp2/international-orders/#internationalres...

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

STP is a bit special, and they aren't really a normal shop in that regard. Think of them more like SportPursuit.

And the manufacturers indeed do make them the requirement simply because they are sellin' the stock so much below retail prices.

From my experience, everything that under the restriction are available from a european retailer. STP has some niche brands, but they do not have the restrictions on them.

In reply to HeMa:

Ok, I'll be specific. I'm looking for the Sorel Alpha Pac XT. I have found a very small retailer that I think will probably ship it to me, but if you can find me a major company anywhere in the world that doesn't list Sorel as a restricted brand I would be very interested.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

Find a Sorel retailer inside EC and you'll all set.

Just like DVDs used to be region specific, some manufacturers are still workin' on the same principle (eg. 'Ryx, and all od Columbia products).

In reply to HeMa:


Sorry, do you mean European Country? The problem seems to be they just don't export the boot anywhere into Europe, and as all the retailers abroad have these regional distribution restrictions I have to find someone that doesn't care about it. These tiny shops have less of a reputation and when you're ordering 4000 miles away with bigger shipping costs you want to be sure they're legit.

I've done it before with TNF equipment they don't sell in the EU, but it just makes me rage that they make it so difficult to buy their products!

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

The situation you describe is a real problem for buying gear online from Australia. It's not just the clearance-type places that have these restrictions, it's many of the major retailers. They do it to protect their relationships with the importers and other middle men. e.g. Arcteryxy will tell us that they DO have retailers here in Australia, but those stores carry maybe 6-8 lines, out of the hundreds of Arcteryx products. Technically the retailers can get anything ordered, but it's slow, on top of an already inflated price. The manufacturers are just doing themselves out of business. It's an outdated practice, that should stop. It's even been suggested here as being a restraint of trade and it's only because the industry is so small, nobody cares to follow it through.

We all just use Freight Forwarders of some type, like HopShopGo etc. It takes a little more time - few days to a week extra - but the cost is usually no more than direct shipping from the US retailer.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:


He means the European Community countries (basically the EU). Because of the single market within the EU there aren't legally allowed to be restrictions on selling things within the market. This of course isn't much help if no one sells the thing you want in the EU!

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

Have you contacted the manufacturer/distributor directly?

In reply to TobyA:


How to put this nicely? Rubbish
"According to EU law, where a supplier sets up an exclusive distribution network, it may legitimately prevent its distributors from actively selling into a territory granted exclusively to another distributor or reserved for the supplier itself. Where restrictions on active sales into such territories are agreed between a supplier and distributor
having a market share no higher than 30%, the agreement will benefit from the safe harbor of the VRBER."

I´m allowed to restrict active selling to distinctive territorial markets as long as I am not in a dominant market position, offering delivery to a country outside the agreed area could be construed as active selling. Free trade works both for customers AND manufacturers. There is no law requiring anyone to sell anything to anybody.

In reply to jimtitt:


Yes, the limitations are not legal requirements...

How ever, they are imposed by the manufactorer and/or importer. Meaning that if retailers do not comply to the "rules", they won't be representing that brand anymore.

Classic example of this has been La Sportiva. Generally they've been cheaper here in Yurp than in the states. Which is why (e-) retailers were not allowed to ship Sportiva-stuff to the States or Canada (agreenment was done between La Sportiva and La Sportiva N.A.)... Not sure if this is imposed anymore, but it used to be the case.

As for circumventing such mundane restrictions... There are a few parcel forwarding services operating in the US. For a fee, they'll provide a shipping address in the contintal US and then re-ship the parcel to almost where ever in the globe. I have looked into it in the past, and they seem to work well enough. But haven't actually had to resort to them, as I have asked friends in the states to do the forwarding... or I've ordered the stuff to the hotel, where I'm staying on work trips to that side of the pond.