Electronics from Europe are killing the Ukrainian economy – say politicians and journalists in the media. For example, new televisions from Europe reduced the revenue of supermarkets Komfy and Foxtrot almost in half in 2018.
The declared price for Ukrainians of unofficially imported equipment and store-bought – that’s the support. After all, the cost differs by 2-3 times. Naturally, new European products with a 1-2 year seller’s warranty look much more attractive.
New Televisions from Europe
To understand what is being discussed, let’s compare prices for budget class televisions in the range of $1,000-2,000. Agree, household appliances and electronics are purchased for one or two decades, so the investment is appropriate. Moreover, economy class TVs lack the in-demand features.
Today, Ukrainians are interested in TV diagonals of 43-65 inches. LCD screens with UltraHD resolution and IPS or MVA|PVA matrices. Support for wired and wireless interfaces for internet connectivity and wireless image transmission. Also, small dimensions, as it has become fashionable to hang the TV on the wall like a picture. Among brands, Samsung and LG are preferred by buyers. The reason is simple – their own factories for manufacturing displays and electronics reduce the final product’s cost.
TVs with diagonals of 43-50 inches, with the listed requirements, are sold in stores for 19-25 thousand hryvnias. From Europe, an equivalent model can be brought by illegal importers for 9-10 thousand hryvnias. With the most popular diagonal (55 inches), where the difference in quality between FullHD and UltraHD is already noticeable, the price gap increases. Twice as much – 30 thousand in Komfy, new TVs from Europe – 15 thousand hryvnias. With a 65-inch diagonal, the gap is almost three times – official equipment costs nearly three times more for Ukrainian buyers. 60,000 versus 25,000 hryvnias.
It’s possible to check the TV in the store, but a European one is a lottery. A blatant lie spread by stores!
Ordering European televisions from an online store involves working with a Ukrainian carrier. The same Nova Poshta will allow you to check the TV or any equipment at the warehouse upon receipt. Most sellers ship TVs without prepayment, cash on delivery. The service is the same as at the famous Rozetka.
European televisions are blocked in Ukraine when connected to the internet.
That’s true, but sellers are not fools. The equipment is blocked at the firmware mismatch level. Therefore, before shipping the TV to the buyer, sellers simply install Ukrainian firmware. Everything works perfectly.
On Morality and Conscience
And what about moral principles – since not paying taxes, the buyer destroys the economy of his own country
And the moral principles of Ukrainians are not offended. The authorities themselves created the incident by approving a law in 2018 that allows the import of cars from Europe on Euro plates. Millions of cars on Euro plates crossed the border and are traveling across the country, racking up hundreds of thousands of kilometers. Not a single hryvnia has been received by the Ukrainian budget from these cars. And we are talking about billions of hryvnias. New televisions from Europe definitely do not affect the country’s economy.
Sleep peacefully. Make thoughtful and deliberate purchases. Don’t waste money feeding hypermarkets. There is an opportunity to buy cheap goods from Europe. Buy. No one has the right to reproach the owner for destroying the country’s economy as long as the state itself legally allows duty-free import of expensive cars from Europe.
