zlacker

[parent] [thread] 16 comments
1. PlatoI+(OP)[view] [source] 2026-01-26 19:19:47
>2. EU is the easiest second market, and another step change of hundreds of millions of customers in a somewhat unified market

I was making hardware at one point, and it took less than a day to decide that Europe was not getting our product.

The regulations were insane.

I imagine software is significantly easier, but there is a mountain of difference when it comes to electrical and plumbing.

replies(3): >>lm2846+l2 >>surgic+Z9 >>petre+qq
2. lm2846+l2[view] [source] 2026-01-26 19:31:38
>>PlatoI+(OP)
Regulations are le bad.

- signed someone from a country where ~10m people still drink water from lead pipes (the USA)

replies(3): >>codyb+t4 >>ranges+Et >>mgh95+fY
◧◩
3. codyb+t4[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-01-26 19:42:36
>>lm2846+l2
Regulations are neutral. They can be positive, or negative. And should be pruned occasionally probably.

And yea, we have lots of old lead pipes here in certain places. But let's not pretend we can't find fault with the immigrant ghettos in Europe or myriad other issues y'all have over there.

There's problems everywhere there's sufficient numbers and complexity.

4. surgic+Z9[view] [source] 2026-01-26 20:11:08
>>PlatoI+(OP)
> I was making hardware at one point, and it took less than a day to decide that Europe was not getting our product.

If you are unwilling to follow regulations to sell your hardware here, then it tells me the regulations are already doing its job properly.

replies(1): >>PlatoI+um
◧◩
5. PlatoI+um[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-01-26 21:12:57
>>surgic+Z9
The issue was the sheer number of various regulations/standards/(taxes?) changing by country.

It was good enough for the US.

replies(2): >>surgic+No >>skelet+Qr
◧◩◪
6. surgic+No[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-01-26 21:25:44
>>PlatoI+um
> It was good enough for the US

A lot of things good enough for the US are not considered suitable or safe here.

Correctly so, I might add.

If your government is not concerned with public safety, why should the EU adopt the same stance?

replies(1): >>PlatoI+is
7. petre+qq[view] [source] 2026-01-26 21:32:50
>>PlatoI+(OP)
We are still making hardware and feel the same way about the US market. The litigation is insane. Meanwhile the Chinese don't give a damn about any of those.
◧◩◪
8. skelet+Qr[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-01-26 21:41:18
>>PlatoI+um
What was different between countries?

For electronic products, it should be enough to get the CE mark on your product, and it can be sold in any country. That is the point of the EU, that any company can sell it's products or services in the whole union, there are regulations, but they are union wide, not specific for each country.

Unless you were making something very special, that each country wants to and is allowed to regulate separately.

Taxes can be different, the VAT % is different in each country. But so is it also in each county or town in the US, and your people claim that this is the reason why you can't include taxes on prices in grocery shops, which is difficult to believe here for our people. So dealing with different tax rates shouldn't be big news for you? I mean... there are lots of online shops that know about different tax rates, it's not difficult. Or you could let someone else handle it for you.

replies(1): >>retire+Lw
◧◩◪◨
9. PlatoI+is[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-01-26 21:44:00
>>surgic+No
Well I am unaware of any deaths or injury from dishwashers in the United States, so it seems those regulations are fine.

Hope you don't accidentally fall off a historical ledge that can't get a handrail.

replies(2): >>surgic+ow >>LunaSe+Wc2
◧◩
10. ranges+Et[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-01-26 21:50:51
>>lm2846+l2
Lead pipes in Chicago were due to union regulatory capture and not lack of regulations
◧◩◪◨⬒
11. surgic+ow[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-01-26 22:04:42
>>PlatoI+is
Probably there are plenty of regulations related to safety and suitability regarding electricity, water, washing residue on dishes, etc.

Without being more specific, the only thing I can presume is that you were unwilling to follow regulations here.

I furnished and equipped my home a couple of years ago, and I had plenty of options for dishwashers, from multiple brands. Many different models at varied price points.

This tells me that serious companies have little problems to follow regulations to compete here.

This all really sounds like a "you" problem.

replies(1): >>PlatoI+dU
◧◩◪◨
12. retire+Lw[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-01-26 22:07:36
>>skelet+Qr
If you sell products to all 27 EU members and sell above a certain threshold you will have to work with all 27 tax offices in regard to VAT. There is OSS for B2C but that comes with significant downsides.

The US does not have that.

replies(1): >>everfr+591
◧◩◪◨⬒⬓
13. PlatoI+dU[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-01-27 00:13:44
>>surgic+ow
Yep, small biz can't compete with big business.

And to clarify, if there was a single regulatory body, it would be fine. I just didn't want to deal with each country.

Probably a shame since it was totally safe. Too much regulation causes your costs to go up and features to go down.

I don't blame your attitude here. If you can't get something, you want to come up with something that makes you feel better.

replies(1): >>surgic+vC1
◧◩
14. mgh95+fY[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-01-27 00:48:04
>>lm2846+l2
And in France alone 7.5 million home have lead pipes [1].

[1] https://www.zerowaterfilter.com/blogs/zerowater-knowledge-ce...

◧◩◪◨⬒
15. everfr+591[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-01-27 02:12:01
>>retire+Lw
The US has state has county taxes. All with different thresholds of when you're required to collect and remit.
◧◩◪◨⬒⬓⬔
16. surgic+vC1[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-01-27 07:06:38
>>PlatoI+dU
> I just didn't want to deal with each country.

Yes, the EU is not a country. Each country has their own government, with regulations of their own.

I am in favor of some sort lf EU federalization for this reason, there's a lot of redundancy.

On the other hand, you could just choose a country to operate, which is a normal thing to do. There are things I could find, for example, in France that I cannot find in the country where I live

◧◩◪◨⬒
17. LunaSe+Wc2[view] [source] [discussion] 2026-01-27 11:42:53
>>PlatoI+is
Did you remember to put a "Don't put your cat in the dishwasher" page into the user manual of your dishwasher for the US market?
[go to top]