[scrivens]

Looks like the 'remove the $1000 GST limit for overseas transactions' whinge by retailers has backfired:

**
Australian retailers must explain why they charge huge mark-ups on products that cost half as much from overseas internet companies, consumer group Choice says.
...
"There are too many examples, from white goods to motorcycles and TVs to video games, where we pay more," Choice campaigns director Christopher Zinn said in a statement.
**

Link to SMH article

 

[Snab]

My heart really bleeds for billionaires like Gerry Harvey crying poor

 

[stretch49]

JUST DID AN ONLINE QUOTE FOR A SET OF TKC 80s from Yamaha Parts, Suzuki Parts, Seadoo Parts, Skidoo Parts, Honda Parts, Star Parts Big Discounts, Quick Shipping by Xtreme Powersports AUD$331.22 includes shipping to AUS!!!

 

[graham downunder]

It's a complicated issue but retailes have been ripping us off for years
Shopping centre charge way to much rent ( Westfields etc ) to retailers
Imorters have tried to enforce barriers such as copyright ( been involved in one major case ),exclusativity etc
The oversupply of retailers is obvious here and in the USA we need less of them
Internet sales worldwide is expanding and taking away retail jobs .
Freight is generally overpriced for individuals but large companies do get huge discounts so sending stuff around the world becomes very cheep
Clothing is generally very poor quality for the dollars you spend in Australia, it is worth it to buy overseas . I was in the USA and bought 5 pairs of Calven Klien jeans for $160 from a Calven Klien outlet when they want over $100 each in Australia its a joke
Makeup is 1/3 to 1/5 the price in the USA
It.s about time the Government actually looked at how prices have NOT changed even though our dollar has improved so much .

 

[K1W1]

JUST DID AN ONLINE QUOTE FOR A SET OF TKC 80s from Yamaha Parts, Suzuki Parts, Seadoo Parts, Skidoo Parts, Honda Parts, Star Parts Big Discounts, Quick Shipping by Xtreme Powersports AUD$331.22 includes shipping to AUS!!!

Confirm that they will actually ship to Australia.
I have seen many of these sort of posts with tyres and what quite often happens is that when you actually place the order you get a follow up email saying that unfortunately they can't ship this product to Australia. I think the dumbness if many IT systems combined with the lack of thought by retailers and programmers often indicates that things can be shipped when they can't.

 

[K1W1]

Australian retailers must explain why they charge huge mark-ups on products that cost half as much from overseas internet companies, consumer group Choice says.

Typical Choice attention grabbing simplistic bullshit.
The high prices and margins are not made at the retail level level they are made by the layers and layers of hands that products have to go through to get onto the shelf and the cost of the real estate that that shelf sits on.

 

[graham downunder]

You would be surprised at what Retailers actually get from suppliers .Volume rebates ,paid for shelf spacing, advertising dollars ( just ask how Harvey Norman could produce so many catelouges in the 1990s ).
Big retailers pressure supplies to give them more ( been there, seen it first hand ) . I was in retail and watched the big boys get higher margins instead of an equal playing field they could undercut me because some ended up buying 20-30 % less than what I had to pay, then they got rebates as well as 90 or 120 day trading terms. All the while manufactures kept raising prices 6% every 6months , of course their costs did not go up in terms of manufacturing or what they paid their staff or contract delivery drivers. they just kept increasing the discount to the big boys .

Harvey Norman got around Sunday trading by franchising each section within each store , they did not mind crushing the smaller player.Well they are now feeling it and do not like it stiff s....
They could see it coming and did not rise to the challenge they want the Government to "do something".

 

[K1W1]

I'm not saying that Gerry Harvey and his competitors are white knights I'm simply saying that to blame the retailers entirely and to say that they are the sole contributors is simplistic bullshit.

Lets start at the beginning and work things through. Why is the cost to a retailer from the manufacturer in Australia for a Suzuki motorcycle or a Nikon camera to name two items higher than the RETAIL price of those same items in the USA when our dollar is equal to US$1.05?

Once you have answered that question then start looking at the costs of internal distribution of goods in Australia, the cost of money (overdrafts), the costs of retail space and sales (wages) and THEN look at the retailers margins.

Now you (Choice in this case) will be in a position to start making definitive assumptions about who is at fault and where the gouging is occurring.

Lets look at one small but important thing. Four or five years ago when Howard was in power the price of fuel sky rocketed and diesel got to around $1.90/litre. Freight companies introduced a "fuel levy" rather than putting the freight cost up. That levy varied but was in the order of 8%. Since then diesel has dropped in price to at one stage be $1.05/litre and has then slowly increased to be sitting around $1.46/litre today, in other words around 25% LESS than it was when the levies were introduced. The fuel levies have never been removed and have steadily increased to now be sitting at around 12.5%. Freight rates have also increased. Who is gouging here and what on earth does that have to do with Gerry Harvey?

 

[BurnieM]

Compare the margins
Motorcycle accessories in Australia typically have 30-35% dealer markup on top of a 30-35% distributor markup.
In the US both of these markups are typically 15%

Are we getting 15-20% better service here ?
Typically I get better service, product knowledge and shorter delivery time from the US, why ?

Lets not talk about the price of petrol here compared to the barrel price, a significant 'pricing disparity'


PS Rocky Mountain ATV will ship tyres to Australia
.

 

[graham downunder]

Yes I agree with you Kiwi there is a lot to consider .
Governments dose not want to get involved in stopping people importing goods cheeper from overseas . World trade agrements kind of stop them .

BUT the real thing alll retailers have to consider is how they will compete when internet sale are growing at such a fast and continuos rate .

RE tires :If I remember correctly from when I imported something the free trade agreement between the USA and Australia . In it there is a section in regards rubber and it was excempt from the free trade so it attracted an import duty / tax. So that would explan the difficuty for companies sending tire to Australia as OUR customs can stop it and charge a tax .

 

[BurnieM]

RE tires :If I remember correctly from when I imported something the free trade agreement between the USA and Australia . In it there is a section in regards rubber and it was excempt from the free trade so it attracted an import duty / tax. So that would explan the difficuty for companies sending tire to Australia as OUR customs can stop it and charge a tax .

This info may be a little out of date
A friend imported 4 tyres from Jake Wilson (road side of Rocky Mountain) a month ago. They were worth US$550 including freight. No fees of any type were charged.

I am aware that some US tyre distributors are clamping down on retailers selling overseas but some of the larger retailers seem to be ignoring this.
.

 

[xFOADx]

Some companies like Apple seem to manage, it is not really any cheaper to
import an iphone etc than to buy it here. However they do manage to screw us with software such as with itunes

 

[graham downunder]

It is surprising what and what not dose not get past our customs .
Retailers have a point that GST is generally NOT charged on imported goods of they are going to an individual if it is below $1000.Customs were not staffed or ready for the influx of things from overseas ,buy they will catch up cause the Government wants the MONEY

 

[perce]

centre stand cost

cost of suzuki stand is $401, I purchaced one on line from W.A for $190 plus $30 delivery in 3 days, fitted on DL1000 in half hour. Why such a mark up ?

 

[OxStrom]

TYRES or Tires

Here Here,
I can buy a set of "Tires" dot rated from the US delivered in 6-10 days for $150 less than I can anywhere in Aus.:hurray: Why am I gunna shell out my hard earned here to line Ms Gillards and her offsiders pockets.:headbang: