$A=$US - Are we getting ripped off?

[Uncle Niceguy]

i think what is to be understood is we are all on a wage that is suitable and relative to the cost of living example:

So a nice T-shirt say Ralph loren or Nautica can go for around $120 in australia but the average minimum wage is circa $15 p/h
in the U.S.A the same shirt might be half the price made in the same factory but only cost $50-$60 but then again there minimum wage would be circa $5-$7.

so the price is inflated to match the market ( i think) aussies are paid more so we should according to govco and companies pay more.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

Go figure....

Like Microsoft Office, it's made by a global outfit, for a global market, with a fully automated purchase process including EFT, has a fully automated and fixed cost delivery method (download) yet we pay 30-50% more PLUS any benefit above parity.

Go figure....

[Spudz27]

No one has mentioned sheer volume of sales. The u.s and other countries enjoy lower prices, because the goods cost less, because the huge populations demand it more. Something like an RC car for example, for every one sold in aus, the u.s is probably selling 30. Same with games, movies, clothes etc. It is supply and demand and the manufacturers charge the dealers/wholesalers accordingly.

[GK]

Originally Posted by flappist

So you are in favour of bringing in foreign workers and paying them $2 an hour to do your job?
Of course there will be no dole, you work for $2 per hour or starve.

I've recently been going through a period of unemployment. I did some work as a mechanic (general easy type work such as parts stripping) and was given roughly $11 an hour, taking home $90 a day. I would have made more working at Macca's! It didn't take me long to work out that if I worked 6 days a week, I would be struggling to make ends meet.

It was below average wage, and I knew I was getting ripped, but when you have no income, you are inclined to take what you can get, and some employers will take advantage of that.

Although I've always been happy with my previous pay and conditions as a teacher, I've come to a new appreciation of just how blessed I am, and how hard it is for those with not much choice.

I thank God that my parents pushed and pushed for me to go to Uni!

GK

[nuthin' fancy]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

I have just bought a Marine Moisture Detector from the US, delivered to my door in less than two weeks for $523.00....

These units are made in Ireland then exported to the US and elsewhere....

The very same unit in Australia is $930.00 + GST + Postage + a three week delivery estimate....

Go figure....

Easy to explain, your order and pay for the item, they then order the $530 one.


No question that sellers will manipulate the exchange rate to their advantage, just as the banks do wth interest rates.

But the power sits with the purchaser, 20 years ago you couldn't do a worldwide price comparison the way we can now.

The future of retail is only in perishables, I can't understand why so much money is pushed into large retail developments, there will be no reason for them in 10 years' time.

[xisled]

Originally Posted by MAD

If the local company here imports the same items, the cost of manufacture doesn't change.
Companies can buy in bulk and save on shipping, they also get wholesale prices. Average Joe doesn't get those benefits and yet still ends up a country mile in front.

Yes I know about wholesale price.

I will give you an example. I can import 20 sets of Rims from China. The cost for 80 pieces (20 sets) is $6000. Cost around $75 per rim. Now this does not cover shipping or tax to get it into the country. Shipping and Tax is around $3000. So the cost to get the product to Aus is half of what I pay per piece.

Also if I did not buy 80 rims and I bought 4 rims. The cost to get them to Aus is around $2200. I still need to pay for a shipping container.

So you tell me know that Aus is getting ripped off. yes I may buy the rim for a heap less over seas, but to get it to Aus is half the cost.

So end of the day, the cost to get 1 rim to Aus is $112.50. A set $450.

Now if you include the cost to rent a Shop with a show room, Eletrcity, water Gas and pay an employee, the cost of my the rim is now around the $160.00 Mark, $640 a set. I sell the Full set for around $700.00.

So all that work I make $60.00 on the Rim.

The prices I have worked out are very basic and do not include tyres.

[Pis-ton broke]

Originally Posted by nuthin' fancy

But the power sits with the purchaser, 20 years ago you couldn't do a worldwide price comparison the way we can now.

The future of retail is only in perishables, I can't understand why so much money is pushed into large retail developments, there will be no reason for them in 10 years' time.

yeah i just brought a 40' led tv online from bigbrown box and delivered to door for free, there price was $111.00 cheaper than a leading retailer.

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by nuthin' fancy

Easy to explain, your order and pay for the item, they then order the $530 one.

Seriously i wasn't asking for an explanation, i know what the mongrels are up to.... it's the brashness of it all that some still think they can pull the wool over people’s eyes.....Go figure...

I don't mind buying Australian if it's made here, and i don't mind paying more for it........but i do object to paying for nothing more than the privilege of been raped when it comes to imported goods!

[gtfpv]

australia is fast becoming a poor country , that has been raped by capitalists , and leaders selling our country for individual profits , our rights to a national standard has been stripped to foreigners rights . our wages are higher but we have one of the least job security in the world with casualisation, we dont smile , we work long hours . i'm not saying its all bad , but those poor people over seas in war less countries may just have a lot less and be a lot happier .
we now answer to capatilism , lots of money can be made for nothing ( buying and selling being one of those ways ) the rest can get to work till 70 , and dont foget those jobs on the side that we all seek .
australia is looked apon as a place of wealth to be taken away for a quick buck .

[UberKnee]

We get ripped off big time in Australia, its unreal the amount of money you can save by buying and then shipping something over from America, especially when it comes to cars.

[EL Lupo]

We get that freight is a cost, but can somebody explain how a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo V6 4x4 costs $49,000 in OZ but only $29,000 in the states? And yes, they are the same model spec. I'm pretty sure it doesn't cost 20K to get it here....

[Cabbage]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

Seriously i wasn't asking for an explanation, i know what the mongrels are up to.... it's the brashness of it all that some still think they can pull the wool over people’s eyes.....Go figure...

I don't mind buying Australian if it's made here, and i don't mind paying more for it........but i do object to paying for nothing more than the privilege of been raped when it comes to imported goods!

Exactly!!

[atec77]

Originally Posted by Cabbage

Guys,

After traveling through the US for the last 3 weeks and seeing the cost of different goods and given the $A is at parity or better than the $US, I have to ask are Australians getting ripped off on goods imported from the US.

Generally I have found the cost of clothes and shoes to be about 50% cheaper in the US than Aus with premium brands costing significantly more in Aus.

Cars as well, yanks pay shedloads less for their vehicles and while I accept a lot of what we pay for imported cars is part govt tax I'm not sure the price we pay is fair.

Probably the item that most angered me was dogfood. Yes dogfood. I have two labs that eat quite a bit of food. In Aus I buy them science diet large breed dry dogfood in a 15kg bag which is usually between $100 & 120. Walked into a pet store in Brooklyn and the same bag of dogfood was $34. Surely it doesn't cost $70 to get it to Aus.

With the rise in the $A things should getting cheaper? I see Gerry Harvey constantly in thevmedia blowing up about Aussies buying on line but who could blame them. I think we are getting ripped. A pair of Brooks beast runners are about $250 in Aus, I can buy them on line from the US delivered to my door in a week for about $130.

Just venting a little but what do people think, do we get ripped off in Aus buying imported US oods.

Clinton

Yup we are being ripped off as traditionally after government tax company excessive profit the meyer factor and shear greed we get a local price , I blew two coils on my bimmer , local supplies of and brand of coil was around the 400>460$ , sourced via ebay abcmarts delivered $148.50

the local companies made some loud noises but wouldn't even try to get near my price

[atec77]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

yeah i just brought a 40' led tv online from bigbrown box and delivered to door for free, there price was $111.00 cheaper than a leading retailer.

I was unaware of this site , thanks

[UberKnee]

Originally Posted by EL Lupo

We get that freight is a cost, but can somebody explain how a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo V6 4x4 costs $49,000 in OZ but only $29,000 in the states? And yes, they are the same model spec. I'm pretty sure it doesn't cost 20K to get it here....

That could be due to the cost of converting it from LHD to RHD, though I'd assume that with Jeeps actually being sold here by dealers thats a factory conversion.

If that 20k is for conversion costs though then it raises the question of why it costs 200k to convert a ZR1 Vette from LHD to RHD?

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by atec77

Yup we are being ripped off as traditionally after government tax company excessive profit the meyer factor and shear greed we get a local price , I blew two coils on my bimmer , local supplies of and brand of coil was around the 400>460$ , sourced via ebay abcmarts delivered $148.50

the local companies made some loud noises but wouldn't even try to get near my price

The way I see it, they hope people are too lazy to shop around... and they probably buy from the same people you did, but just hope that people will not have the time to wait the 2-3 weeks it could take for a part to arrive from OS.

Same thing happened when I priced Fiat parts from a dedicated Sydney supplier. All prices were very round dollar values... assuming I was some rich twat that would just rock on down and hand over the cash. I got the parts myself from Italy when I was there on holiday a few months later for 1/4 the price they wanted. Having said that, I could have also got them delivered for half the price the Sydney shop asked for... oh, and he needed '2-3 weeks' to source the parts as well... go figure.

The conversation at Sydney customs was very interesting.... "Did you say you have a radiator in your bag?"

But to be fair to the shop owner they need to pay for a lot of things to offer the service of selling those parts to me (rent, insurance, power, staff etc etc etc). Not to mention some sort of basic warranty on the hardware being sold.

But... we are lucky we have a choice to do that. We can winge all we want about the gross mark ups of every day items but if we didn't buy them without complaint they will not come down. We are a country of consumers who are (mostly) happy to pay for convienience and our own free time.

And this won't change any time soon. Look at the price of drinks, food, transport, real estate, services, entertainment and heaps more. The price difference for the same or similar items can vary greatly depending on location and time. And this is ONLY the case because people are willing to spend.

I guess in a way we are lucky. We can make a ton of money but also save a heap by being very tight.. I know I did for years! But not many other places have that option.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by UberKnee

That could be due to the cost of converting it from LHD to RHD, though I'd assume that with Jeeps actually being sold here by dealers thats a factory conversion.

If that 20k is for conversion costs though then it raises the question of why it costs 200k to convert a ZR1 Vette from LHD to RHD?

LHD - RHD is a big cost, but I reckon more-so would be getting the thing to meet our ADRs and emissions regulations.

[greenfoam]

The only reason things cost more in Australia is that the local distributor adds on his 50-100%. To make things the same price you would need an office of the company here rather than a somewhat independent reseller.

imho Ford Australia acts as a distributor on the imported Fords. Parts for our Fiesta have a price approximately 400% of the retail in Europe, we just buy all the parts straight from Europe, even with 100 pounds postage you end up at less than half the price on most things

[xisled]

Originally Posted by EL Lupo

We get that freight is a cost, but can somebody explain how a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo V6 4x4 costs $49,000 in OZ but only $29,000 in the states? And yes, they are the same model spec. I'm pretty sure it doesn't cost 20K to get it here....

Ok as people have said the conversion is one cost. Something that cost 20 grand has around $2000 tax to gt it into the country. Then there is the cost of shipping here. Also you have dealer delivery charges, Rego, GST, CTP and any other charges the dealership wishes to add on.

It all adds upto 40 grand quick.

[gtfpv]

if something is made in australia . does it double inprice overseas ? just out of interest . eg , coal , gas , vegemite, commondores .

[greenfoam]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

if something is made in australia . does it double inprice overseas ? just out of interest .

The Exported Holdens were always much cheaper in the States than here:!

[flappist]

Originally Posted by greenfoam

The Exported Holdens were always much cheaper in the States than here:!

Exported Holdens do not have Australian Government taxes and fees.....

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by flappist

Exported Holdens do not have Australian Government taxes and fees.....

so the other countries arent adding on costs to rip off their people and make big stinking profits through privateers and govts then ?

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

if something is made in australia . does it double inprice overseas ? just out of interest . eg , coal , gas , vegemite, commondores .

This was raised last week on talkback radio. Someone priced a shopping trolley of groceries both here and in NZ. All goods were made here. All products identical. Vegemite was one of those items.

The total was substantially more for the locally bought products, and they were both bought from Woolies (Coutdown?? there if menory serves).

The difference in currency values was also factored before anyone asks.

Now, all jokes aside, NZ is pretty similar to us. I know they earn less, but of course, things in general are also cheaper...

[Serial_Fool]

This is why we need to PUNISH those who try to rip us off domestically by buying overseas online. There is simply no point in throwing away your money on the same goods when they can be had at 50% of the price from the United States or Europe.

Look for an item, deciede what you want, then go have a look online to see how much it is being sold for in America. You'll be blown away, I know I was.

[EL Lupo]

Originally Posted by xisled

Ok as people have said the conversion is one cost. Something that cost 20 grand has around $2000 tax to gt it into the country. Then there is the cost of shipping here. Also you have dealer delivery charges, Rego, GST, CTP and any other charges the dealership wishes to add on.

It all adds upto 40 grand quick.

The Jeep was engineered for right hand drive, so I assume it is built that way from the factory, hence conversion cost=zip.. It is an example of a factory mass produced vehicle, the UK is the primary RHD customer so not a case of converting a LHD vehicle. No parts need be replaced hence no extra cost. If someone can prove me wrong so be it, otherwise we're back to 20K shipping. Rego, GST etc are never included in MSRT or RRP, so again, no issue as far as I can see..

[Rodp]

It's already been pointed out several times in this thread but looks like it's being ignored for the purpose of being able to moan about it more.. Compare the median wage in the US to here. Ours is significantly higher. Combined with economies of scale, it dictates that the prices for the same goods in the US compared to here would be cheaper. End of story.

[UberKnee]

Originally Posted by Rodp

It's already been pointed out several times in this thread but looks like it's being ignored for the purpose of being able to moan about it more.. Compare the median wage in the US to here. Ours is significantly higher. Combined with economies of scale, it dictates that the prices for the same goods in the US compared to here would be cheaper. End of story.

But that's just stupid, what the hells the point in being paid more if everyone just charges more because of it.

[Ben73]

When holden exports their car to US as a Pontiac, isn't it actually cheaper over there.
So how does that work?

It's a wonder tourist from these poor countries like USA and Europe actually come back to Australia, surely they get sick of paying double for everything on their poor wage and say never again.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Serial_Fool

This is why we need to PUNISH those who try to rip us off domestically by buying overseas online. There is simply no point in throwing away your money on the same goods when they can be had at 50% of the price from the United States or Europe.

Look for an item, deciede what you want, then go have a look online to see how much it is being sold for in America. You'll be blown away, I know I was.

Caterpillar boots are a big one, I get mine for about $135 delivered when you go down to the local workwear place they're on "sale" for $250.