Anbody care to explain the discrepancy in pricing structure between Australia and America?
Don't give the the dosh about warrantees or import duty either.
If that is the distributor markup, he needs to be charge with usury
Its always been the same never different and has been argued over debated threads locked about it.
So my advice to you is if you don't like the price youll have to import it but there isn't any use jumping up and down because it falls on deaf ears. As long as people pay the money for celestron gear they will not change the pricing either! Let your $$$ do the talking.
don't you think a concerted push from us, the buyers, would improve the situation or at least get a review?
Someone is getting awful fat off our paychecks
Celestron do not permit US retailers to ship outside North America to protect their markup in other countries. The threat is to have their dealership canceled.
You have to use someone like PriceUSA to get it sent to a US address and transshipped.
I guess that there are a hell of a lot more customers in the US than over here. Dealers buy in bulk and get good prices.
We're only a small country, there are only so many scopes that are going to be sold. And with the cost of renting a shop and paying yourself a wage, you have to put that cost on top of the products.
I know I'd hate to be in the Astro business over here. You wouldn't exactly be rolling in dough.
I know I'd hate to be in the Astro business over here. You wouldn't exactly be rolling in dough.
You might if it was a bit cheaper to buy the stuff from America because the distributors didn't take 40% on top. It's not the astro shops, it's the distributors - and they'll keep it screwed down - Star Optics has gone down the tubes because they've been held back -
The hobby would be more available to everyone if the prices weren't so stupid
There are very few other industries that have massively different pricings between contries. Considering nearly all of our electrical goods are imported we should have the exact same issue with everything in that ilk. Even GSO goods that ship world wide under a few different gizes are not that far apart from AU to US to UK.
Shipping does not cost that amount, admittedly owning a shop does raise your over heads but alot of these shops do not hold onto stock like a warehouse sure they have a few of the main sellers but anything else... they all operate as a outlet and then send dropship either to the store for you to pick up or to your door at a nominal fee. Most of the Baader gear is the same setup as well common items a few are kept on hand, not so common a few week wait, what do you think is happening? the retailer is slack? no, they have to order it in from O/S.
Also these stores arnt in the middle of the cities where rent is high they are generally out in the wilderness where rent is reasonable.
If you can come up with a logical and plausable reason why the cost of some brands is vastly different between one country to the next for exactly the same goods then you might sway me but till then there is one member of the delivery chain that is taking alot more than they should be!
Of course they appear higher, our $ has been hovering around parity with the $US whereas the Euro is approx., 0.78 and the GBP is approx., 0.64 to the $US.
This issue has been going on for years in the music equipment "arena", the problem there is that virtually all o/seas companies used a distributor in Aust., who then supplied the retailers.........there were cases of the distributors marking up in excess of 100% (and sometimes much more) to establish the sell price to retailers. The same distributors also set the RRP which frequently left the retailers with precious little room to move if they wanted to get a sale. Admittedly, there were/are some items where the retailers actually can make a reasonable profit but they're in the minority.
While ever importers, be they distributors or importing retailers can get away with inflating their margins they will, just as there are some retailers who will always list a higher price than others.
If enough people, for a long enough period of time, buy s/hand or import new or s/hand from o/seas then we may see things start to change
This subject has been done to death and throughout all the threads about it there is never an answer to the problem.
And as Chris mentions, it is also in the Music industry, and also Motorcycles and Model Aircraft etc etc, it isn't just Astro stuff. Read through this thread
But our medias time is already locked down with shonky builders, petrol prices, and dramatic crap about how it is unsafe for your children to do just about anything.
If you don't like the prices here try living in the states, minimum wage would be below the poverty line here. We pay more for alot of things, but the average wage is also higher
Give Woolies, Coles and Aldi a shot, I do nightfill there to help make ends meet, and they always seem to need more staff. I have two degrees, but I aint proud. Hopefully I will get a teaching job this year when I finish my pracs.
Our unemployment benefits come to more than the US minimum wage, I lived over there for a while, sure things look cheaper, but overall life is way tougher there, and things are about the same or more expensive in real terms.
The problem with Celestron is as stated, a distributer and a retailer means more dollars.
I used to run a retail shop about 8 years ago. We had to sell everything at just under twice what we paid for it to break even.
So a roll of fabric that cost us $10 per metre had to sell for $18 per metre to break even. To make a profit we had to sell it for about $22 per metre to cover wages, insurance, phone internet, rent, stock losses, returns etc. etc.
So if a distributor enters the mix, then that roll of fabric is sold to the distributor for $8 per metre, they sell it to us for $15 per metre, and we have to sell it for $35 per metre to make a profit.
It jumps from a 'cost' of $8 to $35 if two lots of people are involved in needing to make a living from that one product.
Throw in an overseas company that is nervous about possible currency fluctuations and return shipping costs (overseas bulky items/damage/wrong product etc.) killing them and they may add another 25% cost on the Distributors price to cover themselves, which increases the retailers cost and then the buyers price.
For the tiny market here, it is hard to deal with a lot of little companies and their idiosyncrasies, so a distributor is the easy option, but it means we and up paying a lot more.
It always doesn't hurt to write a letter to Celestron and the Distributor pointing out you want to purchase locally, and also including the price difference in doing so. They may not take any notice but every letter they get (not e-mail, take the time to make it a proper letter, and address one to the Celestron marketing/sales manager by name ) is another reminder to them that the model isn't working.
Just buying the product from overseas doesn't really worry Celestron as they still get their money. Let them know, and then buy overseas if you don't get any satisfaction, but don't put the OS retailer in the poo by naming them!
Also don't forget that the Australian price also includes GST...the USA price listed is before tax...
If the store I am buying from has a retail location in my state I get to pay state tax...even on the internet...
Having managed businesses in both Australia and the USA there is no question that operating costs are higher in Australia. Not saying that it is bad but it is true. Peter outlined it pretty well.
I guess that there are a hell of a lot more customers in the US than over here. Dealers buy in bulk and get good prices.
This is not necessarily a true statement. I've noted the reason in other threads, so no point in going to far into it here, but needless to say, it is indeed the import wholesalers that are the problem in Australia, as jenchris stated.
To confirm this hypothesis, go to the Sheldon and Hammond website and look at any product they have exclusive import rights to, then compare the Australian price versus the North American prices (I include Canada, as they are the same size as Australia, but have the advantages of competitive pricing from the USA, being part of the NAFTA).
Celestron gave S&H exclusive import rights, SW Technology acquired Celestron (2005), so has to abide by the T&C's for Celestron, but are not bound for SkyWatchers. This is why SW telescopes are "better value" in Australia, with the prices being within a reasonable margin compared to other countries. SW deal direct with importer and retailers.
A real shame that there is only one importer here for Celestron. No competition implies high prices. I'm surprised that the ACCC doesn't intervene.
As Brendan stated, let your dollars do the talking. Only when revenues decline will the importers care...
OIC!
Also don't forget that the Australian price also includes GST...the USA price listed is before tax...
If the store I am buying from has a retail location in my state I get to pay state tax...even on the internet...
Cheers,
This can be a real minefield as last time I was there different states have different rules. I went on a short driving trip which covered 3 states ( they are alot smaller than here ) I distinctly remember stopping for food in 2 states and one having prices that included state tax the other added it at the register.
Very confusing system, which is why retailers here are not allowed to quote a price tax ex.
If you think its bad here , you want to see what our poor cousins over the Tasman pay . Its criminal !
Google , ' Trade Me ' , go to photography and optical , then Binoculars and telescopes . Have a look and you will see we aint so bad off here.
Thats why Andrews and Bintel do so well over there , good on them to because if it was not for them amateur astronomy would be a rich mans hobby in New Zealand .
Brian .
Quote:
Originally Posted by jenchris
You might if it was a bit cheaper to buy the stuff from America because the distributors didn't take 40% on top. It's not the astro shops, it's the distributors - and they'll keep it screwed down - Star Optics has gone down the tubes because they've been held back -
The hobby would be more available to everyone if the prices weren't so stupid
If you think its bad here , you want to see what our poor cousins over the Tasman pay 
. Its criminal !
