Quote:
Originally Posted by Shano592
Fixed that for you! 
Even with the GST added on, overseas purchases on the whole will still be significantly cheaper than their local equivalents. With books and small items, that is fine. A book is a book is a book, no matter where you are. Go to booko.com.au and pick the cheapest, and enjoy the savings.
It is the bigger imported items that lack a local warranty, where the difference can be caught up really fast. Sending something back overseas for repair will eat away any gains you make in the first place.
I set myself an arbitrary limit on any given item. If I am comfortably below that limit and the product has a good reputation, then I will purchase from overseas with no problem. For example, last week I purchased a couple of DC motors, some temperature gauges and a few miscellaneous connectors from China, so that I can start building a couple more coffee roasters. I could have sourced all of it here, but it would have cost me easily over $100, instead of the $31.80 it ended up costing on eBay.
But for something like a telescope, modem, television, I will always look for a local agent. I won't go to Harvey Norman, because I personally think he is a self-serving prig. But I will always look to a local like BinTel or Andrews, JB Hifi or Good Guys, or even a local eBay seller.
And with consumer electronics, that is doubly important. If you import something that is not approved for use here, you can be hauled over some very hot coals. I believe something happened recently in Sydney's west for this reason. The guy was selling them and was raided, but it would apply equally if you brought an unapproved item in for yourself, and burned your house down. I can imagine the insurance company laughing and hanging up...
And don't get me started on Product Liability Insurance... another necessary minefield to navigate. |
hahaha nice fix!
Yes, I perfectly understand about the electronics and warranty, etc. Books seem to be quite bad when it comes to price parity, thankfully most gear is very similar, if not cheaper in Australia (esprit range of products as an example). Even with the esprit range on sale in the US, it's still cheaper by $200 to buy locally in Australia!