Peter,
I think your example is for someone who has never been on a plane in their life. Who in their right mind would pay $5000 for a return trip to LAX? ...and without a rental car or accommodation!
To finally correct a few of your points for the benefit of others:
<Woodland Hills website shows GCE 's to be $US3000>
Not true.
The demo stock Celestron CGE mount I'm talking about (which has been there since at least June) currently shows at $2695 but it was even cheaper when I bought it in July.
<Customs didn't ask to see any paper work? Amazing.>
Yes, they did and I showed the invoice to them. I must have an honest face.
<There is no exemption/refund on CA sales tax. How Woodland Hills did this for you I do not know. You should have paid an extra $300 or so>
I did everything by the book so no surprises there either: The salesperson at Woodland Hills (I think her name was Farah) asked me to fax her the "Bill of landing" form which I could obtain at LAX. Then at the airport, they said this form was now replaced with the "Shipper's Exportation Declaration" form which I filled out and faxed back to Farah from Sydney. She promptly refunded the sales tax back to my credit card.
<I *work* for Qantas and get a annoyed when people post opinions as fact>
Please don't get annoyed because this is not an opinion, it is fact. I persist in this thread not to try and make you believe me but to merely state a fact for the benefit of others, many of whom are also furious at Australian pricing.
Are you sure you work for Qantas and not a telescope shop in Australia?
Cheers,
Nuri