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I expect the low turnover of stock in Australia justifies the high margins. I don't expect it is easy to turn a profit and there seems to be quite a bit of competition here.
I have bought direct from overseas and mostly it has worked out ok, but it is a gamble. One time I received a star diagonal when I ordered a secondary mirror, and it was not possible to resolve the dispute due to the high cost of returning the item (they would replace it, but would not pay for shipping). I have been charged $70 by customs on one occasion so they could inspect the package (user pays!) and that was on top of GST charges.
I recently purchased a telescope from a local dealer which had some cosmetic defects, and it was replaced with free pickup/delivery - that sort of service costs the dealer. All of our local dealers seem to offer good service from my experience.
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