[mic_m (Michael)]

Originally Posted by PeterM

Gotta speak out here, for those who think dealers in Oz are making a killing then why not open your own store.
Simple fact is much of the argument falls around the exchange rate with simply no idea of the true transport, import costs etc. Then add local warranties etc.
Sure I work in the industry that's no secret but I tire of the continual overpricing nonsense I read. Dealers in Oz are here to make a fair living, they provide the touchy feely stuff and free advice that some use to their advantage before sometimes buying elsewhere, that's ok nobody is twisting anybodys arm. And then of course when something goes wrong with equipment bought elsewhere (usually overseas) they often become the first call for help.
Many dealers often support the many events around Oz with substantial sponsorships for raffle prizes, great advice and hands on viewing of new equipment.

In general in over 30 years of buying locally I have found Australian dealers provide a great resource and service.

As an example of high overseas postage costs I recently ordered a 250gig hard drive of data. for US $219 to complement a very well known planetarium programme I had just downloaded. At about the size of a small box of tissues the real postage costs to that seller to send by 7-10day delivery? $95US dollars! So go figure.

PeterM.

Originally Posted by davewaldo

None of these calculations factor in GST. If Meade has to be sourced from the US, and then sent here your price $2100AU becomes $2310 with GST, which is much closer to current rates (and this factors in no shipping fee from the US). The reason GSO and SW equipment can be sourced at similar rates to the US is because we can get it direct from the factory. If Meade cannot be sourced from the factory than I think the current prices are not too far off. I really don't think telescope stores are making a killing. I know I wouldn't be keen to start a astronomy store

Davewaldo, you are indeed correct that I didn’t include GST, which will certainly increase the price; my original figure should realistically be $2310 (2100x1.10) for the LB16 at the current exchange rate.

Davewaldo, where did you get your information about where Meade products are shipped form? I am under the impression that Meade products are sourced directly from their factory in Asia. This information comes from Meade dealers in Australia that I have spoken to and it is often purported in online telescope forums. If anyone has definitive information to the contrary please inform all of us; it would certainly clear up what is otherwise a common misconception.

For anyone with the information, please also tell us all how the transport/shipping costs of Meade equipment from Asia to Australia are any different (more) than shipping a Meade product from Asia to the US? Remember the figure of US$1849 for the Lightbridge 16 in the US includes all transportation and importation costs (including local ground transport to the dealer). Why would this cost any more in Australia than it does in the US? Also included in the US price of US$1849 is warranty assistance, customer service before and during the sale and after sales service from the Meade distributer that the product is acquired from. This includes any theoretical salaries that are paid to staff at the local US dealer that assist with the sale or provide any after sale service to the consumer. There is an all inclusive margin factored in to the price of the product to cover these costs asociated with selling. There is also a dealer margin that is factored into the price as well. Why should Australians expect any different?

The preceding is what I do know and what I can intelligently speak about and rationalise as a consumer, I don’t however know how to price terms like “etc”, PeterM, which you have used twice to justify Australian pricing, just what are we all paying for when we buy a telescope with etc included in the price? The term “etc” could mean anything; it is totally unbounded! This is a part of the problem; there are people in the industry like you that expect consumers to be content with prices that dealers charge when terms that are beyond vague like etc are used to justify pricing. More transparency in pricing is key; if people knew what they were paying for and why they were paying it, there would be much fewer discussions here complaining about price.

Also, what is this “touchy feely” stuff that telescope dealers in Australia provide and how does it differ from the “advice” which you have also mentioned twice in your justification of Australian pricing. And how does this advice differ from the advice that local dealers in the US and every other country provide – how much of the price variation does this account for and why does it cost so much more than what is offered in other countries?

PeterM, I’m not sure what you mean when you say that local dealers provide assistance with products purchased elsewhere - usually overseas, you say. Based on my experience, anyone taking a telescope or any other piece of their faulty of equipment to a dealer to be fixed, that is not under the warranty of that dealer, will pay for it, and rightly so. When I was a beginner, a local astronomy store chard me $50 to collimate my reflecting telescope, so given the price I was charged for this basic task I am sure that if a dealer spent time working on anyone’s equipment that is not under their own dealer warranty it will cost the owner. I could be wrong on this point, but if I am, I have to ask; why should I pay more for someone else getting free assistance with their equipment without dealer warranty? This notion seems absurd; your saying that dealers charge their customers more for their products because they freely assist others that have purchased their products elsewhere! This is wrong.

PeterM, you also say that dealers give away equipment for raffles, indeed this is true, and a wonderful thing. However, vendors in the US and other countries do this also, so if everyone is doing this then why are Australian prices more than overseas prices as a result? If margins are tight in Australia and providing equipment for raffles means significantly increasing the price of goods sold to paying customers, why give away such expensive equipment, why not something a bit cheaper? Regarding raffles, if the cause is worthy, people will support it regardless of prizes, I know I do. Further, these “give aways” count as a tax deduction and supplying the equipment for raffles often benefits the vendor by creating vendor awareness; increasing sale volume.

The reason that a lot of people use the exchange rate as the basis of price comparison is because there really does not seem to be any additional cost to selling astronomy equipment here than there is in the US or UK or Canada (which all have prices that are largely consistent), so the converted US or UK or Canadian price (less VAT, for the UK and Canada) plus Australian GST is a convenient approximation as to what one might expect as being reasonable.

PeterM, you have used words “nonsense” and the term “no idea” to describe the contents of my last post and others like it, that’s fine that’s your opinion, but I feel consumers should be entitled to question the prices that they pay and should especially do so when there is vagueness or discrepancies that are apparent in product pricing.