Prices going UP & UP

cookie8 (Vincent) · #1 10-10-2008, 04:18 PM

Bintel is now selling the 12" LB for $1590 !!! an increase of $300 from the last time I visited their website. I know its the weak Aussie $ but in such tough economy shouldn't the price come down in order to attract consumers?? I just don't get it

leon · #2 10-10-2008, 04:37 PM

Yea Vincent, It is happening with all those sort of goods, I looked at Lens from Canon a couple of days ago and two days later it was $1500.00 more expensive, I think I will just wait till next year and see how prices go

Leon

Starkler (Geoff) · #3 10-10-2008, 05:05 PM

From what I have heard Bintel are very fast to react to currency fluctuations.
Could always try the competition

If you want to buy *any* imported goods, act now before current stocks are gone and prices go through the roof.

Dave47tuc (David) · #4 10-10-2008, 09:12 PM

Yep I have been buying some gear as quick as I can.
But I have shopped around as prices vary so much from shop to shop.

The little ETX125 only $1399 the other week now $1899

mick pinner · #5 10-10-2008, 09:15 PM

usually on the up side too Geoff like most retailers, if the dollar keeps going south then retailers will price themselves out of the local market until things turn around. they may have to slash the old price markup.

Ian Robinson · #6 10-10-2008, 09:29 PM

Well .... if it's stock they already have , it should not go up in price immediately (since it's already been paid for when they got it wholesale) or until the next bulk order is placed.

But if they don't actually keep it in stock and order only to fill orders then if the exchange rate goes south they have no choice unless they sacrifice some margin (profit) other than to bump up the prices accordingly. They should come clean , or alternatively indicate pricing in Yen , UKP , Euros , chinese currency or USD and indicate pricing in AUD is subject to the exchange rate.

I was talking to one of the chaps at AOS yesterday on the dognbone and they reckon things are going to get very bad for telescope sellers here and in the USA very quickly , people are relucant to spend up big when they don't know if they will have job and the economic prospects are so bleek.

Telescopes and astrogear are luxury items now .

Max Vondel (Peter) · #7 10-10-2008, 10:13 PM

Its gonna be an interesting time with astronomical products in the current climate. Hey; the suppliers still have to pay the rent!. I just bought an Orion Autoguider for $399- from bintel up from $369 about 6 weeks ago. At Andrews the WO M110 went from $1999 in Aug to $1699 back to $1999 again today. Prices may have to come down with the economic down turn and I suspect some of those smaller mainly email suppliers will fold. Less competion means higher prices but sourcing from cheaper countries is always an option but runs more risks. Maybe we'll return to the good old days of homemade Dobs and kellner eyepieces !

Starkler (Geoff) · #8 10-10-2008, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian Robinson

Well .... if it's stock they already have , it should not go up in price immediately (since it's already been paid for when they got it wholesale) or until the next bulk order is placed.

Amazing how some use that as an opportunity to profiteer and its not just astro goods that happens with.

Max Vondel (Peter) · #9 10-10-2008, 11:26 PM

That's the world of business. They are there to make a living. Most of us wouldn't sell something new for less than the replacement costs. If only they were non-profit organisations. And if you don't like the price you can always shop somewhere else. At least there are a number of different operators. Its not like Coles and Woolworths just yet. If you specialise and have no competition you can charge whatever you like. Most of us would like to be in that business

koputai (Jason) · #10 10-10-2008, 11:34 PM

In Bintel's favour, they did reduce their prices when our dollar was good.
Show me a retailer of imported goods who isn't putting up their prices, and
I'll show you someone who's going out of business.

Cheers,
Jason.

rat156 · #11 10-10-2008, 11:36 PM

Anyone noticed the price of fuel dropping with the plummeting drop in crude price????????????

C'mon ACCC do your job!

/rant

Cheers
Stuart

Ian Robinson · #12 11-10-2008, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rat156

Anyone noticed the price of fuel dropping with the plummeting drop in crude price????????????

C'mon ACCC do your job!

/rant

Cheers
Stuart

School holidays here , so there's a snowflake's chance in hell of petrol prices going in the right direction anytime soon.

Anyway they'll simply claim the depreciation of the AUD compensated for the drop in oil prices somehow if someone has the balls to take them to task.

Chippy (Nick) · #13 11-10-2008, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian Robinson

Anyway they'll simply claim the depreciation of the AUD compensated for the drop in oil prices somehow if someone has the balls to take them to task.

That's exactly what they've already been claiming. Saw it on the news earlier in the week. Problem is, they've got a pretty good point! Our dollar has gone from 98c to 68c in double quick time. Just hope it goes up again soon...

Gama · #14 11-10-2008, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian Robinson

Well .... if it's stock they already have , it should not go up in price immediately (since it's already been paid for when they got it wholesale) or until the next bulk order is placed.

But if they don't actually keep it in stock and order only to fill orders then if the exchange rate goes south they have no choice unless they sacrifice some margin (profit) other than to bump up the prices accordingly. They should come clean , or alternatively indicate pricing in Yen , UKP , Euros , chinese currency or USD and indicate pricing in AUD is subject to the exchange rate.

I ............... .

Your only looking on one side of the coin.

So what about the stock they do buy at top dollar and so have stock for sale, but the price drops. Do they sell at the old purchase price ?. Well, according to your senareo, they should. But they dont, so they loose the profit and also some extra..
Its a give and take situation, and in the end a balance needs to be made.

I recently made a purchase for my new telescope.
I put a deposit on it, but the dollar started to fall from 92 cents to 87 cents. So i took the chance and sent the remainder of the money, and in doing so, i have now saved $13,000.

As was said else where, you need to buy now before prices all go up everywhere.

Theo

Alchemy (Clive) · #15 11-10-2008, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gama

I recently made a purchase for my new telescope.
I put a deposit on it, but the dollar started to fall from 92 cents to 87 cents. So i took the chance and sent the remainder of the money, and in doing so, i have now saved $13,000.

Theo

must be one humungus scope..... difference from 87 c to say 67 c is 13000 then its gotta be worth 50k plus .

hope it does some nice work for you.

Gama · #16 11-10-2008, 10:47 PM

I ordered the CDK-20 and the Mathis MI750 Fork mount.
Just waiting for its delivery in a month or 2.

Theo.