"Flee Now, All is Discovered..."

[Colin_Fraser]

Great example. I bet the retail outlet can purchase the item even cheaper than the ebay price.
They don't have one in stock? No worries, they import it from China, whack on $500 or $600 dollars and sell it to you. You pay their tax liability as well.

I am amased that most people consider all Australian business as liar cheats and so on, especially on this forum. I am looking seriously at this forum and the attitudes. All I can see is 80% of people here discredit all business based on a few large business's trying to rort the system. I really thought most people should be intelligent enough to look a bit further than the cover of a book.

Malcolm, members do not consider ALL business as liars and cheats. If 80% of the people on this forum feel the way they do, then maybe 80% of ALL people in Australia think the same. People have just had enough of being ripped off, simple as that.

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

Originally Posted by mswhin63

Singling out Ted's is the reason why business's in Australia as going to suffer as we see one overprice or maybe 2 and give-up and go overseas to look for 10 or more. Advertising is only available to select high income business's.

Granted and referred to in my post, but fair goes - the best price from one of the better known discount Aus dealers is still around $350 more expensive than the eBay HK price - I'm always going to go with that.
Some of the bigger eBay stores are getting their acts together in terms of the warranty issues too which make O/S purchases more attractive and perhaps less of a worry too if the item is stuffed on receipt. The only major 'punt' is whether or not one is going to cop GST via a customs audit - obviously a gamble many will take, hence the reason for the thread.
Doug
Doug

[OICURMT]

Amazing how O/S v AU gets so much banter... this must be the up-teenth thread on the subject.

I agree with some that even with the 10%, O/S products will probably be cheaper. The only significant risk IMHO is the warranty. Thus, if an item could have issues or if I think I'll need support, I'll but local.

Eventually, the system will equilabrate once more competition arrives. I'd love some of the US retailers to enter the market here... you would see a price war on an unimaginable scale.

OIC!

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

What I can actually see, as overseas purchases increase the government will lose GST revenue. Time are tough and to make the windfall they will have 2 choices.
1. Retrieve GST from import under $1000.00 as the thread suggest or
2. Raise GST to all people for generic services

The government promised a revenue raising target in the last election and it looks at though they are not going to make it. Obviously raising GST is a very unpopular move so there is a possibility of other alternatives. Maybe the raising of Electricity and Gas is just the start of this recovery. I am not an economist but I have been running a business for nearly 15 years and I can see this as a logical step to ensure safe way to raise revenue for services that cannot be imported.

If people complain about the raising of essential services then this is possibly a consequence of the open market.

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

Originally Posted by OICURMT

Eventually, the system will equilabrate once more competition arrives. I'd love some of the US retailers to enter the market here... you would see a price war on an unimaginable scale.

OIC!

History has shown that equilibrium can only be achieved after a recession. We did not suffer from it massively instead we were given loads of money to recover, so we can spend it and most people did.

Personally I think it wont happen again until the next recession.

Competition can only happen from overseas entering our market. Rich Australian's are not about to invest in a flat Australian market. The offshoot is much of the profits going back overseas.

Overall I do not like making my margins too big, I suppose that is why after 15 years I am still renting. The temptation has been there for me to over-inflate prices but I find it hard to do. I know that when I purchase from the local distributor their prices are more than if I buy overseas.

I think a lot of people may not be sure of what they are really getting either. I have seen some items for sale from stuff I distribute. One was advertised cheaper than i could buy and was from an Australian Distributor. Why because it is refurbished. grays-online a great seller of refurbished gear and I see a lot of their products resold online later.