GST on Internet Purchases - Page 3

Barrykgerdes · #41 08-01-2011, 01:43 PM

A mention of sales person product knowledge was mentioned. This is a real problem for big business. I did a sales course nearly 60 years ago where the instructor kept impressing us that you always need to respect the boss (the boss of course was the customer).

The big retail stores know this and try to impress it on their staff but it does not always work with some staff and the problem is that you can't sack these people who ruin your business. They all seem to know the laws and the other problem is that "if you pay peanuts you get monkeys"

Barry

andrew2008 · #42 08-01-2011, 02:13 PM

Just this morning i bought 2 of O'Meara's books from Amazon. $94 to my door. From the one store here i've found selling them they are $99 each plus postage.

I really don't feel sorry for the retailers here. Good on people for making the most of the high $$$ because it won't last forever. When it gets back to 75-80c compared to the $US i can't see Gerry Harvey going to lobby the government then for the removal of the GST on imports under $1000. The only reason he has backed down appears to me be that there was a backlash against his stores and it was better for his bottom line to keep consumers happy.

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #43 08-01-2011, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrew2008

J... Good on people for making the most of the high $$$ because it won't last forever. ..

So true..it will not last. I have virtually never seen it this good so buy now ..or maybe never!

I purchased a nifty fifty lens from Hn about a week ago...their price was reasonable wrt OS. As long as they can keep prices reasonable people will not buy OS.

marki · #44 08-01-2011, 02:31 PM

Even at $1 AU to 70 cents US it is often still cheaper to buy overseas as when this occurs the oz retailers hike their prices even further so the margine stays the same. I have noticed even with the falling US dollar value a number of US retailers are still charging the same or very close to the same price they were before. I wonder how they do it as it seems impossible for our oz retailers so intent on ripping us blind.

Mark

TrevorW · #45 08-01-2011, 05:28 PM

Go into a Coles/Woolworths store or any store and be greeted by a sales person with "Can I help you mate", this is some young sales person talking to a mature person.

"Sorry, you are not my mate, you may be if you do me a good deal, but not until"

How about "Good morning, sir or madam can I be of assistance" not likely, a lot of sales staff in Australia are given piecemeal customer relations training.

Or walk up to one and say "excuse me where can I find so and so"

"I'm not sure, try over there", instead of "Sorry but I'm not sure, I will find out for you"

Ok it's not indicative of all sales staff but I bet you can all site occassions when this has happened to you

If Australian retailers employed and trained staff to know a) what they are selling and b) where the products are in the store and to provide a level of service commensurate with the exorbitant prices they charge then maybe people would buy less overseas.

Go into any retailer in Japan and see what service is all about !!!!

Further examples of Australian consurmer rip offs

Woolworths sell loose potatoes for $3 a kg, but a bag of 4kg you can buy for $4 thats a $1 a kg, now it's more economical to buy 4kg but if your a 2 person family the spuds will turn before you get to the end of the bag (food wastage). So these marketing ploys are adding to greenhouse waste and affect the environment.

2 loafs of bread for $6 but if you buy 1 it's $5 dollars go figure.

A pair of jocks (bonds) $20 when made in Australia still $20 now made China.

Contact lens purchased for 1/2 to a 1/3 the price of buying them through your local Optometrist.

These are all examples that lead to the rich getting richer at our expense and when people wake up and started realising they could be cheaper elsewhere/online the reatailers bauk.

Someone please kick sand in their face, they (the rich) may wake up to the fact they owe us for what/where they are not the other way around.

Trixie (Carey) · #46 08-01-2011, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Woolworths sell loose potatoes for $3 a kg, but a bag of 4kg you can buy for $4 thats a $1 a kg, now it's more economical to buy 4kg but if your a 2 person family the spuds will turn before you get to the end of the bag (food wastage). So these marketing ploys are adding to greenhouse waste and affect the environment.

Then look out how much the supermarket chains pay the potato grower (around 50c a kg). The markup is insane.

el_draco (Rom) · #47 09-01-2011, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trixie

Then look out how much the supermarket chains pay the potato grower (around 50c a kg). The markup is insane.

Which is precisely why we should be:
1/ Growing our own where we can
2/ Buying direct from the grower at Farmers Markets where ever possible
3/ Not expecting to eat whatever we want when we want it.

Supermarket chains get away with this crap because consumers let them!

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #48 09-01-2011, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by el_draco

Supermarket chains get away with this crap because consumers let them!

Have to agree...I mean the fresh food people..what a load of trollop.

They cold store perishables for months in something like carbon dioxide gas to help slow rotting. They call this 'for your convenience"...which is code word for their profit.

Buy the time you get the food..they taste terrible and go off rapidly.

Yet we go back and buy more..well I don't nowdays. We get local fruit veggies delivered. Costs more but they taste better and they last longer. The etxra costs balance as we used to toss a lot of "supermarket fruit and vegies" beasue of early spoliage.

Ephemeral (John) · #49 10-01-2011, 12:24 AM

I heard on the news today the 4000 strong Retailers Assoc is backing Hardly Normal

Let me think 20 million consumers against 4000 retailers

I think they would be better off keeping their mouths shut on this one

shall we get on the band wagon get a petition togethor seeking to keep the status quo

"Dear PM

We the people of Australia think that retailers in Australia have had it too good for too long.

When the wind changed and the value of the Australian dollar improved they cry foul because we the consumers who have made them rich from our hard earned dollars now have a more viable and alternative way to purchase items at a fair and reasonable price, sometimes foregoing the need of a warranty etc.

We the people of Australia are not agaisnt you imposing GST on goods under $1000 if your Govt so wishes but see no need for this action as it will make very little difference to us purchasing through the internet as the value of items purchased this way are often already a 1/3 the price of similar items sold locally even after payment of freight.

We also cannot understand why the likes of Gerry Harvey have raised this issue as generally we do and still buy items such as washing machines, TV's etc from stores like Harvey Normans to ensure we have an enforceable warranty.

Purchasing overseas and via the internet is not something new many Australians have been doing this for years but with the rise in the value of the $$ many more have found this means of shopping to be a viable proposition.

We the people of Australia implore you to ignore the scare mongering tactics currently being employed by these retailers and not pander to their demands by ensuring the staus quo.

We thank you"

Cut and paste this in a letter to the PM at

http://www.pm.gov.au/PM_Connect/Email_your_PM

change the words as you think fit, I have sent mine you do your bit, stand up for your rights as a consumer

asimov (John) · #50 10-01-2011, 04:51 AM

I suggest we all stop whinging about it, & try & do something about it as John suggests. Aussies are good at sitting on their hands & watching our government 'RULE' while we do nothing about it.

Time for this 'hand sitter' to pull one hand out & flip them the bird in this case.

'PM sent' - To the PM.

'Written & spoken by Asimov, the Australian people party, Bundaberg.'

;-)

Analog6 (Odille) · #51 10-01-2011, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marki

Now if Gerry really used his noggin he would be demanding the removal of GST from items costing less then $1000.00 to level up the playing field. I am sure he would get the backing of every Australian for that

.
Mark

Here! Here! They have totally missed the boat.

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #52 10-01-2011, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ephemeral

I heard on the news today the 4000 strong Retailers Assoc is backing Hardly Normal

Cut and paste this in a letter to the PM at

http://www.pm.gov.au/PM_Connect/Email_your_PM

Thanks John..I will...edit: I have sent to the PM and local member my own letter on this matter.

The funny thing here is that HN was not part of the retail Assoc and in fact shunned them and mocked them more than once.

Ahhh necessity maketh strange bedfellows!

Barrykgerdes · #53 10-01-2011, 10:43 AM

Yes. wouldn't it be lovelly if GST was removed on all items under $1000. In fact why stop at $1000.

Problem is the government relies on all forms of tax to meet its budget commitments. If you remove the GST the government will probably find an even worse way to raise the money that is required to keep the country running. This won't worry the government because it gives the GST revenue to the states

In fact with no revenue from GST the states will not be able to provide hospitals, police, roads etc. Oh! I just realised they can't even do that with the GST income.

Barry

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #54 10-01-2011, 11:49 AM

We cannot do without GST..it is part of our tax system that pays for ..well as Barry said, roads/hospitals/much more.

I'm quite happy to pay taxes, although it appears some top end of town minimise their to a level that is insulting to the public.

But on the matter of GST on imports. This was raised under the Howard government (I believe) from $400 to $1000, the same government that brought in the GST.

I believe a recent tax office audit also showed that incepting a GST tax on below $1000 imports would be "un-feasible", see post #22 by Geoff. Now these are the professionals in this area so we have to abide by the referee here.

It appears GH and such like embrace globalisation ...for themselves..but when it is applied by individuals...they whine like ill fed rabid dogs.

How can Win7 pro cost $399 in HN yet for as little as $89 ($USD) in USA..(ok not the best example as the last is OEM sales) more on this price gouging here.

Me thinks they are enjoying their monopoly.

Well FWIW..my letter. Maybe a little strong but it's from the heart.

TrevorW · #55 10-01-2011, 12:05 PM

I've done as John suggested and sent an email

We can probably all site cases of exorbitant mark up's which as consumers we've allowed because of lack of competition

it's about time we stopped thinking "she'll be right, mate" and get off our Bsides and act

this also goes for the likes of Coles/Woolworths and the petroleum cartels who have set prices to control the market

andrew2008 · #56 10-01-2011, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asimov

I suggest we all stop whinging about it, & try & do something about it as John suggests. Aussies are good at sitting on their hands & watching our government 'RULE' while we do nothing about it.

Time for this 'hand sitter' to pull one hand out & flip them the bird in this case.

'PM sent' - To the PM.

'Written & spoken by Asimov, the Australian people party, Bundaberg.'

;-)

I agree with the hand sitting and think it's sad.

The french government tried to raise the retirement age to 62 and there were mass protests. I'm 26 and will have to work until i'm 67 and people barely batted an eyelid.
Now it's visible in the UK where students are protesting ridiculous rises in the cost of tertiary education. Who can seriously see Aussie students doing the same if it were happening here?

marki · #57 10-01-2011, 01:16 PM

Sent my letter to julia

.

Mark

TrevorW · #58 11-01-2011, 02:52 PM

Article in today's West Australian says "Gillard kills off hope of online tax"

send a letter anyhow

Steffen · #59 11-01-2011, 06:19 PM

If local stores could match my self-import + 10% I'd gladly buy local. Even if they matched my self-import + overseas shipping + 10%, and then some.

The issue isn't the 10% GST, and Gerry Harvey knows that. He's after the $50 customs handling fee that would have to be slapped on every imported item in order to make it sustainable for customs.

Funny enough, even then I think I'd be way ahead with most of my self-imports. That's how bad the price gouging is.

Many shops have all that retail staff running (sitting) around, but can't make them add value to my shopping. If they would make those extra expenses they have (shop rent, staff salaries etc) work to produce value for the customer I'm sure most people would love to make use of that. Sadly, all these expenses are wasted and the shopping experience is actually worse than sterile, impersonal, slow or risky online shopping.

There are exceptions of course, some local retailers do provide excellent pre- and after-sales support without robbing you blind. I gladly support those (if I can find them) and will continue to do so.

Now Gerry, show us the holes in your socks once more...

Cheers
Steffen.

snowyskiesau · #60 11-01-2011, 06:30 PM

There's an excellent article over at theregister.co.uk that discusses this issue, mainly in relation to consumer computer equipment.
It dismisses the GST and the exchange rate as reasons for the enormous difference between US (for example) and Australian prices.