Thread: Tools and tool prices on the net-Change is coming.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

I must say that this theme has been done to death in many,many other threads, and it's likely that this one won't last too long as a result of that.

That's why I won't post to these kinds of threads anymore.

Waste of time IMO. Some are in favour, others are not and no amount of further waffle will change anyone's mind on this subject.


Peter.

Well,Some
are much smarter than others, this is obvious. Take Brett, he's as smart as a tack.
So I guess not all of us want Australians out of work. But that's my last statement on the issue. I'm with Studlee.

Originally Posted by Master Splinter

Try buying computer games - and I'm talking about direct download of a game from the distributors servers in the US - and you'll find the 'penalty' for having an Australian IP address is typically 30-50% more than using a US proxy and 'buying in the US', so to speak. There's no packaging, no delivery, no regional customisation just a few bazillion electrons being zapped across the internet, yet we get to pay more.

I think we get stung to pay higher prices simply because we've put up with it so much in the past. We are relatively demand inelastic as we are too used to thinking of ourselves as isolated from the rest of the world.

On a similar vein, has anyone (with out-of-the-country-book-buying-experience) noticed if bookstores in the US or UK follow the Australian book distributors practice of releasing a new title in 'trade paperback' size (you know, that oversize, bookshelf clogging, wrist aching large format) for $30+, and not releasing the regular paperback (at $20+) until the trade paperback has been out for a year?

Is this a book industry practice unique to Australia (and yet another way of gouging us), or have distributors worldwide discovered a new way to extract money from readers?

Just a quick note on this from a book purchasing point of view, next time your looking at an American woodworking book look at the back where it lists the RRP in American $ and then Canadian $ the Canadian is always more even though the Canadian dollar is worth more than the American

I pointed this out to a book seller in Canada a few years back and asked if this would change if the dollar remained high and he basically laughed and said it would never changed regardless of the $ as it was an import thing and to do with taxes not dollar value.

just one of those things

Agreed, it's frustrating though.

I'm after a power tool that makes the bigger slots for floating tenons, you know the expensive one? I'm not good with hand tools but dynamite with machines.

$1200 in the US - 110v
$1400 in the UK - 240v
$1900 here (various retailers almost the same to the dollar - strange that. Collusion, collaboration, coincidence?)

Anyhoo... Most of the US companies won't ship to Australia because the manufacturer has an agreement with them to protect their market here. This is how they protect their dealers in the internet age. (I work for a US company that does the same thing with computer stuff.)

I'd like to buy local but I can't afford the difference. I might have to move to the US, unless they invade us and make us the 51st state???

Grrrr.

Bryan

PS. If you're buying and downloading a bit of software from the US and get stung for having an AUS IP address, look at subscribing to a US based VPN provider. This will give you a US IP address.

For every man earning an honest buck there's a hundred scheming how to get it out of him.

The 'problem', if that is what it is, will solve itself as we all vote one way or the other with our wallets. What many of the retailers complain about is that basic tenet - an informed market.

Originally Posted by Tung tied

Agreed, it's frustrating though.

I'm after a power tool that makes the bigger slots for floating tenons, you know the expensive one? I'm not good with hand tools but dynamite with machines.

$1200 in the US - 110v
$1400 in the UK - 240v
$1900 here (various retailers almost the same to the dollar - strange that. Collusion, collaboration, coincidence?)

the importer/distributor would give em all a set rrp, its in their interest not to undercut each other (so collaboration by proxy ), but if your lucky you can usually wangle a way to convince the sales people (always speak to the boss) to give some discount


there's probably another option or two , but without going into them over a forum, just working on those sums you gave, i guess you have to add a few things on, like shipping (assuming you mean the festy tool? could be something else for all i know) shipping which might be another $70 or so, the US version not much good on 110V so the UK item add on another $70 for import duty, then another $147 GST , strictly speaking gst would normally be paid on the freight as well but they dont seem to charge that lately, least if its sent via courier , they seem to waive that, not always if it goes through customs though, so your up for a least $1687.00, i reckon a local warrantee (on a power tool) has to be worth something, say 10% but maybe more, add 10% on and its cost you about $1855.00 , the other $50 is probably worth paying depending on how much you like to keep friendly with the local retailer or perhaps you can knock him down that much....i'm not taking a neg stance to what your saying, it often is frustrating! just thats how it looks to me atm. one saving grace that may or may not be applicable (i havnt researched the prices or where exactly its available from) is that if you buy from the right place in the UK (that removes VAT for international sales) then you can save about 16% off the initial $1400.00 price tag, assuming that $1400 included VAT to begin with?


cheers
chippy

Some products cannot be or won't be mailed from overseas so we need brick and mortar shops who will buy in shipping containers from overseas. We also need brick and mortar shops if we need something in a hurry to make something by a particular date.

People look for bargains - fair enough. Just support some of the specialist shops too. I would think it likely that few of the contributors to this thread buy all of their equipment and finishes etc online. Bunnings may be all that is left if we all follow the main approach advocated in this thread.

In fairness, however, Bunnings may be all you need.

Originally Posted by Tung tied

I'd like to buy local but I can't afford the difference. I might have to move to the US, . . . .

Go ahead, on top of low prices tools the people there really care for one another as witnessed by high levels of healthcare, minimum wages and social welfare, and low levels of legal entanglement, imprisonment and gun violence.

Originally Posted by stevepay

just one of those things

I suspect 'one of those things' is the same genre of answer you get when you are talking to a car dealer about price - 'I'd love to give it to you at that price, let me just go and check with the boss if we can do a deal like that' - ie 'I'm on your side buddy, as it's (someone else) who is stopping me from giving you a better price, and not at all because I like my profit margins just where they are!'

And I thought those expensive power tools were sold in a similar manner to Miele appliances or Apple products - direct from the distributor, who doesn't wholesale the product but leases floor space and retail support from the store, so in this case the retailer is actually powerless to sell them at a lower price.

Agree with the done to death theme.

Get a Shipito or BongoUS etc, etc account so you can have a US postal address. Buy the LV router plane for 149 when they have the free shipping on. Item will free ship to Shipito etc. Buy some other stuff , consolidate it (get them to put it all in the same box) ship the 3-5 kg for about 50 bucks.



Get out in the shed use the stuff. The end.

I like to save a dollar just as quick as anybody else - it does more good in my pocket than any where else.

That being said - I also think that we need to be aware that "We sometimes need to buy our kids a job." This does mean that at times we need to pay more. If all of the jobs end up overseas then we will be a captive market to be charged what ever is asked as there will be no retailers here to at least provide a semblance of competition.

Expand on the thoughts of what the major grocery / hardware / fuel chains have done to the smaller competitors.

Just a thought.

As has been said here this has been done to death and nothing has been added to the arguments either way.

It was also running way off topic and fair play.