Thread: Festool prices

In 2009 the $A was buying 0.58 Euro and today it is 0.85. That is a whopping 50% more than just a few years ago! Please do not be under any misapprehension that the current pricing is reflective of actual costs. Other German manufacturers , such as VW, have made a big impact in Australia due to the lower Euro but others ( such as Festool) prefer the low volume, high margin route through a limited number of dealers.

Having said that, there is no point complaining about the prices because the only thing that will change manufacturer pricing is a change is consumer buyer habits. There are clearly enough sales in Australia to keep Festool happy so disgruntled buyers can either source product from overseas ( difficult but doable) or buy a competitors products.

Wish i could buy a Bugatti Veyron for 50k

Originally Posted by _fly_

How many would you need to buy to actually make it worthwhile flying to germany to buy them and still not be worse off. i.e. get your flight for free. Wouldn't be a lot.

I worked it out. 1 circular saw and 1 router. Fly to the UK and buy there and you'd get the flight for free basically. That can't be right can it?

Originally Posted by Lignum

Wish i could buy a Bugatti Veyron for 50k

Not the point.

Bugatti, like all VW products has fallen in price (if it was ever available in Australia), due the rise of the AUD over the past few years. Have you wondered why VW, Audi, BMW and Merc (along with most other European cars) have suddenly become more popular in the past few years?

A: Because all the European importers have dropped their prices in line with the rise of the AUD.

Mercs, Audis and Beemers are still a lot more expensive than a Chery. As you would expect.

Originally Posted by _fly_

I worked it out. 1 circular saw and 1 router. Fly to the UK and buy there and you'd get the flight for free basically. That can't be right can it?

Fly,
You should be perfectly clear in your mind that ToolTechnics (Festool's Australian distributor) have made it perfectly clear that they will NOT support warranties on tools bought in to Australia from OS.
Regardless of whether you think pricing should be adjusted "because everyone else is and /or needs to", buying Festool tools and importing them yourself is not a clever way to do it.

If they are that good I shouldn't need to use a warranty.
And posting back to europe isn't that difficult or that long timewise.
I doubt that Aussie Dist. will deny me buying parts (like brushes).

Then again I only did it for the exercise.
I doubt I will ever own a festering tool ever. Maybe its designed for the mercedes and bmw people. I drive a ford...

Originally Posted by LGS

Fly,
You should be perfectly clear in your mind that ToolTechnics (Festool's Australian distributor) have made it perfectly clear that they will NOT support warranties on tools bought in to Australia from OS.

And nor should they be expected to. The Australian Festool agents put a great deal of time, money and effort into marketing and supporting the Festool product in this country. They should expect to be suitably rewarded for their efforts. However, they should also be aware that business in Australia is changing very rapidly. Any company that fails to note these changes will be facing difficulties in the future. In the past I've worked with and for companies that failed to move with the times and other companies that did move with the times. No prizes for guessing which companies survived.

Originally Posted by LGS

Regardless of whether you think pricing should be adjusted "because everyone else is and /or needs to", buying Festool tools and importing them yourself is not a clever way to do it.

Fortunately, Festool products are extremely reliable, so faults are unlikely. For my part, I am looking for guide rails (which are half the Australian price in the US and the UK), connectors and other accessories for my TS55. Such items are purely mechanical ones and should not fail under normal usage. Festool Australia would never see a warranty claim for these items, yet the cost is considerably higher than what it is everywhere else. OTOH, importing such items is likely to be problematic.

Originally Posted by Zaphod

OTOH, importing such items is likely to be problematic.

Agreed importing item/s can be problematic for the individual unless he has some form if dispensation duty wise or a good friend in customs.

I found out much to my dismay when I imported a Meade tripod for our Meade telescope many years back, they stung me then & I have been wary ever since.

I would be wary about travelling over seas to buy items that exceed in total your import allowance only to find that the customs officer is going to possibly pull you up on it. Currently the allowance is $1000.

My 2C worth

cheers

Originally Posted by John Saxton

Agreed importing item/s can be problematic for the individual unless he has some form if dispensation duty wise or a good friend in customs.

I found out much to my dismay when I imported a Meade tripod for our Meade telescope many years back, they stung me then & I have been wary ever since.

I would be wary about travelling over seas to buy items that exceed in total your import allowance only to find that the customs officer is going to possibly pull you up on it. Currently the allowance is $1000.

My 2C worth

cheers

Indeed. AFAIK, the total impost is likely to be no more than 10% (GST) in that case. Not a big deal at all. Freight is more likely to be the killer. Airlines are VERY concerned with weight nowadays.

You will pay 10% GST and 5% import duty. The 10%is charged after import duty is added coming to an extra 15.5%.
Les

There's something peculiar about this thread that concerns me. Rereading all the posts, there seems to be some inconsistency in Zaphod's posts, but I may be wrong.
One thing, following on from Tooltechnic's line of non support of off shore purchases. If any of you are thinking of bringing in Festool parts and accessories, so as to avoid some part of the price, spare a thought for the Australian sellers of Festool, who derive a living from them. I would hate to think that the local guys suffered because some people thought they could be smart and beat the system. As for bringing parts in for sale.....well you be the judge of how that would affect sellers in Australia. Lets keep our economy alive shall we?

Regards,

Rob

Originally Posted by LGS

There's something peculiar about this thread that concerns me. Rereading all the posts, there seems to be some inconsistency in Zaphod's posts, but I may be wrong.

I don't beleive I have been inconsistent at all. I have certainly been misunderstood. Claims that I object (solely) to alleged high prices attributed to Festool products (in Australia) are wrong. I object to the fact that Festool Australia appear to not pass on the huge savings attributable to currency shifts to Australian purchasers. The absolute price of Festool products (In Australia) is not the issue. It is the RELATIVE price of Festool products, compared to what they were (say) 3 years ago that is the issue.

Originally Posted by LGS

One thing, following on from Tooltechnic's line of non support of off shore purchases. If any of you are thinking of bringing in Festool parts and accessories, so as to avoid some part of the price, spare a thought for the Australian sellers of Festool, who derive a living from them. I would hate to think that the local guys suffered because some people thought they could be smart and beat the system. As for bringing parts in for sale.....well you be the judge of how that would affect sellers in Australia. Lets keep our economy alive shall we?

Regards,

Rob

I agree. I support and always have supported Australian manufacturers in my own industry. It has cost me in many cases, as the Aussie product cannot compete with many imported ones. I also prefer to support Australian importers and retailers wherever possible. However, I will never support what may appear to be price gouging. My last digital camera, for instance, cost $2,700.00 RRP here in Australia. As I have contacts in the biz, I would have been able to source it for around $2,000.00 (wholesale price). OTOH, I was able to land it here, from the US, for less than $1,400.00 (and that would have been discounted RETAIL). Given the duty, sales tax and other costs were minimal, I can only feel that the Australian distributor was gouging Australian consumers. I will not support such actions. Converting to Australian mains was a non-existent issue and in the years I have owned it, it has been utterly reliable.

FWIW, I will go out of my way to deal with an Australian retailer of Festool products. That does not stop me from grumbling about what I see as a serious problem.

Originally Posted by Zaphod

I don't beleive I have been inconsistent at all. I have certainly been misunderstood. Claims that I object (solely) to alleged high prices attributed to Festool products (in Australia) are wrong. I object to the fact that Festool Australia appear to not pass on the huge savings attributable to currency shifts to Australian purchasers. The absolute price of Festool products (In Australia) is not the issue. It is the RELATIVE price of Festool products, compared to what they were (say) 3 years ago that is the issue.
Once again, I say to you that you are not privy to or have the right to question Festool's perception of what their products will sell for. You are also ignorant of Festool's aims with regard to the Australian market and it appears, despite several people telling you they are comfortable with the pricing and pointing out that your place in the grand design matters little, other segments of the market use, recommend and then go on to buy more Festool product.
You cannot say "pass on the huge savings", when you do not know what % of each sale constitutes profit. It is entirely possible that entry to the Australian market cost them dearly and they are now making up lost money. Exaggerations and assumptions are poor argument. The one consistent point in your argument is that Australians are being ripped off. This is an assumption, It is also Festool's right to price as they wish.


I agree. I support and always have supported Australian manufacturers in my own industry. It has cost me in many cases, as the Aussie product cannot compete with many imported ones. I also prefer to support Australian importers and retailers wherever possible. However, I will never support what may appear to be price gouging. My last digital camera, for instance, cost $2,700.00 RRP here in Australia. As I have contacts in the biz, I would have been able to source it for around $2,000.00 (wholesale price). OTOH, I was able to land it here, from the US, for less than $1,400.00 (and that would have been discounted RETAIL). Given the duty, sales tax and other costs were minimal, I can only feel that the Australian distributor was gouging Australian consumers. I will not support such actions. Converting to Australian mains was a non-existent issue and in the years I have owned it, it has been utterly reliable.

Your assumption, not validated. You chose the cheapest path available regardless of the Australian sellers

FWIW, I will go out of my way to deal with an Australian retailer of Festool products. That does not stop me from grumbling about what I see as a serious problem.

Well, you went to the Wood show, without checking prices online and refused to buy from the Festool agent there. Now you talk about importing rails. That is direct contradiction to your claim of "going out of your way to deal with Festool Australia and its agents"

You are not just grumbling, you are advocating action against the price paid by Australian consumers of Festool product.
You have had responses from people giving opinions on both sides. I do not see what you are to gain from continuing with this thread, unless there is something you want.

Going around in circles, closed.