Could this be the start of change in Aussie retail?

Hi,

I used to drive gantry cranes and truck tugs at CTAL ports in Sydney about 12 years ago. Apparently it cost $1600.00 every time we moved a 20ft container. Not sure how true this was but I was earning 24.00 p/hr for a day shift (and the money went up by halves for each of the 3 shafts per day, don't ask about weekends and public holidays).

Back on topic, we are being ripped off in Australia by pretty much anyone who sells anything. How can I buy a book from London for less than $10.00 delivered to my door or pay $25.00 plus from a local bookshop? Books, tools, electronics or anything else you buy your paying more than you should. Good service helps, but it shouldn't cost that much.

Ben

ps, I seen a Hercus 260ATM numbered 20??? without a scratch or barely a mark on it.

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Originally Posted by Pete F

Holy Cow, I hope not ... have you seen our hosties!!!*


* I'm sure they're very nice girls deep inside :P

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Oh yeah, I'm sure. Deep inside and long, long ago.:cool:

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Originally Posted by Greg Q

Oh yeah, I'm sure. Deep inside and long, long ago.:cool:

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I don't fly Virgin simply because they're cheaper, you know.

QANTAS abandoned flying to Tasmania so I abandoned QANTAS and subsidiaries. My take on Jetstar is, it offers the worst service it can get away with so as not to take business from the full service branch but to provide an alternative to Virgin for the budget traveller. I only use them if their price is substantially cheaper *and* the flight time is more convenient.

PDW

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Originally Posted by PDW

My take on Jetstar is, it offers the worst service it can get away with so as not to take business from the full service branch but to provide an alternative to Virgin for the budget traveller.

PDW

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Greg, someone's caught on to the sca ... errr, I mean "business model". If we're not careful, next he'll be ratting on how he's also discovered by the time he's added up all the extra fees and changes the airfare works out around the same anyway. There goes the family's future! Better send da boyz down to Tassie to sort this little "problem" out before word gets out!

Vince

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Originally Posted by Pete F

Greg, someone's caught on to the sca ... errr, I mean "business model". If we're not careful, next he'll be ratting on how he's also discovered by the time he's added up all the extra fees and changes the airfare works out around the same anyway. There goes the family's future! Better send da boyz down to Tassie to sort this little "problem" out before word gets out!

Vince

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Last time I needed to come up to Sydney, it was only marginally more expensive (ignoring value of my time which approximates zero) to get the ferry & drive. A lot more convenient and less hassle. I truly hate the entire flying 'experience' these days, starting from trying to book a ticket without being gouged and working from there. I have to fly up in 3 weeks for my youngest's 21st b/day, time to start fare shopping. Not driving up until end April or early May.

PDW

I feel your pain, PDW. Unfortunately the malignant dwarf who is charge of the "vision" thing sees a different universe. Wanna know what happens when you put a cynic in charge of something? A cynical contempt for everyone and everything.

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Originally Posted by Pete F

Greg, someone's caught on to the sca ... errr, I mean "business model". If we're not careful, next he'll be ratting on how he's also discovered by the time he's added up all the extra fees and changes the airfare works out around the same anyway. There goes the family's future! Better send da boyz down to Tassie to sort this little "problem" out before word gets out!

Vince

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I think that ship has sailed, Pete. Speaking of which, I thought that the Costa Concordia imagery would have put folks off sea voyages. That, and management assures me that the consumer is too just plain stupid to do the maths on "unbundled" fares*

*this is management's term for it. They even admit that the total fare is about the same, but that their customer base is too dumb to figure that out. They camouflage it under the "choice" banner. Freedom of Choice! Yay! You choose to be able to use your legs after the trip? Good Choice sir! That'll be $120 extra. etc etc, repeat until wallet empty.

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Originally Posted by Greg Q

IThat, and management assures me that the consumer is too just plain stupid to do the maths on "unbundled" fares*

*this is management's term for it. They even admit that the total fare is about the same, but that their customer base is too dumb to figure that out. They camouflage it under the "choice" banner. Freedom of Choice! Yay! You choose to be able to use your legs after the trip? Good Choice sir! That'll be $120 extra. etc etc, repeat until wallet empty.

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Yep, I have to giggle at some of the "choices" that people are supposed to have. Like the check in fee, ? Ok I won't check in then. "Well sorry Sir, you won't be able to board the flight unless you check in!". The thing is, ask somebody how much they paid to travel between x and y and they'll swear it was the initial $59 headline fare :doh: You'd think the fact JetStar had an overweight comedian as their mascot would be a bit of a clue wouldn't you.

Of course this site sums it up much better than I ever could
http://thingsboganslike.com/tag/tiger/

Peter, if you want an unpleasant experience try flying in the US. They have screwed it up to the point where I find it remarkable that anyone would put themselves through the experience. Sadly we're very rapidly catching up with them.

Pete

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Originally Posted by Pete F

Peter, if you want an unpleasant experience try flying in the US. They have screwed it up to the point where I find it remarkable that anyone would put themselves through the experience. Sadly we're very rapidly catching up with them.

Pete

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Been there, done that. I worked in Tucson for a while, used to commute Sydney-LAX (bad) then LAX-Tucson on SW Airlines. Been 10 years and I still haven't forgotten it. No plans to repeat the experience, either.

When my son went to the USA he went via Japan. If I go back over, I'm flying to Vancouver first then crossing the land border. At least the Canadians are relatively civilised and if the US border people toss me out because they don't like something I've posted on the net, it's not so far to go. Annoying because I like the USA, I get on well with the people I worked with and visited, but since 9/11 the officials have become so paranoid and hostile that I can't see why I should bother visiting again by aircraft.

Maybe when I get the big toy in the water I'll sail over. Been thinking I should have built a bigger one so I could bring a metal planer home as ballast.

PDW

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Originally Posted by Greg Q

Boy, ain't that the truth. You have obviously seen the reports of that British couple who were run over the coals owing to some twitter posts and having the audacity to quote a (US) animated TV show without attribution.

On 9/11, a day which shall surely live in infamy, to steal a phrase from FDR, 3100 people died, give or take. In the USA that many people die every 6 weeks from gunshot death. So, in the years since 9/11 Ninety times more Americans have been killed (by Americans) than in 9/11. I am all for homeland security, its just that they're looking the wrong way. :no:

Re US domestic air travel. No thanks. I too will fly Air Canada from LAX or JFK to Australia North,( eh mate?), enjoy my visit free from hyper vigilance and return post haste, without stopping in any of my old US haunts for fear of arousing the narrow-eyed suspicion of IQ 91 jack-booted brownshirts.

Oh well. I always wondered what the left side of the bell curve would do for a living once manufacturing went to China. Now I have my answer.

Pete: Too much d'ya think?

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Hah. Agree but I think I'll leave it there. We've drifted a long way from Aussie retail and its shortcomings. I got a book from Book Depository yesterday, $11 including postage. Local book shop doesn't have it because the Aussie copyright holder hasn't gotten around to releasing it here as yet. I feel sorry for the book shops, this one is pretty good to excellent and will happily order specials for me but as for the Aussie copyright holders - they really don't get it. The world has changed and the old comfortable way of doing business is dead.

PDW