Thread: Tell 'em they're dreamin...

If you don't like the price, then don't buy one.
If you still want one, buy it from the States.

I think the people who make this forum possible deserve a little bit more respect.

Hi shedhand, that price looks right to me. Cheap actually.
49.99 divide by 0.9 for exchange rate = 55.54
freight x 1.25 = 69.43
margin 40%. Divide by 0.6 = AU$ 115.71

I think it's a bit of a rip even at US$50.

And realistically, the people who make the forum possible are the people who contribute comments...if no-one contributed anything, the site would die.

Originally Posted by jasons673

margin 40%.

What's the 40% "margin" about?

Surely a profit margin is already included in the $US49.95 price. If they want a second margin... well I don't want to pay twice (not that I'm interested in this particular product).

Cheers, Vann

Originally Posted by NCArcher

If you don't like the price, then don't buy one.
If you still want one, buy it from the States.

I think the people who make this forum possible deserve a little bit more respect.

I made no comment. I was merely pointing out the huge difference in price. I'm assuming that the local supplier is an agent of the Woodpecker company as the local website is a facsimile of the USA site, layout, stock etc. If that is the case one would think that the items would be landed in this country at wholesale prices for the local distributor.

Local businesses are always bleating about the effect on their bottom line of online purchasing from sources overseas. This is a classic example of why that's happening. Sure, I'd much prefer to buy local - even if its not manufactured here - but not at any price. I've emailed the US company asking for a postage estimate. I'll be staggered if its more than 5 bucks. A number 8 Stanley weighs a fair bit but it only cost me 45 bucks US to have it sent here from New York via UPS.

And as for sponsors. They sponsor the site because its a mutually beneficial arrangement. The site owner gets financial support for the maintenance of the site and the sponsor gets a concentrated source of potential clientele. However, that doesn't mean any particular sponsor will always be price competitive. Surely a member of the forum is entitled to communicate to other members when he/she discovers such price discrepancies. The forum is primarily for woodworkers. It does not exist not to serve the financial imperatives of the sponsors - grateful as we all are for them.

Cheers
Mike

Wish I (and other tradies) could charge 40% margin.

I ordered mine two days ago from the US, total cost landed in my letter box in Queensland, $65. It was advertised to me direct as I get the news letter.

SB

If you don't like the way Australian businesses charge, buy elsewhere. For me, I'd rather keep Australians working, so I buy local, even though I appear to pay through the nose. This forum is full of posts about how much better the deal is overseas. Go and buy it there and stop B****ing.

Rob

Personally I think it is fair game for a respectful discussion. It is also an opportunity for the ozzie business to explain to the punter the costs and pressures they face and try to get us onboard with their situation ... that would be social media at it's best I think.

Just looking at it and some guessing ...

First - minus gst it is about $86 - which at 90c exchange rate = US$78

Some allowance maybe has to be made for possible exchange-rate movement ... but I haven't sat and thought that through.

I don't know to what degree freight would come into it for a small item that would ship here in some quantity, but there must be some.
Also - like ourselves - I assume the "gst applies above $1000" rule applies which would mess with the advantage from shipping in quantity.
Perhaps businesses have to pay gst regardless, 'though.

And there would I expect be a large difference in sale volume between a seller marketing to the US and its global email list, vs an ozzie company and its smaller market. So they could stand to make less per item than in the local case.

I don't know what the solution is for the ozzie business - other than high quality service - cos the nett effect is as stated in the first post.

Cheers,
Paul

Ooop. They also have the risk of being caught with stock surplus to demand if they order in too many and it has to be bought outright, rather than on a sale-and-return basis.

Good evening Mike,

I believe the Woodpecker company has a delivery cost calculator in their front page.

Originally Posted by Shedhand

...I've emailed the US company asking for a postage estimate. I'll be staggered if its more than 5 bucks....
Cheers
Mike

( I did receive this newsletter too. I have been waiting the marking gauges for more than 3 months now They are behind schedule. )

...behai.

I think what is being abused here is good will. Our good will. As I said on a previous thread, I cannot fathom why a sponsor of these forums would want to rip us off. Because really, thats what's happening here, we (the members of this forum) are being gouged. What I really want is a good product at a decent price. Heck, I'd even pay a small premium to get that product. But, I will NOT TOLERATE being blatantly ripped off, as is the case here.

Originally Posted by NCArcher

I think the people who make this forum possible deserve a little bit more respect.

Why? When this particular company doesn't respect us by thinking they can get away with this, what do we do then? Slap them on the back and say, "thank you for sponsoring this wonderful forum and rogering us at the same time?"

The fact is that a company's competitors are not those who sell the same products and who have a shop in the same town or even country. These days a company that wants to stay in business needs to realise that their competitors are anybody in the world with a web site and access to a postal service. Whether a particular company has efficient pricing policies or not, whether they sponsor this forum or not, whether they help little old ladies across the road or not- none of this will ultimately be relevant. Any business that wants a long term future, not just in wood working but in all areas must adapt to the new reality of the internet and the global marketplace that comes with it. I am older and the idea of buying tools, or anything else on the internet for that matter, is only slowly reaching into the circle of activities with which I am comfortable. This year is the first time I will have by-passed local stores for internet based products. The savings to be made, even after shipping were just too great to do otherwise. But this is new territory to me and men of my age who grew up without the internet. When I go to the wood shows it seems that the age of the men and women there is somewhat older than average: men like me who went to school and wrote in books not on computers, not because we were too poor but because they had not been invented. Companies can get away with ignoring the global internet market for just a little while yet, I think, while my generation still has money to spend.

But my children and my grandchildren have grown up with the internet in their pockets. These are the customers of the future. Their answer to the statement made earlier in this thread, " If you don't like the way Australian businesses charge, buy elsewhere."
would simply be "All right. I will buy elsewhere!" If businesses have the idea that "If you don't like the way we charge, buy elsewhere" then they are doomed to fail in the long run. This is the coming reality and nothing you or I think about the rights or wrongs of it will make any difference.

I can't think why I would need to walk around shed with a compass in my pocket.