Amazulu

The high AUD is starting (at long last) to be having a effect on some prices here. I've recently been looking at getting an AV Receiver. Traditionally, they have been ultra expensive here - twice the US price. I'm interested in the new Onkyo TX-NR609 which has just gone on sale in Australia. The best AU internet price that I can find is $849 with free delivery. The cheapest UK internet price is $770 (GBP499), so with delivery to AU will cost more than here. The best US internet price is $650 delivered (including a step-down transformer from EBay). This price is getting close to the point of not being worth the hassle due to the lack of warranty, having to use a transformer etc.

Extra points:
I reckon I could get the US price down by shopping around, and using a shipping consolidation service like Hopshopgo. I also reckon I could get the AU price closer to $800 by haggling at JB, Good Guys etc.

Swerv-o

There's an article on today's Herald site, comparing the costs of stuff here and overseas - largely in this case with India. Some of the arguments are a little inappropriate, but it does highlight the pricing disparity.


India Beats Australia, and it's not just cricket


It's also quite interesting to see the comments that people are posting below - there are quite a few angry consumers out there!

Interestingly enough, hobby suppliers Games Workshop - renowned for their 70-150% mark up on their Australian range - as well as a 20% price hike, have also just placed an embargo on UK hobby discounters shipping their products to Australia/NZ. It has cause quite a bit of consternation in hobby circles. Will be interesting to see if it kills off their market entirely or if people will continue to buy at inflated prices.


S

Amazulu

It's an interesting article but comparing India to Australia only works for certain products due to economies of scale, labour costs etc. Also, the writer only talks about the good things of India, and none of the shit stuff, which I reckon there is a lot of! We need to be compared to countries with similar per capita GDP - USA, UK, EU, and Asian countries like Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong. Against most of these countries we are expensive for a lot of (but not all) products and services.

What that games outfit is doing is indefensible, but people will find a way around it, and hopefully Games Workshop have shot themselves in the foot.

Swerv-o

Yes, I agree it's not quite comparing apples and apples because of the widly different nature of the countries, however anything tat awakens the locals to the fact that people overseas are generally paying less is a good thing.

Re. Games Workshop - I have been looking at setting up a mail forwarding service in the UK for Aus buyers. there's money to be made here I think!


S

Pollyana

Definitely, I'm surprised there aren't any going already, reckon you'd make a fortune just from people on here!

GarryP

Hmm, well this is very new - so its basically RRP. Give it a short while and the prices elsewhere will drop - but the prices in Oz won't.

Amazulu

We'll see

bcworld

House prices in Perth are getting more realistic!

Perth property on the slide as Sydney steams ahead

Perth's staggering drop in property prices has been laid bare with figures released today showing the city's median price is now lagging almost $50,000 behind Sydney.

Prices in Perth threatened to top those in Australia's biggest city in the wake of the global financial crisis, which hit in October 2008.

The city's median price for houses and units was just 2.3 per cent lower than that of Sydney through February and March 2009. But after a huge downturn, Perth's prices are now 18 per cent lower, according to statistics released today by RP Data-Rismark.

Amazulu

CF=0

The price of AV equipment is more important

EvannTel

It will plummet in 9 months regardless of other factors. AV is updated about 12 monthly and so old prices come down. I paid $2500 for a yamaha amp
which dropped to $1600 12 months later

true! I've found a couple of really good dealers here who you can deal with.

Amazulu

Yes, I also think the prices of large screen TVs are pretty good here too - about the same or cheaper than the UK. There are some phenomenal deals on the go at the moment.