Technology & Online

Internet shopping

Technology & Online

Posted by: Proteus

8th Jan 2011 11:32am

I'm guessing that many of the readers would have seen the news article about major retailers here in Australia bitching about no GST being paid on internet purchases? I do a little internet shopping, when funds permit and I can also find the article I'm wanting of course...but I'm kinda peeved at the major retailers in our country for complaining about no GST on internet sales. In my opinion, if the retailer here gave us better prices, and also sold us more current items, instead of discontinued lines in many cases, ( electrical goods, tv's etc.,) at high prices and provided far better service from the sales people, stopped ripping off customers with false sale prices etc., maybe I would purchase more from them. I have bought recently a new digital camera online from overseas, and managed to save myself over $200 including shipping costs.
I did the rounds of our major retailers for the same camera, and in many cases was told by salespeople that it was on special, and the latest and current model, etc., and told misleading and incorrect information about this particualr camera, but still would have had to pay a lot more here in Australia than I did by purchasing from overseas. That to me, is a very good reason not to purchasse from our major retailers. Oh yes, I did do my research into the camera I wanted before I purchased, by checing out models etc. from makers website, and that's how I found the date of manufacture for the moded I wanted just happened to be almost 3 years old, and yet here in australia, it was promoted as the current model
I for one will be doing a lot more online shopping from now on.
What about you?

Comments 7

Kessa1959
  • 22nd Jan 2014 09:54pm

I regularly shop online and find that even with postage I am able to get a better deal even taking the cost of postage into account.

lpullman
  • 19th Nov 2012 04:12pm

I assume you are referring to the $1,000 lower limit on GST assessment for packages from overseas. Assessing everything? Never going to happen and here's why for those who've never had a package assessed for tax:

Customs hold the package while the delivery agent (such as Aussie Post) deliver the notice of assessment. When the recipient pays the tax / duty, Customs release the package and it get's delivered. In the meantime, of course, they have to store it in a secure warehouse (because it's not cleared through customs, you see) at their expense. If you don't pay up, it is returned to sender.

The current system doesn't cope with the current volume - I'm told they aren't managing a random inspection of 1 in 10 packages. To make this workable, a lower limit of $1000 value was adopted with anything less than that being passed straight through unless it attracts other excise, such as alcohol and tobacco. Customs aren't likely to go along with a massive increase in their workload without a corresponding increase in resources and that is never going to happen.

The major retailers can sit and spin. They've had it good for long enough. If they won't compete, that's not my problem. It's not like the price difference is generally as little as 10%. When I can order something from the US, ship it halfway around the world by the least cost effective method known to man and it's still half the local price, I smell a rat. Further evidence that the issue is here in Oz comes from highly competitive sectors where the local price is generally less than the GST higher than overseas, if at all.

From my experience in retail and wholesale, there are simply too many people trying to take too much profit. That goes from the importers who won't ask for better pricing out of fear of upsetting their suppliers to landlords with an over-inflated idea of what commercial real estate is worth.

Robbo
  • 17th May 2012 09:27pm

The issue for me is not that you can items cheaper and that you have a wider choice. It is the enjoyment I get out of shopping online - discovering other retailers / brands / discounts all without leaving home!

Anonymous
  • 21st Jan 2014 02:09pm
The issue for me is not that you can items cheaper and that you have a wider choice. It is the enjoyment I get out of shopping online - discovering other retailers / brands / discounts all without...

It's the same for me! ;)

Ozbev
  • 17th Mar 2011 12:36am

We are one of the most taxed countries in the world but even with the GST and other taxes we pay, the mark up on goods and services is exorbitant. They are crying foul but what they need to do is be more upfront with what they are selling, not putting as much mark up on their goods. My children once asked how a particular shop could afford to discount their goods by 50%... I told them that they had put 250% on the price of the goods so 50% wouldn't really make much of a dent in their profit margin, apart from making it a little less.
It is about time they start thinking about customer service, not being misleading about the product information and actually putting people on the shop floor that know something about the product they are selling.
I went into a department store that specialises in home furniture, technologies, white goods etc. I wanted to know about a particular electronic gadget. No-one even bothered to help.... They were too busy have a conversation between themselves about what had happened the night before.
I walked out without the item or any information. I ended up researching on the internet and most probably will end up buying it online, I was so fed up with their lack of customer service.
Is there any wonder why we are turning online for products and services. They need to wake up to themselves.

Cheers
Bev

www.paidonbills.com
www.spotoncomputers.acnrep.com

vish
  • 16th Mar 2011 12:52pm

thats bit weird though

Proteus
  • 16th Mar 2011 01:17pm
thats bit weird though

As I said, I did the research into the particular camera I wanted, and from the manufacturer's site, found it was 3 years old, and that new models had been released of course. It pays to do the research.

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