and they wonder why we aren't spending OUR money

[aardvark]

It's all well and good to say we should buy local, and then say that the locally made stuff is more expensive because of better quality, higher labour costs, better safety etc etc. But there have been examples in the past of people being able to purchase Australian made product from countries like the US, including delivery, for less than we can buy it here!! I don't think Australians necessarily want to buy the cheap Chinese product, but would just be happy with price parity with like minded countries!

[6maniac]

True ... and I reserve the right to spend my $$$ anywhere I like ..

[Naked Twin]

I am over this buy Australia, yes support local industries but ffs people have been trading with tribal neigbours (read other countries) since barter and trade was long invented before currency.

If you get a better deal elsewhere great, if it makes you feel warm and cosy to buy local hats off to you, but don't judge others on their choice

[yzr750]

I agree about us being ripped off by importers etc, but the op was bitching about the manufacturers making a killing, when this is complete bollocks, the people that do make the killing are the people that do the least, importers etc. I buy lots of things from abroad, but I always check out the Aus price first, I don't mind paying a small premium for buying Australian.
I recently purchased a Penske shock, it cost $75 more than I could buy it for online, I can live with that, on the other hand, a friend of mine was buying a new Porsche boxter S, price with options here was $160K and 4 months wait, so he went on holiday to the UK, bought one there off the showroom floor with the options he wanted and imported it. Including the cost of his 2 week holiday, import duties, gst, luxury car tax and shipping, it cost him a total of $93K, for a total saving of $67K, and he saved 2 months on the delivery time. That's what i call being ripped off.

[Daisy]

How many $160 items do I have to buy for $93, before you see that its exactly the same thing? Some of us do have to work with a budget that only has 4 figures.

[pittster]

I agree about us being ripped off by importers etc, but the op was bitching about the manufacturers making a killing, when this is complete bollocks, the people that do make the killing are the people that do the least, importers etc. I buy lots of things from abroad, but I always check out the Aus price first, I don't mind paying a small premium for buying Australian.
.

Totally agree on this I just recently got pads for my zx10 wanted genuine local dealer quoted $120 a set =$240 to do the front. after having a small stroke went online & found Partshark.com
Ordered through them and delivered within 4 days for the grand total of $136.00

So yeah If it was $150 from the dealer no probs but to save $100 well that saving just bought more stuff for my bike

[JPaddo]

Minimum wage in this country is somewhere in the region of 20-21k per annum, legislated.

Minimum wage in China? It's something like $2500 per annum. They also have a govt that regulates their currency to keep it's value artificially low, compounding the situation.

What the Australian govt is doing now to protect car manufacturing in this country is a good thing given that money is being recycled back into the local economy, and keeping people off welfare... for some bizarro reason they won't lend a helping hand to other industries and local companies have no choice but to go offshore in the face of steep taxation and labour costs.

It's just the way it is... it's not profiteering, it's govt policy filtering down to shelf prices, and it's sad. Australian workers pay Australian taxes, and so do Australian companies. Foreign owned workers and companies don't.

Govt policy also killed the local bookstore industry, for a different reason... they meant well, trying to protect the local printing industry, but in the end they simply hastened it's demise because the policy was arse-about.

Anyway I always look for a local option when buying stuff, and if it's not outlandish (which is rarer than I'd like), I'll usually buy it... because I know a percentage of that went into another Australian's pockets (regardless of where it was made)... which gives me the warm and fuzzies... but until the govt drastically overhaul some long-term thinking this situation is only going to get worse. Don't hold your breath though because nothing will happen until the mining bubble bursts.

[robracer]

"sheeple"
today I have discovered a new word

[Daisy]

You, at the back! Keep up.

[pittster]

"sheeple"
today I have discovered a new word

"The term is often used to denote persons who voluntarily acquiesce to a perceived authority figure's suggestion without critical analysis or sufficient research to understand the ramifications of that decision. By doing so, Sheeple undermine their own individuality and may willingly give up their rights. The implication of the term is that people fallaciously appeal to authority and believe or do what they are told by perceived authority figures who they view as trustworthy. The term is generally used in a political, social, and sometimes spiritual sense.
"



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheeple

[robracer]

Noice

[smithy5]

I thought it meant, half Sheep, half People.
Eg: People that just follow others, like sheep.

[z900/zx9]

Being involved with the importing of products from O/S for both companys previously worked for and for my own buisness for nearly 25 years i can asure you that the margins i make as a wholesaler are not huge.What is huge are the costs that are charged to me from the warfs and government.Retailers make more thandouble the margin i do.Yes they have overheads staff etc but i hold a lot of stock have to order more than 3 months ahead as well as deal with the dollar wheather its 1.08 or .47c and yep its been that low when i have had stuff on the water.Then i run 30 day accounts that very few pay on time mostly 60 days some even 90-120days.As the internet makes things harder for retailers it therefore flows on th wholesalers and the quantity that they buy decreases and all the wholesalers cut each others throught and guess what the retailer makes a bigger margin.The last shipment i imported the cost of getting the goods from the warf to my door was almost 20% of the goods actual cost and thats not including paying the gst for the goods UPfront .Yep i buy stuff from the net but pretty much just tyres.As far as being competative its up to the buisness to make new plans and to find holes to fill or attack the market from another angle which i shall soon be doing.in buisness its keep thinking and keep moving if ya dont wanna die.

[rooster]

I thought it meant, half Sheep, half People.
Eg: People that just follow others, like sheep.

No you are confused with the definition of what a New Zealander is

[smithy5]

I thought it meant, half Sheep, half People.
Eg: People that just follow others, like sheep.

No you are confused with the definition of what a New Zealander is

I must be confused, thought they were "sheepuckers"